Very private backyard enclave waterfall with fire pit and screened in patio
Contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden in DC Metro with with waterfall and natural stone pavers for summer.

Steamboat Storm Meadow Drive Mountain/Asian Fusion

Trilogy Partners

Japanese Garden with Hot Springs outdoor soaking tub. Landscape Design by Chad Guinn. Photo Roger Wade Photography The Rocky Regions best and boldest example of Western - Mountain - Asian fusion. Featured in Architectural Digest May 2010

cotton jones retreat

debora carl landscape design

aeoniums, fern, flax, fountain, grasses, gravel, horizontal cedar fence and gate, kangaroo paws, leptosperum petersonii tree, smooth wall stucco walls, Cordyline 'Torbay Dazzler'

Ni-water Composition

Outdoor Craftsmen

Mid-sized mediterranean backyard full sun formal garden in Denver with natural stone pavers and a water feature.

Blue & White Garden–Seekonk, MA

Andrew Grossman Landscape Design

Blue & White Garden with rectangular lily pond; azaleas, tree peonies, assorted Spring bulbs, perennials and flowering shrubs. Display Garden, Seekonk, MA.

Peaceful Spa-inspired Retreat

Peery Homes

Large transitional courtyard partial sun formal garden in Other with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Modern Tranquility

Campion Walker Landscapes

To anchor a modern house, designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners, Campion Walker brought in a mature oak grove that at first frames the home and then invites the visitor to explore the grounds including an intimate culinary garden and stone fruit orchard. The neglected hillside on the back of the property once overgrown with ivy was transformed into a California native oak woodland, with under-planting of ceanothus and manzanitas. We used recycled water to create a dramatic water feature cut directly into the limestone entranceway framed by a cacti and succulent garden.

Landscape Design

Paragon Landscaping Corporation

This is an example of a traditional full sun garden in Philadelphia with a water feature and concrete pavers.

Lancaster area walk/entry way

Cobblestone Landscape LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional courtyard full sun garden in Other with a water feature and brick pavers.

Modern Landscape

Design ideas for a small modern backyard partial sun garden in Denver with natural stone pavers and a water feature.

Zen Inspired Garden, Bradley Stoke

Katherine Roper Landscape & Garden Design

Katherine Roper
Inspiration for a mid-sized asian garden in Other with a water feature.

A Garden for Every Season

Cottage Gardener, LTD

This project was designed and installed by Cottage Gardener, LTD. These photos highlight our effort to create seasonal interest throughout the entire year.

Mid-Century Modern

Josh Blumer :: AB design studio, inc.

1950’s mid century modern hillside home. full restoration | addition | modernization. board formed concrete | clear wood finishes | mid-mod style. Photography ©Ciro Coelho/ArchitecturalPhoto.com

French: Hathaway

Harold Leidner Landscape Architects

Luxury estate property set on expansive creekside lot with stately motorcourt entry, front fountain spacious pool, outdoor cabana, koi pond, spa and expansive gardens and lawn.

Garnet Residence

Envision Landscape Studio

This small tract home backyard was transformed into a lively breathable garden. A new outdoor living room was created, with silver-grey brazilian slate flooring, and a smooth integral pewter colored concrete wall defining and retaining earth around it. A water feature is the backdrop to this outdoor room extending the flooring material (slate) into the vertical plane covering a wall that houses three playful stainless steel spouts that spill water into a large basin. Koi Fish, Gold fish and water plants bring a new mini ecosystem of life, and provide a focal point and meditational environment. The integral colored concrete wall begins at the main water feature and weaves to the south west corner of the yard where water once again emerges out of a 4” stainless steel channel; reinforcing the notion that this garden backs up against a natural spring. The stainless steel channel also provides children with an opportunity to safely play with water by floating toy boats down the channel. At the north eastern end of the integral colored concrete wall, a warm western red cedar bench extends perpendicular out from the water feature on the outside of the slate patio maximizing seating space in the limited size garden. Natural rusting Cor-ten steel fencing adds a layer of interest throughout the garden softening the 6’ high surrounding fencing and helping to carry the users eye from the ground plane up past the fence lines into the horizon; the cor-ten steel also acts as a ribbon, tie-ing the multiple spaces together in this garden. The plant palette uses grasses and rushes to further establish in the subconscious that a natural water source does exist. Planting was performed outside of the wire fence to connect the new landscape to the existing open space; this was successfully done by using perennials and grasses whose foliage matches that of the native hillside, blurring the boundary line of the garden and aesthetically extending the backyard up into the adjacent open space.

West Coast English Retreat

Tierra Madre Fine Gardens

Inspiration for a contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Other with a water feature, gravel and a wood fence.

Bighorn Palm Desert luxury modern home front entrance walkway water feature

Whipple Russell Architects

Bighorn Palm Desert luxury modern home front entrance walkway water feature. Photo by William MacCollum.
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern front yard full sun formal garden in Los Angeles with a water feature.

Garden pond

Jane Ashley Garden Design

Mature watergarden showing fishpond with bog garden behind, surrounded by lush planting. Alongside is a waterfall and separate wildlife pond. The paving is made from reclaimed Yorkstone. Plants include Amelanchier lamarkii, Lonicera nitida, Iris pseudacorus, arum lilies and Carex.

Contemporary Retreat

David Thorne Landscape Architect

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Fallen Leaves

Arbordale Landscaping

Stepping stones in a minimal gravel paved area lead past two lounge chairs to the intimate dining area. The herringbone-patterned limestone patio dissipates into a lush planting bed filled with loose swaths of shade-loving perennials and seasonal bulbs. Beech hedging, and formal clipped evergreens, surround the space and provide privacy, structure and winter interest to the garden. On axis to the main interior living space of the home, the fountain, is the focal point of the garden. A limestone water wall featuring an engraved pattern of fallen Honey Locust leaves nods to the centrally located mature Honey Locust tree that anchors the garden. Water, flowing down the wall, falls a short distance into a pool with a submerged limestone panel. The light noise of the falling water helps soften the sounds of the bustling downtown neighbourhood, creating a tranquil back drop for living and entertaining.

Garden Design Ideas with a Water Feature and with Waterfall

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.