Within this garden we wanted to create a space which was not only on numerous levels, but also had various points of interest. This garden is on a slope, but is also very wide. Firstly, we broke up the space by using rustic sleepers to create several raised beds,as well as steps which lead to differennt zones. This helps to give the garden a more traditional, country edge. The sleepers were also used to create a winding path through out the garden, marrying together the various areas. The path leads up to the impressive sunburst pergola and circular stone patio. This is the perfect spot to view the whole garden. At the other end of the garden another pergola sits amougnst a bustling flower bed, and will be used to train vining flowers. Along the back wall of the garden a raised bed is home to a stunning display of wildflower. This plot is not only a fabulous riot of colour and full of rustic charm, but it also attracts a whole host of insects and animals. While wildflowers looks great they are also very low maintenance. Mixed gravel has been used to create a variety of texture. This surface is intermittently dotted with colour with lemon thyme, red hot pokers and foxgloves. Stone has been used to create a warm and welcoming patio area. Flower beds at the front of the garden can be used for veg and other leafy plants. Overall we have created a country style with a very contemporary twist through the use of gravel, modern shape and structural landscaping.

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

Garden allee path with copper pipe trellis Photo by: Jeffrey Edward Tryon of PDC
Design ideas for a small contemporary courtyard shaded formal garden for summer in Philadelphia with gravel.

An inner city oasis with enchanting planting using a tapestry of textures, shades of green and architectural forms to evoke the tropics of Australia. Sensations of mystery inspire a reason to journey through the space to a raised deck where the family can enjoy the last of the evening sun.

A shady front yard paver patio in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle under a large Sequoia tree. Corten steel planters with Creeping Jenny and Carex spilling over. The steel gas firepit brings warmth to the seating area wrapped by a cedar built-in bench.

Contemporary shaded garden with gravel.

In Seattle's Fremont neighborhood SCJ Studio designed a new landscape to surround and set off a contemporary home by Coates Design Architects. The narrow spaces around the tall home needed structure and organization, and a thoughtful approach to layout and space programming. A concrete patio was installed with a Paloform Bento gas fire feature surrounded by lush, northwest planting. A horizontal board cedar fence provides privacy from the street and creates the cozy feeling of an outdoor room among the trees. LED low-voltage lighting by Kichler Lighting adds night-time warmth. Photography by: Miranda Estes Photography

Why not enjoy your outdoor space at night? We promote garden lights in all of our designs, and love the mood it evokes. in this shade space we've planted Arthropodium & Madagascan Jasmine (climbing on an architectural cable trellis). Add an expanse of new merbau decking & raised planter beds. Contemporary garden design & installation in McKinnon by Benjamin Carter from Boodle Concepts, Melbourne.

Contemporary courtyard garden
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard shaded garden in Orange County with concrete pavers.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard shaded garden in San Francisco with a water feature and concrete pavers.

Difficult area for access with a safe solution
Small contemporary sloped shaded garden in Portland Maine with a garden path and gravel for summer.

Sandi Fields
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard shaded garden in Los Angeles with a water feature.

Pro Care Horticultural Services
Design ideas for a contemporary sloped shaded garden for summer in Indianapolis.

JMMDS utilized large stones, an array of foliage textures and tones, and dynamic bluestone placement to transform this side yard into a verdant and refreshing walking experience. The green, purple and white plant palette includes: Anemone hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ (Windflower), Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’ (Grapeleaf Windflower), Aster ‘Wood’s Purple’ (New York Aster), Helleborus foetidus (Bear’s Foot Lenten Rose), Heuchera ‘Citronelle’ (Coral Bells), Heuchera americana ‘Dale’ (Dale’s Strain Heuchera), Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ (Coral Bells), Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ (Plantain Lily), Hosta ‘August Moon’ (Plantain Lily), Iris cristata (Crested Iris), Lamiastrum ‘Herman’s Pride’ (Yellow Archangel), Phlox stolonifera ‘Sherwood Purple’ (Creeping Phlox), Polygonatum commutatum (Giant Solomon’s Seal), Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern), Pulmonaria ‘Mrs. Moon’ (Lungwort). Photo: Bill Sumner.

Fence Design with Cedar Pergola, copper pipe trellis ,gravel path & bench Jeffrey Edward Tryon
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard shaded formal garden for fall in New York with a vertical garden and brick pavers.

Bliss Garden Design
Inspiration for a contemporary side yard shaded garden in Seattle with brick pavers.

William Carson Joyce
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard shaded xeriscape in Santa Barbara with gravel.

This is an example of a contemporary sloped shaded garden in Burlington with natural stone pavers and with rock feature.

- Completed: 1999-2000 - Project Location: Kirkland, WA - Project Size: 4,300 SF - Project Cost: $175/SF - Photographer: James Frederic Housel Designed and built as a speculative house, the Spring Hill Residence includes 4,300 square feet of living area and a detached garage and upper level unit located in the west of market area of Kirkland. Spring Hill Residence was selected as the September 2000 Seattle Times/AIA Home of the Month and was featured in the February 25, 2000 Pacific Northwest Magazine. Awarded Best Custom Residence by the Master Builders Association, 2001.