During excavation for this new modern home, large granite boulders rose to the surface from the primordial hillside. Instead of displacing these monoliths from the site from which they were created, they were arranged to define space. A circle of boulders stand guard around a custom built fire pit, providing protection from the wind while offering a place to climb or sit. The extended landscape view from the lawn is kept intact by the introduction of a ha-ha, a traditional landscape feature, that hides the productive garden and keeps it from breaking the view. Native and drought tolerant plantings hug the outer edges of the property for minimal use of irrigation and to visually blend into the surrounding hillside. This project also features a custom ipe bench with integrated lighting, waterjet address numbers with night lighting, and hardscape that complements the form and materiality of the architecture to create a harmonious transition into the horizontal plane. Photography: Louie Jeon Photography

Laurelhurst Modern Garden

Northwest Native Landscapes LLC

Dramatic plant textures, modern hardscaping and sharp angles enhanced this mid-century modern bungalow. Soft plants were chosen to contrast with the sharp angles of the pathways and hard edges of the MCM home, while providing all-season interest. Horizontal privacy screens wrap the front porch and create intimate garden spaces – some visible only from the street and some visible only from inside the home. The front yard is relatively small in size, but full of colorful texture.

19 Acre Welsh Estate

Mike Russell Designs Ltd

Photos by Saffron Russell Entertaining space with bespoke raised Oak planters and 400 year old Olive trees and perennial planting. Sandstone flags and engineering brick edging.

G A R D E N - Pacific Northwest

Lore Patterson

The Herb Farm | Lore Patterson
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional side yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Seattle with a garden path and mulch.

Cottage Garden in the Tropics

Botalia Designs

Natalia Lopez de la Cruz
Photo of a small traditional front yard full sun formal garden for summer in Miami with a garden path and gravel.

Sunset Residence

Studio 342 Landscape Architecture

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary front yard full sun formal garden in Seattle with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Japanese entrance

Laura Campbell Landscape Design

Laura Campbell
Small asian front yard full sun formal garden in Boston with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Modern Urban Warmth, Capitol Hill

SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture

Our client built a striking new home on the east slope of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. To complement the clean lines of the facade we designed a simple, elegant landscape that sets off the home rather than competing with the bold architecture. Soft grasses offer contrast to the natural stone veneer, perennials brighten the mood, and planters add a bit of whimsy to the arrival sequence. On either side of the main entry, roof runoff is dramatically routed down the face of the home in steel troughs to biofilter planters faced in stone. Around the back of the home, a small “leftover” space was transformed into a cozy patio terrace with bluestone slabs and crushed granite underfoot. A view down into, or across the back patio area provides a serene foreground to the beautiful views to Lake Washington beyond. Collaborating with Thielsen Architects provided the owners with a sold design team--working together with one voice to build their dream home. Photography by Miranda Estes

Photo Gallery

Diversified Contractors / DC Patio

Mid-sized traditional front yard partial sun formal garden in DC Metro with a garden path and natural stone pavers for spring.

Malas Residence

Altera Landscape

Photography: Jeri Koegel / Landscape Design: Elaine Iverson
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary front yard full sun formal garden for summer in Orange County with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Norlen Landscaping, LLC

sheri norlen
Design ideas for a large traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for summer in Salt Lake City with brick pavers and a garden path.

Rain Garden Installations

Simply Sustainable Landscaping

Photo of a large traditional backyard full sun formal garden in St Louis with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Newton, MA Landscape Renovation

Sallie Hill Design, Landscape Architect

Newton, MA landscape renovation with bluestone patio, bluestone lawn border, seat walls, privacy fence and planting garden. - Sallie Hill Design | Landscape Architecture | 339-970-9058 | salliehilldesign.com | photo ©2015 Brian Hill

Our Work

Father Nature Landscapes of Birmingham, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in Birmingham with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Adelaide Hills

LED Outdoor

Uplighting the stone wall we utilised our 3W LED Gecko spike lights and continued up the steps with our inground Eko deck lights. An enchanting entrance to this beautiful home.

Front Garden Makeover

Fenton Roberts Garden Design

The Entrance way was made more interesting with the addition of four large troughs and a small selection of the clients' existing containers. These were planted up with a backbone of evergreen plants which are supplemented with annual flowers twice a year. Photo Jo Fenton

Entrance Detail

Art of the Land

Xeric plantings often have long bloom cycles and will look even more beautiful in the fall and winter when snow and ice cling. Photo Credit: Diane Huntress Photography

Garden Pathways

Arroyo Seco Construction

Photos by Keith Barlett
Photo of a small mediterranean courtyard shaded formal garden for summer in Santa Barbara with brick pavers and a garden path.

Residential Garden Design

Carter van Dyke Associates

mike wert
This is an example of an expansive traditional backyard full sun formal garden in Philadelphia with a garden path.

Eastside Asian Inspired Sanctuary

GRG Playscapes

Little Giant Photography
Mid-sized asian backyard full sun formal garden in Milwaukee with a garden path for summer.

Formal Garden Design Ideas with a Garden Path

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.