Garden Design Ideas

For this Willoughby backyard, nestled in Sydney’s North Shore, the team at Fifth Season Landscapes designed a sleek, timeless outdoor space with young families in mind. At its heart is a striking in-ground swimming pool that combines practical elegance with seamless connectivity across the garden. Classic limestone tiles and large-format stepping stones create flow between zones, bordered by a large lush lawn. Mature trees and a low-maintenance, contemporary planting palette enhance privacy while adding a calm, inviting atmosphere. With the addition of a built-in BBQ area, this backyard truly has all areas covered for the whole family—offering a perfect balance of function, style, and outdoor enjoyment.

Photo of a contemporary garden in Melbourne.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary full sun garden in Melbourne with a wood fence.

Der Naturpool bildet das Zentrum des Familiengartens. Terrasse, Wasserfläche und Pflanzung sind klar aufeinander abgestimmt und schaffen einen ruhigen, naturnahen Ort für Erholung und gemeinsames Familienleben.

This luxurious urban garden transformation reimagines a once-blank canvas into a striking private retreat, rich in detail and layered with design complexity. Positioned in the heart of the city, the garden now offers a serene, high-end escape—thoughtfully crafted to deliver visual impact from every angle, whether viewed from inside the home or experienced within the space itself. Though the original plot was level, we introduced the illusion of depth and dimension through elevated design elements, including Schellevis floating steps, which lend an architectural elegance and subtly define spatial zones without disrupting the garden’s flow. Strategic planting anchors the layout, with four distinctive specimen trees—two Dicksonia antarctica, one Feijoa, and one Trachycarpus fortunei—each contributing to carefully curated focal points that guide the eye and enhance the sense of scale. The rear shed is artfully concealed using vertical timber posts, positioned behind the Feijoa to maintain natural beauty without visual distraction. A custom bespoke metal pergola adds verticality and contemporary flair, creating a sculptural frame that draws the eye upward and balances the garden’s horizontal lines. Together, these elements work harmoniously to create a garden that feels expansive, immersive, and deeply refined.

C'est l'été, l’envie de profiter d’un extérieur accueillant et plein de charme. Ce jardin fleuri mêle douces couleurs et ambiance naturelle pour une échappée belle sans quitter la maison. Les allées, bordées de bois, guident le regard et les pas entre les massifs fleuris, créant une promenade douce et structurée. Les bordures en bois apportent une touche chaleureuse et authentique, tout en délimitant avec élégance les différents espaces du jardin. Puis les recoins fleuris pour se détendre… Ici, tout est pensé pour savourer les vacances, même au quotidien.

Zen sounds.
Contemporary garden in London.

An urban oasis in East London. This space has been transformed into a lush garden perfect for indoor-outdoor living. This garden has been designed so that it is divided into 3 distinct areas, each surrounded by lush. abundant planting. closest to the house a dining patio with a large built in parasol for sunny and slightly rainy days, a second patio area with sofa and chairs offers a great space for coffee, working and drinks near the outdoor kitchen and BBQ area. The substantial built in benches at the rear of the garden offers a wonderful space for relaxing and entertaining with dappled shade from the overhead pergola and plants in summer and warmth of the fire pit on colder nights.

This is an example of a large transitional courtyard partial sun formal garden for summer in London with a vertical garden.

Hangbefestigung aus Grauwackeblöcken, die in Trockenmauern aus gleichem Material übergehen. Lockere Bepflanzung der Zwischenräume mit Stauden. Blöcke können als Sitzsteine genutzt werden. Terrasse aus Travertinplatten mit Zierkiesel ausgezwickelt. Folienteich mit Quellstein.

This large, neglected back garden was full of tired, overgrown shrubs and weeds. Some of the trees and hedges were removed to create more light, and the garden opened up. Two sets of circular steps link to the different levels of the garden, whilst attractive brick walls create different terraced beds that have been planted to provide colour and interest throughout the year. Richard Brown Photography Ltd.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun garden in London with natural stone pavers.

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

Photo of a mid-sized country backyard full sun garden for summer in Cheshire with natural stone pavers.

Within this garden we wanted to create a space which was not only on numerous levels, but also had various points of interest. This garden is on a slope, but is also very wide. Firstly, we broke up the space by using rustic sleepers to create several raised beds,as well as steps which lead to differennt zones. This helps to give the garden a more traditional, country edge. The sleepers were also used to create a winding path through out the garden, marrying together the various areas. The path leads up to the impressive sunburst pergola and circular stone patio. This is the perfect spot to view the whole garden. At the other end of the garden another pergola sits amougnst a bustling flower bed, and will be used to train vining flowers. Along the back wall of the garden a raised bed is home to a stunning display of wildflower. This plot is not only a fabulous riot of colour and full of rustic charm, but it also attracts a whole host of insects and animals. While wildflowers looks great they are also very low maintenance. Mixed gravel has been used to create a variety of texture. This surface is intermittently dotted with colour with lemon thyme, red hot pokers and foxgloves. Stone has been used to create a warm and welcoming patio area. Flower beds at the front of the garden can be used for veg and other leafy plants. Overall we have created a country style with a very contemporary twist through the use of gravel, modern shape and structural landscaping.

Classic manor house garden by Joanne Alderson Design, built by Rob Jones of The Garden Design Co & photographed by Joanna Good
Photo of a large traditional backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Oxfordshire with a garden path and gravel.

Formal English Country Garden, Surrey, UK
This is an example of a large traditional backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Sussex with natural stone pavers.

The circular steps lead from the corner of a large patio towards the first level of lawn. Richard Brown Photography Ltd.
Inspiration for a large traditional full sun formal garden in Cheshire with a retaining wall.

Peta North
This is an example of a small traditional backyard garden in Perth with a water feature and decking.