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

Landscapes for Back Yards

Landscape Design in a Day

Photo credit Landscape Design in a Day - Carol Lindsay
Photo of a small midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape for winter in Portland with gravel and a wood fence.

Palm Springs in Scottsdale - Mid-Century Modern Design with Custom Breeze Block

Shearon Design Collective

Transformed and transported this Desert Mid-Century Modern from Palm Springs straight to this North Scottsdale home. Every detail was highly considered, even down to the customer made breeze block to create this on-trend screen wall. Everything is new, all plants, cactus, agave, succulents, plants, and lighting. A very large thank you to our incredible client. We are thankful to have been part of this special project!

Mid-Century Reinvented

Tanner Consulting LLC- Landscape Architecture

Overlooking one of the most utilized parks in Austin, TX, this residence was designed to capture views below. DRM Design Group worked closely with the architect and home builder to create a seamless transition from interior to exterior spaces. The project included a saltwater pool, privacy screen, custom entry gate, custom metal vegetable planters & benches, and an outdoor kitchen.

Modern Prairie Front Landscape - New Berlin

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

Carex 'Ice Dance' surrounds the serviceberry trees. Westhauser Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury front yard full sun xeriscape for summer in Milwaukee with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Midcentury Mediterranean in Orange County

Califia Ecodesign

http://www.califiadesigns.org/ A recent update on this large corner lot in Garden Grove is now in full fall splendor along a busy sidewalk and thorough fare. The ornamental grasses and custom wood fence make for such elegant lighting.

Montclair: California Modern Love

The Home Co.

Marcell Puzsar Bright Room SF
Design ideas for a midcentury backyard full sun garden in San Francisco with gravel.

Seat Wall and Night Lighting in SW Portland

Drake's 7 Dees Landscaping & Garden Center

This long exposure shows the well balanced and slow flow of water over each cranny of the basalt slabs stacked atop one another. An auto-fill valve connected to the automated sprinkler system keeps it full and stress-free. Photography by: Joe Hollowell

Point Lonsdale II

Stonehouse + Irons Architecture

Central courtyard forms the main secluded space, capturing northern sun while protecting from the south westerly windows off the ocean. Large sliding doors create visual links through the study and dining spaces from front to rear.

Backyard Mid Century Native

BE Landscape Design

Welcome home! Mid Century inspired pergola design was the added touch this old patio needed to become the gathering spot for R&R.
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape for summer in Los Angeles with a garden path, concrete pavers and a wood fence.

Courtyard Landscape Design Gresham Oregon

Ross NW Watergardens

Stepping stones wind to the mailbox. Landscape Design and pictures by Ben Bowen of Ross NW Watergardens
This is an example of a small midcentury courtyard full sun formal garden in Portland with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Mid-Modern Landscape

LandCrafters, LLC

Valders Rustic pavers are utilized as steppers, framed with matching Valders stone planking, to lead visitors to a secret gate with a hidden latch. This is the portal to the back of the house and the west-side pool. LED path lights from Kitchler illuminate the way along a concrete sidewalk. A custom cedar fence with Rain patterned safety glass panels separates the space from an encroaching neighbor while reflecting the mid-century modern style of the home.

Mid-Modern Landscape

LandCrafters, LLC

Designed in mid-century modern style, the cedar fence is outfitted with rain pattern, safety glass panels. This allows for privacy and winter lighting into the south side of the homes. The existing concrete walkway had 9" trimmed off its south side to allow placement of the fence on the lot line.

Seat Wall and Night Lighting in SW Portland

Drake's 7 Dees Landscaping & Garden Center

Small pockets of annuals and perennials alike salt and pepper this landscape with seasonal pops of color and texture. Photography by: Joe Hollowell
Inspiration for a large midcentury backyard full sun garden for summer in Portland with a container garden and decking.

Concrete Patio

Blue Sierra Landscape Construction

The natural beauty of sandblasted concrete, with its subtle tones and varying textures, is an ideal base for your outdoor living space. Bold colors of oleander and hibiscus contrast with the rich sandblasted texture of the concrete to create a sense of depth and dimension.

Palm Springs 18

digs inside & out

colorful pool area with an abundance of living and lounge space.
Design ideas for a large midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape with a container garden.

Valley Club Mid-Century

DD Ford Construction

Jim Bartsch Photography
Inspiration for a large midcentury backyard full sun garden in Santa Barbara with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Mid-Century Mollica Front Landscape - Wauwatosa

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

The angled front walk and plant beds were inspired by the wedge shaped footprint of this mid century ranch home. Renn Kuhnen Photography
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury front yard full sun garden in Milwaukee.

Backyard Mid Century Native

BE Landscape Design

Welcome home! Mid Century inspired pergola design was the added touch this old patio needed to become the gathering spot for R&R.
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury backyard full sun xeriscape for summer in Los Angeles with a garden path, a wood fence and concrete pavers.

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

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

Detail of the concrete pathway with polished Mexican pebbles, steel edging and modern light fixtures. 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 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. Some photos taken 2 months after installation and recently as well. 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.

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.