Planted dry creek with limestone boulders and river rock provides a beautiful and functional drainage solution along the frontage of a sloping property. Photographer: Greg Thomas, http://optphotography.com/

Backyard Oasis

Wright Landscape Services Inc

River Rock strip surrounded by mulch garden with water feature. Low maintenance planting, with river stone to promote proper drainage. Wheelbarrow used as an outdoor feature for a visually appealing landscape.

River Rock garden

Gorski Landscaping

Beautiful rock garden surrounding pool with assorted hosta
This is an example of a mid-sized tropical backyard partial sun xeriscape for spring in New York with river rock.

Palo Alto warm tropical modern landscape

Duviv Gardens Inc.

Design ideas for a modern outdoor sport court in San Francisco with decomposed granite.

West Coast Resort

Pacifica Landscape Works Inc.

Pacifica Landscape Works
Photo of a country garden in Vancouver with with waterfall and river rock.

Ted's Biodynamic Garden

Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes

Large traditional backyard full sun formal garden in Portland Maine with a vegetable garden and river rock for summer.

Sago Palms, Indian Hawthorne, Smooth Agave w/ River Rock

MTH Design Group

Inspiration for a contemporary garden in Phoenix with river rock.

Sonoma

Urban Botanics

Inspiration for a large contemporary front yard shaded xeriscape in San Francisco with with rock feature and river rock.

Montecito Hedgerow

Montecito Landscape

Design ideas for a country backyard xeriscape in Santa Barbara with decomposed granite.

Windsor Farmhouse

Austin Parnow Landscape Design

Country full sun garden in San Francisco with with raised garden bed, decomposed granite and a metal fence.

De Kesel-Lams

Mscape Design

Midcentury front yard xeriscape in San Francisco with a retaining wall and river rock.

Portola Valley Residence

Thuilot Associates

Photo of a sloped garden in San Francisco with decomposed granite.

Arbor in Front of Retaining Wall

Sarah Ray Landscape Design

This is an example of a transitional backyard xeriscape in San Francisco with decomposed granite and a wood fence.

Mountain Modern

SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture - Montana

A modern home near a ski resort with outdoor space for year-round entertaining around a firepit and hot tub.
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern backyard full sun xeriscape for summer in Other with a fire feature and decomposed granite.

Montecito Hedgerow

Montecito Landscape

This meandering DG garden path leads to a secret garden outside the master bedroom. There is a pergola with an antique carved stone trough converted to a gas fire pit for cool Montecito evenings. The border of nepeta, teucrium, lavender, Shasta daisy, pentas, Lemon verbena, thyme and sage fill this garden with beauty, fragrance and texture.

Japanese-Inspired Garden

Holmes Fine Gardens

This early-phase Japanese-inspired garden draws from the Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist philosophies and combines the basic elements of plants, water, and rocks along with simple, clean lines to create a tranquil backyard retreat. Plant material used includes Japanese varieties of trees, shrubs and perennials woven together to create interest throughout each season.

Hillsborough Estate Garden

Kristen Rudger Landscape Design

Photo of an expansive backyard full sun xeriscape in San Francisco with decomposed granite.

Orlando Street Backyard Paradise

Anna Design LLC

Absolute stunning back yard design for Orlando St customer. Clean, simple and stylish. What can be better for family time.
Large mediterranean backyard full sun formal garden in Los Angeles with with fireplace, decomposed granite and a stone fence for summer.

Rooms With A View - West Los Angeles

Bosler Earth Design

Decorative gravel pathway leading to the fire pit and floating bench.
Design ideas for a mid-sized backyard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with a fire feature and decomposed granite.

Modern seaside outdoor Haven

Harris Construction

Ipe & steel custom fence and gate will withstand the salty sea breezes
Modern side yard garden in Seattle with with a gate and river rock.

Garden Design Ideas with Decomposed Granite and 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.