This natural gas fire pit built from natural boulders offers year round functionality. The bubbling rock water feature adds to the ambiance, providing the tranquil sound of a natural creek.

Before the Ecoscape designers created this backyard terrace design, this space was an odd- shaped, upwardly sloping, compacted-dirt yard with a smattering of straggly turf, assorted weeds, and a few undesirable Russian olive trees. The graduated redstone pathway is the focal point, drawing the eye upwards, with terraced beds adding texture and visual interest. Sod was added in a few key spots, however it is the water-wise perennial plantings that provide much- needed nutrition for our pollinator friends. Instead of having a sad, uninspiring backyard, the homeowner gained a lot of functional garden space with the raised beds and rock outcroppings. When covered with snow, the shapes and curves created through stonework will keep this yard interesting throughout Colorado's long winter, which often goes right though April and May. As new plants emerge in the spring, the redstone creates pockets of warmth, helping them through the fluctuating low temperatures.

Scapes and Stones
Design ideas for a large modern backyard full sun xeriscape for winter in Phoenix with a fire feature and concrete pavers.

Photo taken in the summer, 2 years after the hillside was planted with a selection of CA native plants and other low-water plants for year round interest. © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Design ideas for a large traditional side yard full sun driveway for winter in Austin with a retaining wall and brick pavers.

Inspired by native limestone waterfall, and designed to naturally blend into the landscape but make a huge impression and impact, this pondless waterfall built in the loess hills of Western Iowa is a signature project and an absolute stunner. Its placement on the hillside across the driveway for the house provided a perfect setting to make a dramatic impact. The variety of small and large waterfalls helps provide scale and interest, along with making different sounds as the water crashes over the rocks to fill the air with a fabulous ambiance. The character of the weathered limestone helps the feature appear seamless and as if it is naturally eroding out of the hillside. A variety of evergreens punctuate the landscape, and perennial natives and grasses blend into the native prairie grass establish beyond the waterfall. This waterfall feature's Aquascape products and LED lighting. Built to run in all four seasons, but with the ease of being shut of for vacations and quickly started upon returning with no need to fill the reservoir and with no hassle. Running the feature on a timer and the addition of an IonGen helps keep this feature free from algae. A similar project built in the Omaha Metro Area would have a budget around $30,000 and would take 2-3 weeks to create. Neptune's Water Gardens is the premier water feature design and installation company in the #Omaha Metro area. Our naturally balanced, low-maintenance ecosystem ponds work with Mother Nature, not against her. We pride ourselves in creating water features that appear to have always existed in their surrounding landscape. Whether you choose an ecosystem #pond, decorative #fountainscape, #Pondless® #Waterfall or the new #RainXchange™ System that pairs a rainwater harvesting system with a #decorative water feature – you'll be thrilled with the sight and sound that water brings to your #landscape. From #trees to #shrubs; #patios to retaining walls, the experienced #designers and #craftsman at #Neptune's Water Gardens will be able to bring all of your #outdoor living ideas to reality . For more information and inspiration visit our website http://www.neptuneswatergardens.com/pondless.html Serving the Omaha Metro Area and Eastern #Nebraska and Western #Iowa . Services include pond help, pond cleaning and repair, pond and water feature maintenance, boulder bubblers and fountains, water garden and koi pond design and installation, pondless and disappearing waterfall design and installation, landscape design installation and maintenance, Stone and paver patios and retaining walls . #neptuneswatergardens #ncn #cac #aquascape #pondstars Design, Installation, And Photographs By Jason Heller and Neptune's Water Gardens

This is an example of a large traditional backyard driveway for winter in Boston with natural stone pavers.

Giardino esterno
This is an example of a large country front yard full sun formal garden for winter in Florence with with lawn edging, brick pavers and a wood fence.

very easy to maintain garden
This is an example of a large traditional front yard full sun driveway for winter in Chicago with a garden path and brick pavers.

Surrey Country House Knot Garden by LS+L Landscape Design
Design ideas for a large traditional side yard full sun formal garden for winter in Surrey with a water feature and gravel.

Inspired by Balinese-style resorts, this contemporary home was designed to exude luxury and warmth. Created to accommodate 3 generations it is cleverly designed to allow enough space while maintaining a family focus.

Even deep in winter, the Matloff's exit the front door to a garden filled with blooms, texture, and vivacious color. The Indian Mallow to the left blooms with stunning sprays of yellow flowers most of the year.

Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard full sun garden for winter in Brisbane with a fire feature and decking.

Photo of a large asian courtyard full sun garden for winter with river rock.

Dusil Design and Landscape Inc.
Design ideas for a large modern backyard partial sun xeriscape for winter in Toronto with a garden path and mulch.

Deer resistant plantings. This selection of perennials and shrubs are bearing up well under the pressure from a large herd of deer that frequently hang out in this open area. The perennials are astilbe, carex, evergreen autumn fern, hellebore, and variegated solomon's seal. Shrubs include abelia, itea, laurel, mugho pine and oak leaf hydrangea. Note that in different locations, some of these plants will be grazed by deer. Photo by Barbara Katz

Lavandula heterophylla, Echeveria imbricata, Lantana montevidensis with beautiful boulders Jessica Thompson
Inspiration for a large traditional sloped full sun garden for winter in Los Angeles with a retaining wall.

This is an example of a large traditional front yard formal garden for winter in Denver with natural stone pavers.

The mix of Hummingbird Sage and Island Buckwheat bordering the bioswale predictably draws pollinators. Intoxicating for humans, the fragrance of Hummingbird Sage keeps hummingbirds dancing! When its blooms fade, the seed heads continue to serve as a birdfeeder, while its sun-or-shade, evergreen foliage helps retain slopes.