Backyard Landscaping Ideas & Designs

William Short Photography and Kendra Maarse Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

This classic San Francisco backyard was transformed into an inviting and usable outdoor living space. A few steps down lead to a lounging area, featuring drought-friendly and maintenance-free artificial grass as well as a cozy, custom-built natural gas fire pit surrounded by a Redwood bench. Redwood fencing, low-voltage LED landscape lighting, drip irrigation, planting and a water feature completed the space.

The primary patio space narrows into a walkway connecting to the fire pit. The planting beds on both side help define and separate the spaces. Photo courtesy of Mike Crews Photography.

The back of the house has a large bank of windows that extend from the dining area to the main living area; so there is a very strong indoor outdoor connection. Curving planting beds filled with green plants of varied textures enclose the new bluestone patio. To the right is the Tea House which is a major focal point in the rear portion of this Zen Garden.

Architect: Sarah Susanka, AIA Photography: Jim Westphalen Integration of Prairie-style architecture and Japanese garden. Palette of patterned and textures borrowed from the surroundings. Sequence of places makes a continuous necklace around the home.

Photo shows Japanese Tea House west side. The gravel path contains a Japanese dry river bed and an Inukshuk sculpture, metaphysically designed. The surrounding garden is the inner Roji garden and contains a Roji stepping stone path designed with a metaphysical pattern. pattern. Photo credits:Dan Drobnick

Photo of a large traditional partial sun backyard stone garden path in DC Metro.

The backyard is small and uninviting until we transformed it into a comfortable and functional area for entertaining
Inspiration for a small contemporary privacy and full sun backyard landscaping in New York.

Behind the Tea House is a traditional Japanese raked garden. After much research we used bagged poultry grit in the raked garden. It had the perfect texture for raking. Gray granite cobbles and fashionettes were used for the border. A custom designed bamboo fence encloses the rear yard.

Neave Group Outdoor Solutions
Design ideas for a large traditional full sun backyard gravel landscaping in New York.

The combination of natural stone walls and hedges assisted with the challenging site grading and was an opportunity to create the desired ‘secret’ garden feel.

Wood burning firepit made with granite bars
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard gravel formal garden in Portland Maine with a fire pit for spring.

A Spring picture of Heuchera "Wendy", Thuja "Emerald", and "Bloodgood" Japanese maple under the redwoods at the back of the garden. Photo-Chris Jacobson, GardenArt Group

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard formal garden in Other.

Design ideas for a traditional shade backyard gravel landscaping in Columbus with a fire pit for summer.

In Seattle's Fremont neighborhood SCJ Studio designed a new landscape to surround and set off a contemporary home by Coates Design Architects. The narrow spaces around the tall home needed structure and organization, and a thoughtful approach to layout and space programming. A concrete patio was installed with a Paloform Bento gas fire feature surrounded by lush, northwest planting. A horizontal board cedar fence provides privacy from the street and creates the cozy feeling of an outdoor room among the trees. LED low-voltage lighting by Kichler Lighting adds night-time warmth . Photography by: Miranda Estes Photography

Bluestone paths traverse the property, unifying outdoor rooms and directing flow from one space to the next. Photo: Linda Oyama Bryan
Design ideas for a large traditional partial sun backyard stone formal garden in Chicago with a fireplace.

With an existing pool and retaining walls, we took this space and made it more modern offering many various spaces for lounging, enjoying the fire, listening to the water feature and an upper synthetic turf area for playing games. It is complete with bluestone pavers, a modern water feature and reflecting pool, a raised ipe deck, synthetic turf, glass railings, a modern, gas fire bowl and a stunning cedar privacy wall!

Photo of a large traditional partial sun backyard formal garden in New York.