Photo by Linda Oyama Bryan
Design ideas for an expansive traditional backyard garden in Chicago with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Pacific Palisades Estate

Leyva & Wilde, Inc.

This is an example of an expansive transitional courtyard partial sun driveway for summer in Los Angeles with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Elegant Paver Driveway and Firepit

Tim's Landscape Creations

Christian Cox aubrilanemedia.com
Photo of an expansive contemporary backyard partial sun driveway in Phoenix with a fire feature and brick pavers.

GG Property Lake Tahoe

Barbara Huntingdon Landscape Design

Expert masonry work - concealed mortar
Expansive contemporary sloped full sun garden in San Francisco with a retaining wall.

Retaining Walls

Spartan Landscapes

The brief of this project was very clear and simple. The clients wanted to transform their overgrown and non functional back yard to a usuable and practical space. The location is in Rye, Vic. The solution was to build tiered retaining walls to stabilize the slope and create level and usuable platforms. This proved challanging as the soil mostly contains sand, especially here on the lower end of the peninsula, which made excavating easy however difficult to retain the cut once excavated. Therefore the retaining walls had to be constructed in stages, bottom wall to top wall, back filling and stabilizing the hill side as the next wall got erected. The end result met all expectations of the clients and the back yard was transformed from an unusable slope to a functional and secure space.

Temecula estate

Living Gardens Landscape Design

Photo of an expansive mediterranean front yard driveway in Orange County with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Modern Water-Side Landscape Remodel - Northern California

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Lagoon-side property in the Bel Marin Keys, Novato, CA. Entertaining and enjoying the views were a primary design goal for this project. The project includes a large camaru deck with built-in seating. The concrete steps and pavers lead down to the water's edge. I included a sunken patio on one side and a beautiful Buddha statue on the other, surrounded by succulents and other low-water, contemporary plantings. I also used Dymondia ground cover to create a natural pathways within the garden. This project was just completed. More photos will be included in Spring when the plantings fill in. Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Landscape Designer, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design.

Retaining Wall Makes Space for Modern Outdoor Lounge

FormLA Landscaping

The fresh sent of sage surrounds the poolside modern chaise lounge chairs. Adjacent to an outdoor kitchen and bar built into a retaining wall, the lounge looks over the pool to the vibrant greenery that defines the property line.

Severn River Residence

McHale Landscape Design, Inc.

This is an example of an expansive arts and crafts side yard partial sun garden for summer in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Hardscaping Projects

Sebastian's Tropical Landscape Design, LLC.

Transforming that front yard with empty spaces or poorly grown vegetation can easily change the looks of your home so that you are happy with the low maintenance features.

Kennisis Lake, Haliburton Cottage

Black Rock Landscapes Inc

Design ideas for an expansive country backyard garden in Toronto with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Elegant Paver Driveway and Firepit

Tim's Landscape Creations

Christian Cox aubrilanemedia.com
Photo of an expansive contemporary front yard partial sun driveway in Phoenix with brick pavers.

Residential Inspiration

The Millboard company limited

Millboard, Burnt Cedar, Enhanced grain decking with Square edging
This is an example of an expansive contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in West Midlands with a garden path and decking.

Dan Doyle

Scott Turf and Landscape Company

Dan had a concrete driveway that was cracking and coming apart. We removed that eyesore and constructed a 2300 sq ft Driveway comprised of Belgard Cambridge Cobble Pavers in a 2 piece muster K pattern. We were able to widen the driveway and add curves not present prior to construction. We also widened and added walkways to each side of his front entry staircase. In the rear of the driveway area we built a retaining wall to help support that end of the driveway and encourage drainage to a location suitable to flow into the intercostal waterway. Once completed we added the natural stone stripper edging to highlight the natural areas and to deter vehicle intrusion into the areas. In the backyard we overlaid st Augustine grass because of the shaded spots and we repaired a retaining wall and step down along side the pool. We also installed a drain for the outdoor shower.

Bluestone Walk, Pergola, and Plantings

The Barn: Landscape + Architecture

This is an example of an expansive transitional front yard garden in Chicago with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Patel Residence

Dave's Landscape Management Company

After photos of Patel Project
Photo of an expansive traditional front yard full sun driveway in Boston with a garden path and concrete pavers.

French Country Casual

Arbordale Landscaping

Front stairs and landing blend nicely with flagstone apron on the driveway. Cobblestone borders surround the driveway and circular garden in the centre of the driveway.

Bush Carpentry in Pymble

A Grade Pools and Landscapes

Inspiration for an expansive country sloped garden in Sydney with mulch.

Antique Reclaimed Granite Cobblestone, 5" x 5", Lake Tahoe

Monarch Stone International

10,000 sf driveway paved with Historic European Cobblestone, authentic reclaimed GRANITE cobble imported from Europe. (In these photos, snow and wet conditions affect appearance.) Client selected the 5" x 5" granite cobble, sawn at 2" for installation over a driveway heating system.

Front Walkway

Lowenoak Landscape Development

This is an example of an expansive modern front yard garden in Other with natural stone pavers.

Expansive Grey Garden Design Ideas

Get Inspired by Gardens on Houzz

A lot of the time when you get home from a long day at work, all you want to do is wind down. Where better to do this than in your very own garden at home? If you do it right, a great garden design can send you right into holiday mode. But where to start? There’s so many styles to choose from when it comes to garden design. Whether you want to create a tropical, modern, contemporary, beach style or country garden - or something else entirely - the large garden image gallery on Houzz has got you covered. Get inspired and collect your ideas to narrow down your desired garden style and features.

How to Create a Garden for Your Home

Depending on which style you’re going for, be sure to know what makes a garden and if it’s appropriate for your climate. You may want to consider adding a deck or other landscaping features, but the plants you choose will mostly dictate your style and what kind of ongoing maintenance is required. Don’t worry if your backyard isn’t very spacious - there are many plants that can thrive even in a small space and allow you to turn your space into a little paradise of your own, regardless of size.

Decide which plants to use

The greenery you choose is critical to your look. For example, if you’re trying to create a tropical garden palm trees and bamboo are your go-to options. Other popular options are golden cane palm trees and fern for ground cover. From there you can add some colour with bright flowers like frangipani, hibiscus or bromeliads. All these are actually quite hardy plants, so once established, your tropical garden is actually quite easy to maintain. Use this structure and apply it to your style. Research which plants you need to set your base for a garden and go from there.

Add some decor

If the plants don’t quite do it for you yet, or if you want to add some extra wow-factor, consider adding some extra features. Even if you can’t accommodate a swimming pool, hot tub or pond, you could look at smaller water features. Simple rocks can also have a great effect, while statues and gnomes will add some extra character. Don’t forget to add some furniture so you have a nice place to sit and enjoy your garden!

Need some help?

Once you know what you want your garden to look like, it may be hard to make it a reality on your own. If that is the case for you, consider consulting a professional to help you with your garden design. Every photo you find on Houzz will lead you to the local pro that did the job, so you won’t have a problem picking the perfect person to help! Whether you need a gardener in Brisbane, a landscape architect in Melbourne or a fireplace installer in Sydney, you can be sure to find one on Houzz.