Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors

Early September means time for the fall container rotation.
Design ideas for an expansive midcentury backyard full sun garden for summer in Chicago with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Details

Grounded - Richard Risner RLA, ASLA

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape in San Diego with with fireplace.

Landscaping

Picture Perfect Lawn

Drought tolerant landscape done to add major curb appeal
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape in Other with a garden path and gravel.

Low water and rock

Barefoot Landscape

Photo of a large midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape for spring in Los Angeles with gravel.

Mid-Century Front Landscape - Racine

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

View of the new entrance to the historical John Randal McDonald designed home. We were retained for the landscape design partially because of our background in architecture and our understanding of the mid-century aesthetic. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Mid Century Modern in the Hollywood Hills - Front Patio

Bosler Earth Design

Designer’s Notes: Use mixed materials such as concrete pavers, wood, various stones and decomposed granite to add interesting plant textures to add appeal. ©Daniel Bosler Photography

Valley Club Mid-Century

DD Ford Construction

Jim Bartsch Photography
Large midcentury backyard full sun formal garden in Santa Barbara with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Living Green Wall and Landscape Remodel - Mid-Century Modern Home Sausalito, CA

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

APLD 2022 Award Winning Landscape Design. Photo taken 1 year after installation. We designed and installed this dramatic living wall / vertical garden to add a welcoming focal point, and a great way to add living beauty to the large front house wall. The wall includes a variety of succulents, grass-like and cascading plants some with flowers, (some with flowers, Oxalis, Heuchera designed to provide long cascading "waves" with appealing textures and colors. The dated walkway was updated with large geometric concrete pavers with polished black pebbles in between, and a new concrete driveway. Water-wise grasses flowering plants and succulents replace the lawn. This updated modern renovation for this mid-century modern home includes a new garage and front entrance door and modern garden light fixtures. We designed and installed this dramatic living wall / vertical garden to add a welcoming focal point, and a great way to add plant beauty to the large front wall. A variety of succulents, grass-like and cascading plants were designed and planted to provide long cascading "waves" resulting in appealing textures and colors. The dated walkway was updated with large geometric concrete pavers with polished black pebbles in between, and a new concrete driveway. Water-wise grasses flowering plants and succulents replace the lawn. This updated modern renovation for this mid-century modern home includes a new garage and front entrance door and modern garden light fixtures.

El Cerrito house

Bay Stone Landscaping

Gareth Walters
Photo of a large midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a retaining wall and gravel.

Courtyard Landscape Design Gresham Oregon

Ross NW Watergardens

Baker Blue granite boulders were used to add a sense of age and permanence to the garden. Landscape Design and pictures by Ben Bowen of Ross NW Watergardens

Radial railroad tie timber stairs

Village Landscape Architecture

Equidistant treads create a visual rhythm for the eye. Boulders provide attractive grade control as needed. Crushed blue shale provide an accent color against the warm brown of the pressure treated stairs. Wider midway terrace, provides a view from the internal house hallway window. Includes beautiful and drought tolerant plantings and shade trees.

Mid-Century Front Landscape - Wauwatosa

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

Another wedge-shaped plant bed filled with a combination of perennials and ornamental grasses including Autumn Moor Grass on the left. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Desert Oasis Backyard with Putting Green

Lane Design + Build

Photo of a midcentury backyard full sun outdoor sport court in Los Angeles.

Hollywood

Jeremy Taylor Landscapes

Jeremy Taylor designed the Landscape as well as the Building Facade and Hardscape.
Design ideas for a midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with a garden path and decking.

Details

Grounded - Richard Risner RLA, ASLA

Large midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape in San Diego with a retaining wall and gravel.

Abrams Residence

The Slevin Group Inc

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury front yard full sun formal garden in New York with mulch.

Architectural Moderne Landscape

D.T.DESIGN, LLC

This native plant style garden transitions the home off of the formal lawn and terrace to a spectacular and architectural native plant garden. Also designed as a Butterfly or Pollinator garden, perennials mix with flowering shrubs , grasses, Joe Pye Weed and Blazing Star varieties to create natural habitat in an urban location. Designed as a Xeriscape garden area, no irrigation is used in this garden. Deirdre Toner

Front Yard

Kristin

Turf removal front yard with drought tolerant design and adding courtyard
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury courtyard full sun xeriscape for spring in Los Angeles with a garden path, gravel and a wood fence.

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.

San Rafael Eichler - Mid-Century Modern Back & Front Landscape Remodel

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

A closeup of Pincushion Tango shrub in Spring. Leucospermum 'Tango' is a dramatic flowering shrub from South African, and suits the SF bay area Mediterranean climate. The Front landscape takes on a minimalist design with architectural plants that include Barrel Cactus, Artichoke Agaves, stately Thatching Reeds, a Blue Palm (Brahea 'Clara') a Mediterranean Fan Palm and other easy-care plants. The corten steel sculpture offers a striking focal point adjacent to the front doorway.

Midcentury Full Sun Garden Design Ideas

Get Inspired by Midcentury 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 midcentury 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 Midcentury Garden for Your Home

Depending on which style you’re going for, be sure to know what makes a midcentury 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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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.