A local Houston art collector hired us to create a low maintenance, sophisticated, contemporary landscape design. She wanted her property to compliment her eclectic taste in architecture, outdoor sculpture, and modern art. Her house was built with a minimalist approach to decoration, emphasizing right angles and windows instead of architectural keynotes. The west wing of the house was only one story, while the east wing was two-story. The windows in both wings were larger than usual, so that visitors could see her art collection from the home’s exterior. Near one of the large rear windows, there was an abstract metal sculpture designed in the form of a spiral. When she initially contacted us, the surrounding property had only a few trees and indigenous grass as vegetation. This was actually a good beginning point with us, because it allowed us to develop a contemporary landscape design that featured a very linear, crisp look supportive of the home and its contents. We began by planting a garden around the large contemporary sculpture near the window. Landscape designers planted horsetail reed under windows, along the sides of the home, and around the corners. This vegetation is very resilient and hardy, and requires little trimming, weeding, or mulching. This helped unite the diverse elements of sculpture, contemporary architecture, and landscape design into a more fluid harmony that preserved the proportions of each unique element, but eliminated any tendency for the elements to clash with one another. We then added two stonework designs to the landscape surrounding the contemporary art collection and home. The first was a linear walkway we build from concrete pads purchased through a retail vendor as a cost-saving benefit to our client. We created this walkway to follow the perimeter of the home so that visitors could walk around the entire property and admire the outdoor sculptures and the collections of modern art visible through the windows. This was especially enjoyable at night, when the entire home was brightly lit from within. To add a touch of tranquility and quite repose to the stark right angles of the home and surrounding contemporary landscape, we designed a special seating area toward the northwest corner of the property. We wanted to create a sense of contemplation in this area, so we departed from the linear and angular designs of the surrounding landscape and established a theme of circular geometry. We laid down gravel as ground cover, then placed large, circular pads arranged like giant stepping stones that led up to a stone patio filled with chairs. The shape of the granite pads and the contours of the graveled area further complimented the spirals and turns in the outdoor metal sculpture, and balanced the entire contemporary landscape design with proportional geometric forms of lines, angles, and curves. This particular contemporary landscape design also has a sense of movement attached to it. All stonework leads to a destination of some sort. The linear pathway provides a guided tour around the home, garden, and modern art collection. The granite pathway stones create movement toward separate space where the entire experience of art, vegetation, and architecture can be viewed and experienced as a unity. Contemporary landscaping designs like create form out of feeling by using basic geometric forms and variations of forms. Sometimes very stark forms are used to create a sense of absolutism or contrast. At other times, forms are blended, or even distorted to suggest a sense of complex emotion, or a sense of multi-dimensional reality. The exact nature of the design is always highly subjective, and developed on a case-by-case basis with the client.

Modern Landscape

Design ideas for a small modern backyard partial sun garden in Denver with natural stone pavers and a water feature.

Blackfoot Pass

Sustainable Nine Design + Build

Bocce Ball lawn neighbored by a turf lawn combines fun and sustainability for the ultimate backyard experience.
Design ideas for a large modern backyard outdoor sport court for summer in Minneapolis.

Redfern Twin Terraces

Scott Weston Architecture Design PL

SWAD PL
Mid-sized modern courtyard full sun outdoor sport court in Sydney with concrete pavers for spring.

Modern Spa and Stone Wall on Cape Cod

Kimberly Mercurio Landscape Architecture

This custom granite spa is located at a Contemporary home on Cape Cod, MA. The native landscape provides privacy while allowing the owners to experience a connection to the tidal marsh just beyond the treeline. A granite wall surrounds the cultivated edge of the property and bluestone pavers provide an access path.

GRIFFIN ENRIGHT ARCHITECTS: Santa Monica Canyon Residence

Griffin Enright Architects

View from front entry back to front yard with amphitheater-like garden.
Mid-sized modern front yard partial sun outdoor sport court in Los Angeles with concrete pavers.

The Meadows

Creative Environments

This is an example of a large and desert look modern backyard partial sun outdoor sport court for summer in Phoenix with decking.

Paul Casey's Backyard Putting Green Complex

PlushGrass Custom Synthetic Turf

PGA Pro Paul Casey's new backyard artificial putting green complex by Celebrity Greens. PlushGrass drove to Arizona to install the sod wall bunker for Paul.

Greenwood, Seattle WA (after)

Michael Muro Garden Design

Inspiration for a small modern front yard partial sun outdoor sport court for spring in Seattle with concrete pavers.

Red-Bird

User

Tennis court area of the property. Gravel walkway leads to stone staircase down to the lower level seating area. Grass court and wood posts create the ultimate tennis experience. Photo by Heatley

Basketball Court for Small Urban Spaces

Sport Court St. Louis

Sport Court game courts are custom-designed to fit the space in your yard. Almost any size or configuration is possible. Download our 10 tips for custom court building to help you understand the process. http://www.sportcourtstlouis.com/game-court-building-tips

Mixed purpose Landscape in Stanford

Interactive Landscapes

Large modern backyard full sun outdoor sport court in San Francisco with with outdoor playset and concrete pavers.

Fall Flowers

Private Gardens, Public Places

I love the mix of warm and cool colors and varying texture in this gorgeous fall planting. A diamond shape was used as a constant throughout the space in order to provide a common theme and connecting look throughout the garden.

Made To Order

Mondo Landscapes

Tall pots have Dianella tasred sitting in front of a feature stone clad wall with lighting, Photo credit The Garden Lighting Company
Photo of a modern backyard full sun outdoor sport court in Perth.

Custom Backyard Multi-Sport Court

SportProsUSA, Inc.

Custom Backyard Sport Court, Basketball Hoop Systems, Containment Netting, Lighting, and accessories. Painted lines for basketball and tennis and custom netting for tennis, hockey volleyball and paddle sports.

Modern Landscaping

Exterior Worlds Landscaping & Design

The problem this Memorial-Houston homeowner faced was that her sumptuous contemporary home, an austere series of interconnected cubes of various sizes constructed from white stucco, black steel and glass, did not have the proper landscaping frame. It was out of scale. Imagine Robert Motherwell's "Black on White" painting without the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston's generous expanse of white walls surrounding it. It would still be magnificent but somehow...off. Intuitively, the homeowner realized this issue and started interviewing landscape designers. After talking to about 15 different designers, she finally went with one, only to be disappointed with the results. From the across-the-street neighbor, she was then introduced to Exterior Worlds and she hired us to correct the newly-created problems and more fully realize her hopes for the grounds. "It's not unusual for us to come in and deal with a mess. Sometimes a homeowner gets overwhelmed with managing everything. Other times it is like this project where the design misses the mark. Regardless, it is really important to listen for what a prospect or client means and not just what they say," says Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds. Since the sheer size of the house is so dominating, Exterior Worlds' overall job was to bring the garden up to scale to match the house. Likewise, it was important to stretch the house into the landscape, thereby softening some of its severity. The concept we devised entailed creating an interplay between the landscape and the house by astute placement of the black-and-white colors of the house into the yard using different materials and textures. Strategic plantings of greenery increased the interest, density, height and function of the design. First we installed a pathway of crushed white marble around the perimeter of the house, the white of the path in homage to the house’s white facade. At various intervals, 3/8-inch steel-plated metal strips, painted black to echo the bones of the house, were embedded and crisscrossed in the pathway to turn it into a loose maze. Along this metal bunting, we planted succulents whose other-worldly shapes and mild coloration juxtaposed nicely against the hard-edged steel. These plantings included Gulf Coast muhly, a native grass that produces a pink-purple plume when it blooms in the fall. A side benefit to the use of these plants is that they are low maintenance and hardy in Houston’s summertime heat. Next we brought in trees for scale. Without them, the impressive architecture becomes imposing. We placed them along the front at either corner of the house. For the left side, we found a multi-trunk live oak in a field, transported it to the property and placed it in a custom-made square of the crushed marble at a slight distance from the house. On the right side where the house makes a 90-degree alcove, we planted a mature mesquite tree. To finish off the front entry, we fashioned the black steel into large squares and planted grass to create islands of green, or giant lawn stepping pads. We echoed this look in the back off the master suite by turning concrete pads of black-stained concrete into stepping pads. We kept the foundational plantings of Japanese yews which add green, earthy mass, something the stark architecture needs for further balance. We contoured Japanese boxwoods into small spheres to enhance the play between shapes and textures. In the large, white planters at the front entrance, we repeated the plantings of succulents and Gulf Coast muhly to reinforce symmetry. Then we built an additional planter in the back out of the black metal, filled it with the crushed white marble and planted a Texas vitex, another hardy choice that adds a touch of color with its purple blooms. To finish off the landscaping, we needed to address the ravine behind the house. We built a retaining wall to contain erosion. Aesthetically, we crafted it so that the wall has a sharp upper edge, a modern motif right where the landscape meets the land.

Recycled Tree Stump Pavers " Wood Pavers"

Sweetlake Interior Design LLC

Customer lost an oak tree with sentimental value so I decided to recycle the wood into pavers.
Photo of a mid-sized modern backyard full sun outdoor sport court in Houston.

Del Mar Contemporary

Argia Designs Landscape Design & Consultation

Inspiration for a modern courtyard outdoor sport court in San Francisco with decking.

Природный сад. Жуковка XXI век. 2017-2018 гг.

ARCADIA GARDEN Ландшафтная Студия

Два года каждодневного труда с жесткими сроками и числом рабочих до 50 человек в день, и интереснейший проект большого природного сада стал реальностью. В нем все необычно - от бионической архитектуры и оригинального решения рельефа, до открытости ветрам, речным красотам и взорам гуляющих людей. Дом идеально вписывается в существующий и созданный рельеф, давая возможность плавно подняться на террасы второго этажа прямо с земли. Панорамное остекление создает теснейшую связь с садом, а великолепный вид на реку обрамляют выразительные посадки деревьев. В этом огромная сила его очарования для хозяев. Воплощение этого масштабного проекта позволило реализовать наш прошлый опыт устройства мощения эластопейв, в котором очень важно выбрать правильный цвет гальки с учетом потемнения от смолы, создания авторских живописных водоемов с большими камнями и водопадами, правда все предыдущие были бетонные и не мельче 170 см, для плаванья, а этот спроектировали- мелким, пологим и гравийным, предусмотрев зону зимовки рыбы, облицовки подпорных стен габионами -выполнили очень качественно, с двумя видами камня, устройства ландшафтного освещения с 18 отдельными линиями включения. Из нового опыта - устройство спортивной площадки с искусственным газоном на гравийном основании с мачтами освещения, создание огорода с грядками из кортеновской стали, налитие большого бетонного моста из плит через пруд. Все растения мы заботливо выбирали в Германии, уделяя большое внимание кроне, характеру формовки, многолетники в количестве 40 тыс. мы дорастили в нашем питомнике, часть кустарников и высоких сосен - из российских питомников. В саду высажено 500 тыс луковичных, благодаря им с апреля по июль он превращается в яркое море красок и фактур. В течение года после сдачи работы на участке продолжились. Нам доверили весь уход. По просьбе заказчика мы переработали некоторые зоны, сделав их более приватными. Для этого лучшим решением оказались кулисы из стройных кедровых сосен с Алтая. Зону беседки мы дополнительно отделили от гуляющих вдоль реки посадкой большой группы формированных сосен Бонсай. Практичное мощение, мощные холмы, скрывающие забор, огромные площади трав и многолетников, высоченные раскидистые сосны, очень интересные по форме сосны Банкса, живописный водоем, отражающий дом – вот слагаемые неповторимого облика сада. Уже в июне поднимаются массивы трав, высотой по плечи, добавляющие глубину и создающие ощущение возврата в детство, в бескрайние луговые просторы. В прозрачный водоем залетают поплескаться дикие утки, а кошки интересуются его обитателями- карпами Кои, засев в зарослях ириса болотного. Основа проекта: Михаил Козлов. Доработка и реализация с подбором всех материалов: Ландшафтная студия Аркадия Гарден фото: Диана Дубовицкая

Pergolas & Decks

Sundance Landscaping Limited

Large modern backyard shaded outdoor sport court in Calgary with decking for summer.

Modern Outdoor Sport Court Design Ideas

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.