Entrance walk edged with pineleaf penstemon and daylily. Spears Horn Architects
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Albuquerque with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Colorful California Native Habitat

Edger Landscape Design

Alongside a backyard gazebo California natives such as Cleveland Sage, Redbud, Foothill Penstemon, and Canyon Dudleya announce spring.
Design ideas for a mid-sized country backyard xeriscape for spring in San Francisco with natural stone pavers.

desierto curvazon

Bianchi Design

This is an example of a mid-sized front yard xeriscape in Phoenix with gravel.

Grace Design Associates

Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates

Art Walk *Sustainable Sites Gold Rated Project
Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean side yard xeriscape in Santa Barbara.

English Garden, California Style

BE Landscape Design

After a tear-down/remodel we were left with a west facing sloped front yard without much privacy from the street, a blank palette as it were. Re purposed concrete was used to create an entrance way and a seating area. Colorful drought tolerant trees and plants were used strategically to screen out unwanted views, and to frame the beauty of the new landscape. This yard is an example of low water, low maintenance without looking like grandmas cactus garden.

Xeric Modern

Califia Ecodesign

1.5 Year old succulent front yard garden with oyster shell bocci ball court. Wood horizontal fence. Lots of cactus and SO much color. Once - twice a week water in hot L.A. summer.

Lake View Patio in Powhattan

Outdoor Dreams

Mid-sized traditional backyard xeriscape in Richmond with with path and natural stone pavers.

Burke Drive Residence, Camano Island WA

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

View from Burke Drive.
Inspiration for a mid-sized front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Seattle with with a gate, concrete pavers and a wood fence.

Bighorn Palm Desert luxury home with modern design

Whipple Russell Architects

Bighorn Palm Desert luxury home with modern design. Photo by William MacCollum.
Mid-sized and desert look modern front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with gravel and a wood fence.

Santa Cruz Sustainable

K & D Landscaping, Inc.

Residential home in Santa Cruz, CA This stunning front and backyard project was so much fun! The plethora of K&D's scope of work included: smooth finished concrete walls, multiple styles of horizontal redwood fencing, smooth finished concrete stepping stones, bands, steps & pathways, paver patio & driveway, artificial turf, TimberTech stairs & decks, TimberTech custom bench with storage, shower wall with bike washing station, custom concrete fountain, poured-in-place fire pit, pour-in-place half circle bench with sloped back rest, metal pergola, low voltage lighting, planting and irrigation! (*Adorable cat not included)

niguel west mid-century modern

Moss Yaw Design studio

Drought tolerant and native plantings frame the mid-century facade and provide for architectural and sculptural interest at the front yard landscape
Mid-sized and desert look midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape in Orange County with gravel and a metal fence.

Contemporary update for a 1950s corner lot

Brown Dion Design

A 1950's home gets a big update with new fencing, arbors, rear deck, and front gate. Working with a skilled finish carpenter, we created a beautiful new fence to enclose this family-friendly yard. A small lawn provides space to play and enjoy, while California natives and complimentary shrubs surround the yard. Mature trees are protected with natural wood chip mulch. Rock mulch surrounds the 5-foot perimeter of the house with a few low fuel plants for a fire-safe landscape appropriate to the California foothills.

Medina Cottage Patio Garden

Spring Greenworks LLC

back patio
This is an example of a mid-sized country backyard full sun xeriscape in Seattle with natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Grasshopper Lane

Natalie DeNormandie

Lincoln has a lot of woods, woods that have grown up in neglect and are mostly oaks with tall trunks. This habitat creates a dearth of habitat for birds and other edge-loving species. This owner wanted to encourage birds while keeping views to neighbors' yards minimal, and have some large lawn play area that didn't look out of place. We created lobes of lawn within the woods, two large bean-shaped rooms with lots of edge and plant species for supporting birds.

Modern California Native Garden

Wildflower Landscape Design at K&D Landscaping

Mid-sized modern front yard partial sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a garden path, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Drought Tolerant Garden

Creative Zen, Inc. Landscape Designer & Contractor

A complete remodeled landscape from grass lawn to a drought resistant garden that incorporates the beauty of low maintenance plants, natural stones and modern look of rustic outdeco fence panels.

Garden Landscaping in Austin, TX

YardDoc

This expanded view of the courtyard in the last picture shows how the whole design comes together. The wildflower theme carries over to the water feature. The water feature itself is reminiscent of nature, almost appearing as a rock balancing on top of a boulder. While the primary plant colors are yellow and green, we broke this up slightly by planting low growing purple flowering plants. This garden landscape design demonstrates how much planning goes into areas that appear deceptively simple.

Ground Cover And Boulders In Front Yard

Big Rock Landscaping

If you don't want a fence but you still want separation from the sidewalk, you can add natural elements like boulders, ground cover and trees.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary front yard xeriscape in Salt Lake City with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Mid Century Modern Renovation

K. Dakin Design Inc.

K. Dakin Design won the 2018 CARE award from the Custom Builder and Remodeler Council of Denver for the reimagination of the landscape around this classic organic-modernist home designed by Charles Haertling. The landscape design is inspired by the original home and it’s materials, especially the distinct, clean lines of the architecture and the natural, stone veneer found on the house and landscape walls. The outlines of garden beds, a small patio and a water feature reiterate the home’s straight walls juxtaposed against rough, irregular stone facades and details. This sensitivity to the architecture is clearly seen in the triangular shapes balanced with curved forms. The clients, a couple with busy lives, wanted a simple landscape with lawn for their dogs to fetch balls. The amenities they desired were a spa, vegetable beds, fire pit, and a water feature. They wanted to soften the tall, site walls with plant material. All the material, such as the discarded, stone veneer and left-over, flagstone paving was recycled into new edging around garden areas, new flagstone paths, and a water feature. The front entry walk was inspired by a walkway at Gunnar Asplund’s cemetary in Sweden. All plant material, aside from the turf, was low water, native or climate appropriate.

Front Entry, Modern

Sills Landscape Design

Photo of a mid-sized modern front yard partial sun xeriscape for spring in San Diego with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Mid-sized Xeriscape Design Ideas

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.