This beautifully designed hillside home embodies modern architecture with clean lines and a seamless integration of the natural landscape. The exterior features a striking mix of materials, including metal siding and wood accents, which flow naturally into the front landscape, reinforcing the sleek, contemporary aesthetic. The terraced garden is a focal point of the outdoor space, filled with drought-tolerant plants and custom planters that add texture and visual appeal while remaining low-maintenance. A concrete walkway and modern outdoor stairs lead gracefully to the entrance, harmonizing with the lush greenery and enhancing the home's connection to its surroundings. The thoughtful use of sustainable materials and minimalist landscape design ensures that this residence is both eco-friendly and visually captivating, offering a perfect balance of modern landscape architecture and functional outdoor living.

Contemporary Landscape

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary front yard partial sun xeriscape in Orange County with concrete pavers, a garden path and a wood fence.

Colorado Native Landscape

C&H Landscaping

Mid-sized traditional backyard full sun xeriscape in Denver with natural stone pavers for summer.

Backyard Bliss

Shambhala Landscapes

This classic San Francisco backyard was transformed into an inviting and usable outdoor living space. A few steps down lead to a lounging area, featuring drought-friendly and maintenance-free artificial grass as well as a cozy, custom-built natural gas fire pit surrounded by a Redwood bench. Redwood fencing, low-voltage LED landscape lighting, drip irrigation, planting and a water feature completed the space.

Front + Backyard Design (Colorado)

Tilly Design to Bower & Branch

This customer was looking to add privacy, use less water, include raised bed garden and fire pit...making it all more their style which was a blend between modern and farmhouse.

Wimberly

Oliver Custom Homes

This is an example of a mid-sized front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Austin with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Lake Forest HOA Home Front Yard Remodel with Drought Tolerant Succulent Garden

Southwest Boulder & Stone

Karen transformed her front yard with 100% drought-tolerant landscaping, using water-wise plants and a wide variety of natural stone materials. Cobble, rubble, pebble, flagstone and crushed rock were combined to create a dry streambed that adds a fluid movement to the yard. A basalt fountain water feature was positioned near the entry. Since Karen’s home is part of a Homeowner’s Association, speed was essential to the project. She hired Laura Eubanks of Design for Serenity to facilitate the quick turnaround, completing the project in just 5 days. Design for Serenity designed and installed the beautiful landscaping and succulent tapestries, while Karen herself selected the stone. Karen thinks of landscape rock as a form of art, considering it to be one of the most important elements in her project. She spent several hours with Laura’s team selecting the perfect boulders and materials from our Fallbrook yard. Her hard work paid off: Karen’s guests and HOA neighbors all raved about the impact of natural stone in this total yard transformation.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

GARDEN PROS

GARDEN PROS
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape in Orange County with a vegetable garden and decking.

Simple yet stunning

Gorski Landscaping

Low mainteance with a touch of pink ton help illuminate Japanese lace leaf maple tree
Photo of a mid-sized modern side yard full sun xeriscape for spring in New York with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Folsom Front Makeover

Luxury Outdoor Living, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary front yard shaded xeriscape in Sacramento with a water feature and gravel.

Country Pool Garden

John Davies Landscape

Woodland edge pool garden with summer perennials and grasses. Hard landscaping features flint walling with limestone copings, a hardwood timber deck and clay pavers to skirt around the house.

Guadalajara, San Clemente Coastal Modern Remodel

Eyoh Design

Guadalajara, San Clemente Coastal Modern Remodel This major remodel and addition set out to take full advantage of the incredible view and create a clear connection to both the front and rear yards. The clients really wanted a pool and a home that they could enjoy with their kids and take full advantage of the beautiful climate that Southern California has to offer. The existing front yard was completely given to the street, so privatizing the front yard with new landscaping and a low wall created an opportunity to connect the home to a private front yard. Upon entering the home a large staircase blocked the view through to the ocean so removing that space blocker opened up the view and created a large great room. Indoor outdoor living was achieved through the usage of large sliding doors which allow that seamless connection to the patio space that overlooks a new pool and view to the ocean. A large garden is rare so a new pool and bocce ball court were integrated to encourage the outdoor active lifestyle that the clients love. The clients love to travel and wanted display shelving and wall space to display the art they had collected all around the world. A natural material palette gives a warmth and texture to the modern design that creates a feeling that the home is lived in. Though a subtle change from the street, upon entering the front door the home opens up through the layers of space to a new lease on life with this remodel.

Creating Space in Glassell Park

Urban Oasis Landscape Design

A sumptuous palette of yellow and purple plants graces the slope. It’s a lush and biodiverse selection of California natives and the spirited expanse of flowers and foliage grounds the new house into the surrounding hillside. Aromatic native Sages, Monkey Flower and Yarrow play off the rich green of Coyote Bush while native Blonde Ambition Blue Grama grass brushes the magenta pom-pom flowers of Pink Melaleuca tree. The tight purple flowers of California Lilac complement the open faced California Sunflower. A Coast Live Oak was planted to stand sentry over all. Plants are all hardy and highly drought tolerant. The Kurapia groundcover lawn is verdant but, once established, hardly needs watering. The constant buzzing and bird warbling create a soothing natural soundtrack.

Contemporary Front Yard w/ Bird's Eye View

Conscious Environments Inc.

A simple Asian-inspired planter is a great accent to this garden.
Photo of a mid-sized asian front yard full sun xeriscape for spring in Orange County with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Orange County Backyard

Anna Design LLC

This modern outdoor space is beautiful and functional. The space features a firepit, gazebo, seating area and outdoor kitchen. There are desert plants which makes this drought tolerant.

Private Residence - Poway

LASD Studio

Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean backyard full sun xeriscape in San Diego with with rock feature, gravel and a wood fence.

Wooten Backyard Living

Native Edge Landscape

These homeowners were looking to up their hosting game by modernizing their property to create the ultimate entertainment space. A custom outdoor kitchen was added with a top of the line Delta Heat grill and a special nook for a Big Green Egg. Flagstone was added to create asymmetrical walkways throughout the yard that extended into a ring around the fire pit. Four rectangular trellises were added along the fence and shed, with an all metal pergola located at the back of the pool. This unique structure immediately draws the eye and adds a playful, artistic element to the rest of the space. The use of various sized rocks, gravel, and flagstone give a rough texture that creates a symbiosis with the metalwork. Silver Falls Dichondra creates a beautiful contrast to the rocks and can be found all over the property along with various other grasses, ferns, and agave. A large area of gravel rests on the side of the house, giving the client room to park a recreational vehicle. In front, a privacy fence was added along one of the property lines, leading into a drought resistant, eco-friendly section of yard. This fence, coupled with a giant boulder, doubles as a safety precaution in case drivers miss the turn and run into their lawn. This updated landscaping adds an effortless flow for guests to move from the front yard to the back while creating a very open, welcoming feel to all who enter.

The Pool Box

Hush House

The Pool Box sites a small secondary residence and pool alongside an existing residence, set in a rolling Hill Country community. The project includes design for the structure, pool, and landscape - combined into a sequence of spaces of soft native planting, painted Texas daylight, and timeless materials. A careful entry carries one from a quiet landscape, stepping down into an entertainment room. Large glass doors open into a sculptural pool.

Thayer

Green Grounds Landscape Services

Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with concrete pavers.

Spanish Fountain

Conscious Environments Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style backyard partial sun xeriscape for summer in Orange County with a water feature and decomposed granite.

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.