Formal Graden Path with Arborvitae and Boxwood

Land Architects, Craig Terrell, Ann Arbor
Traditional shaded formal garden in Detroit.

An inner city oasis with enchanting planting using a tapestry of textures, shades of green and architectural forms to evoke the tropics of Australia. Here, ferns and geraniums spill over the granite plank paving.

Bare Foot Family Foodscape

Christian Douglas Design, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country backyard shaded garden in San Francisco with a retaining wall and mulch.

English Jewel Box

Mariani Landscape

A view through the garden rooms, a gravel path leads through to the many spaces, each set up to be viewed from within. The path is lined with cushwa brick outlining the spaces. Terra cotta containers are filled with boxwood and petunia; pachysandra and bugleweed ground cover fill the flanking and center beds. A cast iron bench offers an opportunity to sit and enjoy the space, with the fountain creating a pleasant sound. Standard form lilacs sit in the boxwood hedge. Photo Credit: Linda Oyama Bryan

El jardín en otoño tras la reforma

Arcadia Jardines y paisajes

El jardín después de la reforma.
Photo of a small modern backyard shaded garden in Madrid.

Gardens of Hawaii

Stephen Haus ASLA

Stephen Haus
This is an example of a mid-sized tropical backyard shaded garden in Hawaii with a garden path.

Coastal garden design Sydney NSW

Vogue & Vine - Landscape Designers Sydney

Coastal front garden in Eastern Suburbs Sydney. Using coastal plants and Sydney Sandstone rocks, we created a soft coastal landscape that had a designers touch but still a natural feel

Dover, MA- Driveway entrance and rear patio design

Sallie Hill Design, Landscape Architect

Bluestone Naperville

KD Landscape

Turning into the backyard, a two-tiered pergola and social space make for a grand arrival. Scroll down to the first "before" photo for a peek at what it looked like when we first did our site inventory in the snow. Design by John Algozzini and Kevin Manning.

Formal City Garden

A J Miller Landscape Architecture PLLC

Traditional shaded garden in New York.

Saratoga Extreme Backyard Make over

Creative Environments

The balance of the yard is so important when designing any yard. Each environment plays an important part in the usage of your entertainment areas and how you view the rest of the yard. Each Creative Environment has a special touch to add to this client's lifestyle. Peter Koenig put in plan view, Michael Tebb Landscape made it work in reality and Creative Environments add their touch with the water features. Photography by Alex Johnson

Northbrook Illinois Shade Garden in June

Van Zelst Inc

Photo by Kirsten Gentry and Terra Jenkins for Van Zelst, Inc.
Expansive asian backyard shaded garden in Chicago with natural stone pavers for summer.

Stanislaus River Contemporary Landscape

The Garden Artist

Design ideas for a small contemporary shaded garden in Sacramento with a water feature.

5-Points Bungalow Overview

Philip Crawford and associates

Overview of outdoor patio, with dining, fire pit, water feature, and arbor/trellis, surrounded by lush plantings
Design ideas for a small eclectic backyard shaded garden in Raleigh with a water feature.

Water-Harvesting Fish Ponds

Tom Mannion Landscape Design, Inc.

Patio Construction

Mirage Landscaping

Photo of a mid-sized transitional backyard shaded garden for spring in Calgary with a container garden and brick pavers.

Zero Lawn Xeriscape

David Morello Garden Enterprises, Inc.

Craftsman Style Cottage Spring 2014 David Morello
Photo of an arts and crafts backyard shaded garden in Houston with natural stone pavers.

Private Estate 2016

Rost, Inc.

Full-scale hardscape & softscale landscape project featuring man-made waterfall/creek, landscaping, landscape lighting, and irrigation.
This is an example of a country backyard shaded garden for summer in St Louis with natural stone pavers.

Backyard Basketball Courts

Sport Court St. Louis

You want the best for your family, but no family is just like the other. We have an extensive range of customizable features that will make your backyard court or home gym unlike any other.

Shade Gardens - Southport & Westport, CT

Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC

A path between plantings beds in this shady yard, drifts of blue endless summer hydrangea spill into the shaded lawn path, while the variegated foliage of ivory halo red-twig dogwood creates the look of dappled sunlight. Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC

Turquoise Shaded Garden Design Ideas

Get Inspired by 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 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 Garden for Your Home

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