Inspiration for a modern partial sun garden in Sydney with gravel and a wood fence.

POTS & HORIZONTAL BOARD FENCE, BRADANINI
Photo of a modern backyard garden in San Francisco with gravel 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.

Modern Address Marker and Landscape - Fox Point, WI

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

View of the address marker with house numbers lit at night.
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern front yard partial sun garden in Milwaukee with with path, natural stone pavers 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)

AFTER - Greater privacy with improved aesthetic

Metamorphic Design

The taller fence offers much greater privacy from upslope neighbors, and "de-clutters" the corner, making for a far more calming and streamlined view
Photo of a mid-sized modern backyard partial sun garden for spring in Vancouver with a wood fence and with privacy feature.

Stadgartenlounge

besgen Landschaftsarchitektur

Design ideas for a small modern side yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Cologne with a container garden, decking and a wood fence.

Golf Course

Blooming Vistas

Gorgeous modern landscape with clean lines and stunning detail.
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern front yard full sun driveway in Dallas with with rock feature, gravel and a wood fence.

Modern Small Orinda Garden

Garden Lights Landscape and Pool Development Inc.

Small modern front yard partial sun xeriscape in San Francisco with river rock and a wood fence for fall.

Malvern | Wattle House

Catnik Design Studio

MALVERN | WATTLE HOUSE Front garden Design | Stone Masonry Restoration | Colour selection The client brief was to design a new fence and entrance including garden, restoration of the façade including verandah of this old beauty. This gorgeous 115 year old, villa required extensive renovation to the façade, timberwork and verandah. Withing this design our client wanted a new, very generous entrance where she could greet her broad circle of friends and family. Our client requested a modern take on the ‘old’ and she wanted every plant she has ever loved, in her new garden, as this was to be her last move. Jill is an avid gardener at age 82, she maintains her own garden and each plant has special memories and she wanted a garden that represented her many gardens in the past, plants from friends and plants that prompted wonderful stories. In fact, a true ‘memory garden’. The garden is peppered with deciduous trees, perennial plants that give texture and interest, annuals and plants that flower throughout the seasons. We were given free rein to select colours and finishes for the colour palette and hardscaping. However, one constraint was that Jill wanted to retain the terrazzo on the front verandah. Whilst on a site visit we found the original slate from the verandah in the back garden holding up the raised vegetable garden. We re-purposed this and used them as steppers in the front garden. To enhance the design and to encourage bees and birds into the garden we included a spun copper dish from Mallee Design. A garden that we have had the very great pleasure to design and bring to life. Residential | Building Design Completed | 2020 Building Designer Nick Apps, Catnik Design Studio Landscape Designer Cathy Apps, Catnik Design Studio Construction | Catnik Design Studio Lighting | LED Outdoors_Architectural

Linda Vista Residence

Landscape Logic

We used exposed beach pebble bands to break up the large amount of concrete in this driveway. The pebble is set on a concrete base and set in mortar which makes it very sturdy to drive on. After installed we put a clear sealer over the pebble to make it shine. The concrete has an etched finish which also shows small amounts of aggregate in the finish. This gives the concrete a sanded finish which is a non-slip finish. Tony Vitale of Landscape Logic

Museum District 1 - Landscape Design, Installation, Maintenance

Hogue Landscape Services

Inspiration for a small modern front yard full sun formal garden for spring in Houston with with raised garden bed, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

McKinnon Garden 2.0

Boodle Concepts

Backyard retreat in McKinnon. Garden design & landscaping installation by Boodle Concepts, based in Melbourne and Kyneton, Macedon Ranges. New decking and firepit area is hugged by custom curved bench and various heights of screening for visual interest. #decking #moderngardens #melbournegardens #curvebench #curvedbench #indooroutdoorliving #artificialturf #backyardretreat #backyardoasis #gardendesign #landscapingmelbourne #boodleconcepts #australiandesigners

McKinnon Garden 2.0

Boodle Concepts

Backyard retreat in McKinnon. Garden design & landscaping installation by Boodle Concepts, based in Melbourne and Kyneton, Macedon Ranges. Firepit area is hugged by custom curved bench and various heights of screening for visual interest. #decking #moderngardens #melbournegardens #curvebench #curvedbench #indooroutdoorliving #artificialturf #backyardretreat #backyardoasis #gardendesign #landscapingmelbourne #boodleconcepts #australiandesigners

Plant Passion Garden

Plant Passion Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard full sun xeriscape for spring in Portland with a water feature, decomposed granite and a wood fence.

The Sunken Fire Pit & Garage Conversion Project

Golden Gardens And Building

Sunken Fire Pit . The bespoke features are extraordinary with some that are so technically challenging they are almost unique in the UK. Advanced drainage sump system connected to mains, all block work done to the millimetre, re enforced steel bars incorporated into the hollow concrete blocks then filled with concrete

Wildlife Garden

Painted Fern Garden Design

The existing garden had an ideal seating area in the back left corner to catch the evening sun. Unfortunately, it wasn’t particularly welcoming as it was overgrown with ivy and under an overhanging conifer. This coupled with an area of slippery, rotten decking was not a space the clients wanted to spend lots of time in. They were looking to create a naturalistic garden to sit in, whilst sharing the space with any wildlife we could encourage in. In order to future-proof the garden, changes in level needed to be kept to a minimum. Having a pet cat, careful consideration needed to be given to the choice of plants, to be both beneficial to wildlife, and wherever possible, non-toxic to cats. At the heart of the new garden sits a pond, with water one of the best ways of encouraging wildlife in. The turf was planted with pockets of early flowering Camassia and Fritillaria bulbs and allowed to grow long until the foliage had died right back, and over time hopefully encouraging in further species to create meadow strips. The plant selection included Buddleja, Geranium, Nepeta, Rosemary, Sedum and Thyme, which offered something for butterflies, honeybees, hoverflies, bee-flies and long-tongued bees. A small tree, Malus ‘Admiration’ was selected for its ability to attract bees, beneficial insects and butterflies with its nectar and pollen rich flowers whilst providing a food source for birds and caterpillars. A Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’ was positioned next to the pond, and along with Hellebores, these provided a welcome early source of food for queen bumblebees and solitary mining bees. Two seating areas were built. One was integrated into a dry-stone wall built using Purbeck stone, which in time, would create a home for various inhabitants. The second was a bug hotel. Attention was also given to hedgehogs by creating a series of hedgehog holes between the neighbouring four gardens and a hedgehog home. A combination of autumn brown sandstone for the two patio areas was teamed with matching square setts to create a sweeping curved path linking the different spaces within the garden. The timber used for both benches and the pergola was Western Red Cedar which was allowed to silver over time. A hand thrown Cretan urn was displayed in a feature area viewed from both the house and the seating areas.

Sempervirens

Seed Studio Landscape Design

Photography: Travis Rhoads Photography
This is an example of a small modern backyard partial sun garden in San Francisco with a fire feature, decking and a wood fence.

Golf Course

Blooming Vistas

Gorgeous modern landscape with clean lines and stunning detail.
Photo of a mid-sized modern front yard full sun driveway in Dallas with with rock feature, gravel and a wood fence.

Custom Wooden Fence Builds

Premium Fence Company

Custom Cedar Privacy Screen
This is an example of a small modern front yard full sun garden for summer in Vancouver with with privacy feature, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Modern Garden Design Ideas with a Wood Fence

Get Inspired by Modern 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 modern 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 Modern Garden for Your Home

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