Photos by Joe Murgel
Photo of a small modern front yard full sun formal garden for summer in Toronto with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Minnetonka

Waconia Landscaping Co.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard partial sun formal garden in Minneapolis with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Bellevue Front Yard Makeover

Urban Oasis Design & Construction LLC

Photo of a large traditional front yard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with a retaining wall and mulch.

Boulder walls, bluestone patios and plantings

Perennial Landscaping

Total re-landscaping of front entrance using veined limestone boulder walls, bluestone steps and patios and plantings and resodding of the lawn.
This is an example of a large contemporary front yard partial sun formal garden for spring in Boston with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Upperville Estates

River's Edge Landscapes

Design ideas for a large backyard full sun formal garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Wallace Landscape Associates

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard shaded formal garden in Philadelphia with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Stone Curving Steps w Lamp Posts & Walls

THE KING'S MASONS

Formal curving entrance stairs. Natural stone with flagstone capping on the lamp posts and curving retaining walls. We also installed a stone walkway to the front door. The patterning of the stone is exceptional - we have master masons!

Fences

Creative Fences & Decks

This is an example of a mid-sized asian side yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Portland with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Meydenbauer Bay Residence

Urban Restoration

Haris Kenjar
Design ideas for a large contemporary front yard formal garden in Seattle with concrete pavers and a retaining wall.

Boulder walls, bluestone patios and plantings

Perennial Landscaping

Total re-landscaping of front entrance using veined limestone boulder walls, bluestone steps and patios and plantings and resodding of the lawn.
Inspiration for a large contemporary front yard partial sun formal garden for spring in Boston with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Stacked Stone Retaining Wall

Randy & Ray's LLC

Add interest to a sloping landscape with natural stacked stone retaining wall and flagstone steps. Photo: Randy & Ray's LLC
Design ideas for an expansive traditional sloped full sun formal garden for summer in Jacksonville with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

CDL Landscape

Photo of a large mediterranean backyard formal garden in Los Angeles with a retaining wall and brick pavers.

Curved stone retaining walls and huge boulders on hill

Home & Garden Design, Atlanta - Danna Cain, ASLA

This lush and colorful hillside was once a barren, dry slope full of weeds and briars. We created the river rock stone terraced walls mainly to retain the truckloads of good garden soil that we added so that this hill could be planted successfully. The curved design is very attractive and the rustic style blends well with the log cabin architecture of the house. We also added large boulders nearby. You can see a few to the far right. Photographer: Danna Cain, Home & Garden Design, Inc.

Hummingbird House

Stonecreek Building Company, Inc.

Timmerman Photography Sculpture by Mayme Kratz This is a home we initially built in 1995 and after it sold in 2014 we were commissioned to come back and remodel the interior of the home. We worked with internationally renowned architect Will Bruder on the initial design on the home. The goal of home was to build a modern hillside home which made the most of the vista upon which it sat. A few ways we were able to achieve this were the unique, floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the side of the property overlooking Scottsdale, a private courtyard off the master bedroom and bathroom, and a custom commissioned sculpture Mayme Kratz. Stonecreek's particular role in the project were to work alongside both the clients and the architect to make sure we were able to perfectly execute on the vision and design of the project. A very unique component of this house is how truly custom every feature is, all the way from the window systems and the bathtubs all the way down to the door handles and other features.

Natural Landscape - Dry Creeks

Poynter Landscape Architecture & Construction

Dry Creek, with Bridges, Boulders, Natural Landscape elements as erosion solutions.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in St Louis with a retaining wall and gravel.

Ranch Redux

Uccello Development, LLC

The cottage style exterior of this newly remodeled ranch in Connecticut, belies its transitional interior design. The exterior of the home features wood shingle siding along with pvc trim work, a gently flared beltline separates the main level from the walk out lower level at the rear. Also on the rear of the house where the addition is most prominent there is a cozy deck, with maintenance free cable railings, a quaint gravel patio, and a garden shed with its own patio and fire pit gathering area.

Gorski Landscaping

Photo of a mid-sized front yard full sun formal garden for spring in New York with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Upper Nyack Riverfront

Ann Brooke Landscape Design

Boulders and plantings disguise an extensive gabion retaining wall on the Hudson River
Photo of a large modern sloped partial sun formal garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Kleinburg Frontyard

Owen Landscape Architect

An example of clean, low maintenance design.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun formal garden in Toronto with concrete pavers and a retaining wall.

Toronto High Park Modern Backyard

Green Apple Landscaping

Photo of a mid-sized modern backyard partial sun formal garden in Toronto with a retaining wall, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Formal Garden Design Ideas with a Retaining Wall

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.