The owners of this shared Brooklyn rooftop garden needed to create three individual spaces without feeling too closed off, dark, or boxed in. The solution is a series of custom cedar trellises at varying heights mixed with lightweight planters that delineate each of the owner's deeded spaces. Flowering vines grow through the trellises to provide added privacy during the warmer months as well as pops of color and texture. River birch trees offer dappled shade and dimension, flowering perennials add color, fragrance, and attract pollinators, and ornamental grasses provide texture and movement while also masking some ugly HVAC units. The resulting rooftop space is open and breezy while also giving each family their own special private oasis.

Ático en el centro de Madrid

arkhe paisajismo

ARKHÉ PAISAJISMO

Modern Botanical Garden | Rear Yard Cluster Planting

Greey Pickett

The stunning modern architecture of this Paradise Valley residence is highlighted by pocket gardens and showcases unique specimen cactus in desert botanical garden style. Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett

Wright Residence

Platinum Landscape & Pools

Tiered CorTen planter boxes reflect the geometry of the house. Custom metal boxes sit strategically alongside, and behind, raised Belgard paver walls. Strategic placement of low voltage LED lights illuminate the pathway to the front door.

Small San Francisco Landscape Remodel

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

This tired, unused San Francisco backyard was transformed into a modern, low-maintenance landscape with site-appropriate plantings enhanced by raised planting beds and a lead-free artificial lawn to replace the existing water-thirsty lawn. I created two separate "rooms" to break up the long narrow yard, and specified full range blue stone for the two small patio areas, connected by a curved pattern of rectangular pavers of the same natural stone. The raised concrete rectangular planting beds were incorporated to bring more movement and interest to the landscape along with gravel bed accents alongside. Some of the existing concrete remained, and was stained with a color to compliment the natural stone. These photos were taken over a three year period. Photos: © Landscape Designer, Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design.

Harlem Roof Garden Pergola

Amber Freda Garden Design

A wood pergola gives some much needed shade on this sunny rooftop garden in Harlem. As the wisteria vines grow, they will eventually cover the top of the pergola with their fragrant purple flowers, making this the perfect urban oasis. See more of our projects at www.amberfreda.com.

South Philly Roof Deck Kitchen

Airy Kitchens

Chi-town Hustle

Chicago Green Design Inc.

Don't let the name fool you. We took this once drab front yard into the envy of the row home block. We only had a week to complete this front yard project prior to starting a rather large project but finished it all with a bit of Chicago style. This row homes block, consisted of the exact same lot sizes and layout for all the homes. So we were determined to create something a little different so to stand out form the rest of the pack. This project contains a custom designed floating ipe bench wrapped around one of our stand alone self watering planters. inlay Italian porcelain tile surrounded by Mexican pebbles shows the distinct pattern with defining colors and made this Chi-town hustle project a fun one. We also enjoyed collaboration with the homeowners as this space will be enjoyed for many years to come.

Rénovation 006

Agence CréHouse

Mak2com

Narrow View Garden

Ketti Kupper Conscious Life Design

photo by Ketti Kupper

Container Gardening

Kathleen Bassett Gardens

Container plants on Fourth of July; Hayden James Photography

Garden Art

Green Thumbs Up Inc.

Wine and Jam Photography

Low Maintenance Hummingbird Habitat

Teach ‘em to Fish Landscaping

Garten

Rausch Lichtkonzept

Aussenlicht für die Terrasse und Inszenierung der Fassade durch Wandleuchte mit Strahlung nach oben und unten

West Coast Food Forest

New Roots Landscaping

This beautifully laid out design was created by UBC architecture student Jared Skoreyko prior to our arrival. We updated the planting as per the client's request for a low maintenance edible landscape. Included here are asian pear, fig, columnar apple, and espallied multi-graft apple trees, blueberry and chilean guava borders. strawberries and herbs compliment the season's harvest and provide ground cover.

Thornhill front landscaping

Horvath Landscapes

Front entrance designed to grab the attention of people walking by. All paved areas are visible in winter since the driveway and walkway have a built in heating system. photo: plutadesigns

Outdoor living in Palo Alto

Fernau & Hartman Architects

Contemporary Garden Design Ideas with a Container Garden

Get Inspired by Contemporary 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 contemporary 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 Contemporary Garden for Your Home

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