Drought tolerant / native plant material

Two poured in place concrete retaining walls create terraces around the property. These retaining walls and a swale along the property line ensure that water runoff is redirected on site, an important element for this LEED Gold certified property.

After 06

Native Edge Landscape

After this home was completely rebuilt in the established Barton Hills neighborhood, the landscape needed a reboot to match the new modern/contemporary house. To update the style, we replaced the cracked solid driveway with concrete ribbons and gravel that lines up with the garage. We built a retaining to hold back the sloped, problematic front yard. This leveled out a buffer space of plantings near the curb helping to create a welcoming accent for guests. We also introduced a comfortable pathway to transition through the yard into the new courtyard space, balancing out the scale of the house with the landscape.

Lowman Beach Residence

Rhodes Architecture + Light

Interior wood and steel screens create filters, dividing spaces while modulating light. Exterior screens of sustainable Resysta filter light and views inward while lending privacy at the entry to the Lowman Beach Residence.

Fountain and Steps to the Top Destination Space- Back Yard

Bosler Earth Design

Fountain on deck in front of a retaining wall with steps leading to the upper landscape. ©Daniel Bosler Photography

Contemporary New Home Landscape - Caledonia

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

View of the prairie garden from above. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Ornamental Grasses And Retaining Walls In Modern Landscape

Big Rock Landscaping

These white cement retaining walls showcase ornamental grasses and shrubbery.

Spectacular Canyon View Terrace

Urban Oasis Landscape Design

We carved out a small herb and fruit garden in a once unused concrete area. Each planter holds a different dwarf citrus and the center area and planters hold various herbs and vegetables. Just out of the picture are two espaliered apple trees against the wall. Photo by Marcus Teply

Magnolia Modern

Mark S. Garff, Landscape Architect

This newly constructed home was in need of an outdoor living space and streetscape in a matching contemporary Northwest style. Our studio composed a landscape with an improved entry sequence, balancing the need for personal privacy alongside a distinctive public face. A steel framed gabion basket wall provides a crisp edge and doubles as retaining for the private patio behind the horizontal board fence. The courtyard oasis with a new deck is enclosed by warm wooden fencing set on top of the contrasting raw texture of a gabion retaining wall that acts as a backdrop to bold streetscape plantings.

Shade Garden

Pearson Landscape Services

Contemporary Landscape with Basalt Columns Water Feature

Accent Landscapes

A unique front walk, a manufactured stone veneer retaining wall, and basalt columns create a one of a kind entry to the home.

Alta Vista

Smith Builders

Concrete and steel retaining walls surround this gorgeous live oak tree.

Los Angeles - Eagle Rock

June Scott Design

Celebrating Southern California's mild climate, this hill-top residence was enhanced with an a bubbling water feature, outdoor shower, custom fencing and a Mediterranean plant palette. The fence's design, with its slender vertical lines, draws the eye toward the site's lovely borrowed scenery. An outdoor shower, nestled into a corner of the yard, beckons the homeowners to bath in the open air. Photo by Martin Cox.

Marrying Elegant Design & Sustainability

Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (JMMDS)

Featured in Feb/Mar 2013 issue of Organic Gardening Magazine, this Boston-area courtyard functions as an entryway, parking space, driveway turnaround, and outdoor room. New York bluestone planks set into a sea of pea gravel can bear the weight of vehicles while allowing rainwater to permeate the ground, preventing run-off. Curving 7-foot-high green walls of shade-loving native plants create privacy and beauty, while native birch trees (Betula papyrifera) in the entry planters provide a handsome complement to the four-story Silver LEED-certified house by Wolf Architects, Inc. Landscape Architect: Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio Landscape contractor: Robert Hanss, Inc. Green wall: g_space Photographed by Susan Teare for Organic Gardening Magazine.

Hillside Decks

LA-Decks Backyard and Pool Remodeling

Redwood deck with grey stain on hill with glass railing and redwood posts.

Contemporary Craftsman Landscape Lighting - Brookfield

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

View of the front yard at dusk. Low voltage wall lights highlight the granite walls, while uplights illuminate the river birch. Westhauser Photography

Grass Terraces

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

Lafayette

Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture

Terraced hillside landscape.

Windermere Color

Olander Garden Design

Doreen Wynja

zocala san clemente

Urban Landscape

Jeri Koegel

Contemporary Garden Design Ideas with a Retaining Wall

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.