Nature Friendly Landscape
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Charlotte with a water feature and river rock.

Projects

User

Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean front yard full sun garden in Salt Lake City with with rock feature and river rock.

Contemporary Townhouse Garden

Plantology Ltd

Contemporary townhouse wildlife garden, with meandering gravel paths through dynamic herbaceous planting with corten water features.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun formal garden in West Midlands with with flowerbed and river rock.

Artificial Grass Installation & Design

Dream Gardens LLC

This is an example of a large and desert look backyard full sun xeriscape in San Diego with river rock.

Railroad Ties Tamed

Greenbee Landscape, Inc.

The accessible slope offers different perspectives of the living water feature, which lights up at night
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary sloped full sun xeriscape for summer in Los Angeles with a water feature and river rock.

Low Maintenance Xeriscape in Monument

Accent Landscapes

This xeric entry acts to transition the home's contemporary design to the very native location of the home. Hardy plants with low water needs were selected to provide year round interest. The dry streambed does double duty, helping to move a large amount of water from roof gutters and providing a nice accent to the landscape.

Japanese style garden

PLT Design

This photo was taken one year after the garden was built with the plants settled in and starting to put on good growth. The client wanted a low maintenance garden based on a Japanese theme. The original garden was a blank canvas as the house had just been built, however there was a considerable slope to the garden and it was quite overlooked. The design was based on a Japanese ‘Karesansui’ or dry landscape garden. To remove the slope the garden was tiered into an upper and lower level using large purbeck rocks. A dry river bed runs diagonally across the garden. Stepping stones allow access to the garden, with a Japanese style wooden humpback bridge crossing the dry river bed. This leads to an arbour in the corner, a place to sit, relax and enjoy views of the garden. Another seating area is located in the top corner of the garden next to a railway sleeper focal point. The planting scheme is low maintenance, being predominantly evergreen and offering all year round interest. Three feature blossoming Cherry trees were planted to further enhance the Japanese feel and prevent the garden from being overlooked. The end result is a calm and serene garden to sit and relax in and enjoy the different views.

Moving On Up

Uccello Development, LLC

This coastal farmhouse design is destined to be an instant classic. This classic and cozy design has all of the right exterior details, including gray shingle siding, crisp white windows and trim, metal roofing stone accents and a custom cupola atop the three car garage. It also features a modern and up to date interior as well, with everything you'd expect in a true coastal farmhouse. With a beautiful nearly flat back yard, looking out to a golf course this property also includes abundant outdoor living spaces, a beautiful barn and an oversized koi pond for the owners to enjoy.

Garden ponds, creeks and billabongs

Phillip Johnson Landscapes

Wetlands in Clarkefield with curved timber boardwalk, beautiful planting and waterfalls.
Design ideas for an expansive backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Other with with waterfall and river rock.

Vintage Oaks Model Home

JLP Builders

Front of Home View
Inspiration for a large contemporary front yard full sun driveway for summer in Austin with a garden path and river rock.

Rain Garden - Rock-Lined Swales (Dry Creek Beds)

Ravenscourt Landscaping and Design LLC

A rain garden dry stream bed.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun garden in Houston with river rock.

Southwest Swale Way - Front Yard

Native Edge Landscape

The existing excavated limestone boulders were strategically repositioned to not only serve as functional components but also as visually striking features to the modified design of the dry creek pathways and planted areas. The trees are viewed as an opportunity to utilize dark Whittlesey mulch to provide contrast, water retention, and tie in to other defined beds and oak clusters on the property. The front walk is comprised of sawn limestone pavers surrounded by crushed limestone rock mulch and accented by river rock dry creek bed that follows through to the backyard. The pavers lead down to a poured-in-place concrete path that grants access to outdoor utilities and matches the driveway seamlessly.

Drought Tolerant Lush Landscape

Treehouse Landscape Design

Design by Taryn Tree
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with with flowerbed and river rock.

Landscaping

PLS Landscaping

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun formal garden for summer in Other with with flowerbed and river rock.

Landscape Design Front Yard Planter Upgrades in Solana Beach

Landscape Logic

We are giving this outdated landscape some new curb appeal. We flanked the sidewalk with trees that we will light up at night with LED landscape lighting. The property line will be lined with small, low-maintenance, shrubs. The front sidewalk will be lined with river rock which will keep the sidewalk clean from debris and will help to keep the animals out of the yard.

Palm Springs inspired Deakin Project

Manuka Gardens

Our Deakin project’s oversized yellow feature pot has been the talk of the town. Our design brief was to create a Palm Springs inspired, low maintenance garden to compliment their mid-century modern influenced renovation. The addition of the yellow pot was the request of our clients and as you can see it’s a stunning focal point for their front garden.

Contemporary Fence on the Mesa

EcoLawn SB

Contemporary horizontal redwood fence with drought-tolerant landscaping in Santa Barbara. River rocks line large concrete pavers that lead to a gate.

Mid-Century Ranch Makeover

Native Edge Landscape

Detail shot of front yard
Design ideas for a mid-sized front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Austin with with lawn edging, river rock and a metal fence.

Samuel Jackson

Eldorado Outdoor Lighting LLC

the rustic steel bollard with a vegetation cutout casts shadows onto the ground plane, illuminating the seasonal dry creek bed and surrounding desert plantings.

Red Poppy Winter Annual Bed

Smart Botanic Art LLC

Small mediterranean full sun garden in Charleston with river rock for winter.

Full Sun Garden Design Ideas with River Rock

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.