Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard full sun formal garden in Grand Rapids with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Dramatic Streetscape Planting

Eden Garden Design

Striking Texas native botanical design with local river rock top dressing. Photographer: Greg Thomas, http://optphotography.com/

Courtyard Landscape Design Gresham Oregon

Ross NW Watergardens

Baker Blue granite boulders were used to add a sense of age and permanence to the garden. Landscape Design and pictures by Ben Bowen of Ross NW Watergardens

Traditional Landscape

Inspiration for a large traditional front yard full sun driveway for summer in New York with a garden path and brick pavers.

Ranch Picnic Entertainment Area

Céladon Designs, Inc.

Photo of a large contemporary backyard full sun garden for spring in Santa Barbara with a garden path and mulch.

Wildlife Friendly Front Garden

Fenton Roberts Garden Design

Jo Fenton
Design ideas for a small traditional front yard full sun driveway for summer in London with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Colorful Entry Garden

Plan-it Earth Design

This welcoming entry on a corner lot provides green space for play and sets off the colorful plantings surrounding it
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Portland with a garden path.

A Cotswold garden in Stow on the Wold

Joanne Alderson Design

The pathway to a traditional stone Cotswold house in Stow, this scheme has now matured & the yew domes are spectacular
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun garden for spring in Oxfordshire with a garden path and gravel.

Living Green Wall and Landscape Remodel - Mid-Century Modern Home Sausalito, CA

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Detail of the concrete pathway with polished Mexican pebbles, steel edging and modern light fixtures. We designed and installed this dramatic living wall / vertical garden to add a welcoming focal point, and a great way to add living beauty to the large front house wall. The dated walkway was updated with large geometric concrete pavers with polished black pebbles in between, and a new concrete driveway. Water-wise grasses flowering plants and succulents replace the lawn. This updated modern renovation for this mid-century modern home includes a new garage and front entrance door and modern garden light fixtures. Some photos taken 2 months after installation and recently as well. We designed and installed this dramatic living wall / vertical garden to add a welcoming focal point, and a great way to add plant beauty to the large front wall. A variety of succulents, grass-like and cascading plants were designed and planted to provide long cascading "waves" resulting in appealing textures and colors. The dated walkway was updated with large geometric concrete pavers with polished black pebbles in between, and a new concrete driveway. Water-wise grasses flowering plants and succulents replace the lawn. This updated modern renovation for this mid-century modern home includes a new garage and front entrance door and modern garden light fixtures.

English Garden & Pool House

NSPJ Architects

The combination of natural stone walls and hedges assisted with the challenging site grading and was an opportunity to create the desired ‘secret’ garden feel.

Modern Manhattan Beach Strand front yard with colorful succulent plantings.

Outside InStyle

Terraced front entry with plantings that complement the modern exterior.
Design ideas for a small modern front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Los Angeles with a garden path and gravel.

Front Yard Landscape

Stephanie D Poole

The meandering flagstone pathway leads visitors from the sidewalk or driveway to the front door around a rain chain downspout.
Design ideas for a small beach style front yard full sun xeriscape in Santa Barbara with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

New Construction Landscaping

Visionscapes Land Design, Inc.

The synthetic turf was laid down to keep debris and maintenance to a minimum around the pool. The homeowner wanted a variety of textures and colors to bring their backyard together.

Contemporary New Home Landscape - Caledonia

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

A dry creek bed snakes through the planted area and is functional - taking rainwater from the front yard and funneling it under the driveway. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Idyllic Modern

David Thorne Landscape Architect

Marion Brenner Photography
Photo of a large modern front yard full sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Sophisticated Mid-City Residence

Urban Oasis Landscape Design

A short 42“ high pony wall was erected in the front yard with a gate for visitors and an electric gate for their cars. The front gate was inset into a niche which allowed for some stylish urns planted with dwarf Kumquat trees.

Royersford Front Hillside Garden

Donald Pell - Gardens

Karl Miller and Donald Pell
Large sloped full sun garden in Philadelphia with a garden path and gravel for spring.

Winters Residence

Taproot Garden Design

Patrick & Topaze McCaffery - Taproot Garden Design "2018 May: Plants in this grouping include Salvia 'Mystic Spires', Lavandula intermedia 'Provence', Salvia 'Amistad', white flowering Rose, and Black Eyed Susan Vine."

SC14 Einfamilienhaus im Kreis Göppingen

Schiller Architektur BDA

Ralf Just Fotografie, Weilheim
Design ideas for a small modern side yard full sun garden in Stuttgart with concrete pavers and a garden path.

Private Modern Garden

Outside Collective

Christel Leung
Photo of a small modern backyard full sun formal garden in San Francisco with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Full Sun 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.