The courtyard is entered through wide French doors that open from the kitchen. The fountain gives off a wonderful noise, and the trellis covered in flowering vines add softness to the brick walls. Interior Design by Markham Roberts.

Connie Anderson Photography
Large traditional patio in Houston with a water feature, brick pavers and a roof extension.

This is an example of a large traditional backyard patio in San Francisco with a water feature, concrete slab and a pergola.

Natural water features enhance your backyard and add a soothing sound that can also drown out unwanted noise.
Mid-sized transitional backyard patio in New York with a water feature and brick pavers.

Designed and built by Land Art Design, Inc.
Photo of a large contemporary backyard patio in DC Metro with a water feature, natural stone pavers and no cover.

William Carson Joyce
Photo of a country patio in Santa Barbara with a water feature.

Eclipse Awning Systems
This is an example of a large backyard patio in Chicago with a water feature, concrete pavers and an awning.

The pond and terraces extend the architectural lines of the house into the garden using local blue gray slate. The violet coloured of the wood furniture contrasts boldly with the surrounding greens of the forest and landscape.

Erin Parker, Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography, LLC
Design ideas for a mediterranean patio in Miami with a water feature.

Changing this very small squared backyard into a usable colorful courtyard. Removing the screens from the porch created a nice indoor outdoor room with sound, fragrance & color...color...color. Landscape designed and installed by Construction Landscape With Designs by Jennifer Bevins. Servicing The Treasure and Space Coast 772-492-8382.

Inspiration for a traditional patio in Dallas with a pergola and a water feature.

Angie Seckinger
Design ideas for a traditional patio in DC Metro with a water feature.

Abran Photography
Contemporary patio in Los Angeles with a water feature.

The homeowners on this project wanted multiple functional spaces in their back yard -this is the new outdoor living room complete with a water wall installed for privacy as well as a dramatic focal point.

A raised planting bed veneered in natural stone creates a big impact in this small backyard. A spill pot fountain adds ambiance to this backyard retreat. Wildflower Landscape Design-Liz Ryan

Sam Granado
Contemporary patio in Dallas with a water feature.

A small table and chairs provides seating and a magnificent view of the stone retaining wall and wall fountain flowing into pool. A planter of flowering shrubs and a row of arborvitae provides a screen of the adjoining properties. Olivia Holmes photography

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

Design/Build Jpm Landscape Sideyard patio area, pavers, seating area, back step
Photo of a small traditional side yard patio in San Francisco with concrete pavers, a roof extension and a water feature.