This is an example of a contemporary garden in Other with a retaining wall and decking.

Ridgetop Modern Makeover

Native Edge Landscape

Native Edge Landscape, LLC
Photo of a small modern backyard garden for summer in Austin with a vertical garden.

Gwel-An-Mor

Contec SW Ltd

Design ideas for a traditional full sun garden in Cornwall with a retaining wall, gravel and a wood fence.

Stepped retaining walls that follow the natural slope

Metamorphic Design

Alan Block retaining walls provide excellent structural retention of the slope
Mid-sized modern backyard partial sun garden in Vancouver with a retaining wall.

Modern Front Yard Landscaping

Techo-Bloc

This front yard landscaping project consist of multiple of our modern collections! Modern grey retaining wall: The smooth look of the Raffinato collection brings modern elegance to your tailored spaces. This contemporary double-sided retaining wall is offered in an array of modern colours. Discover the Raffinato retaining wall: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/walls/raffinato-smooth/ Modern grey stone steps: The sleek, polished look of the Raffinato stone step is a more elegant and refined alternative to modern and very linear concrete steps. Offered in three modern colors, these stone steps are a welcomed addition to your next outdoor step project! Discover our Raffinato stone steps here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/steps/raffinato-step/ Modern grey floor pavers: A modern paver available in over 50 scale and color combinations, Industria is a popular choice amongst architects designing urban spaces. This paver's de-icing salt resistance and 100mm height makes it a reliable option for industrial, commercial and institutional applications. Discover the Industria paver here: https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/pavers/industria-smooth-paver/

Sunken Patio using Retaining Walls to Expand Outdoor Livingroom

Allan Block Retaining Wall and Patio Wall Systems

Allan Block Product supplied by Midland Concrete in a Taupe color. Multi level walls were created to have built in planting area and a built in space for a fire pit - fireplace that isn't in the main patio space.

Landscape, retaining wall, steps and driveway

Manzer's Landscape Design & Development

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun driveway for summer in New York with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Street Number Box in Etobicoke

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

This landscape lighting project was primarily in the back yard, but this photo shows an interesting retro-fit lighting effect we installed in the front yard. This existing house number box was lit from the inside by our wide-effect Ozark fixture, making for a stunning glow effect. While this was an existing box, our in-house metal fabrication facility has crafted similar boxes and shapes with cutouts of all sorts. These are great ways to illuminate a street number or the name of a property, and is available in any desired size or finish. These work particularly well here in Canada, since the point of illumination is shielded from snow, making them excellent year-round effects for important house number and sign lighting.

EXTENSION G

PHENOME ARCHITECTURES

This is an example of a contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Rennes with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

NYC Suburb: Family-Friendly Elegance

Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (JMMDS)

The landscape design for this property in an established New York City suburb marries stately elegance with relaxed outdoor living. The greatest challenge of the site was a considerable grade change over a small area (a third of an acre). We replaced overgrown shrubs and crumbling stonework with a clean hardscape design that clearly defines the flow around the property. A long play lawn in front is linked to a sideyard patio space and natural-gas campfire with broad bluestone block steps. A cozy dining terrace behind the house is hugged by a retaining wall that showcases friendly flowering plants and edibles. Set into the terrace wall is a custom water feature that brings sound and movement to the seating area. Exposed ledge in the backyard provides a fun playspace for adventurous kids, with a rope bridge leading to a playhouse.

Clean Concrete Drive with Bold Brick Accent Retaining Walls

Landscapes by Terra

Retainer wall added for functionality and contrast in Grandview craftsman.
Mid-sized traditional front yard full sun driveway in Columbus with a retaining wall and brick pavers for summer.

Specially designed backyard with retaining walls

Hedahl Landscape Deck & Patio

After Picture; Wall placement was critical because of the septic drainfield lines. The woodchip pathways were installed from both ends of yard and provided ground level access to raised garden peninsulas from above, while homeowners could stand at lower level and work in raised garden beds. Drip system was designed for beds and garden separate. The neat thing with the Allan Block is the tab is on top, so we can use it for a border "edge" and not require a cap. A cap was installed on the 2' high seat wall in curved section next to paver patio. The mixed pattern wall is Allan Block in Europa tumbled series shown in Rocky Mountain color blend.

Built-In Garden Seating Saves Space

FormLA Landscaping

California native slope saving plants and retaining wall create space for a colorful and comfortable outdoor living space. Photo: Orly Olivier
Inspiration for a modern backyard garden in Los Angeles with a retaining wall and gravel.

Hillside Decks

LA-Decks Backyard and Pool Remodeling

Redwood deck with grey stain on hill with glass railing and redwood posts.
This is an example of a large contemporary backyard full sun outdoor sport court for summer in Los Angeles with a retaining wall and decking.

Terraced Dover Haven

a Blade of Grass

View from mid level terrace, back towards picket vegetable garden.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional backyard full sun garden in Boston with natural stone pavers and a retaining wall.

Upperville Estate

River's Edge Landscapes

Photo of a large backyard full sun formal garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Charlotte - Sloping Front Yard

SecureTurf - Charlotte Landscaping Experts

SecureTurf - After Photo, Solution to sloping front yard with adding retaining walls.
Inspiration for a sloped garden in Charlotte with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Stone Retaining Walls and Sitting Walls

English Stone

English Stone
Mid-sized country front yard garden in Minneapolis with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Integral Lighting

Starr Contracting
Inspiration for a traditional side yard full sun driveway in Philadelphia with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Ponds

Meadows Farms

Traditional garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall.

Garden Design Ideas with a Vertical Garden and 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.