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  1. Garden & Outdoor
  2. Garden
  3. Best Season: Summer

Contemporary Garden for Summer Ideas and Designs

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Small Contemporary Garden Blackheath
Small Contemporary Garden Blackheath
Hamilton Cody Garden DesignHamilton Cody Garden Design
Inspiration for a small contemporary front driveway and private partial sun garden for summer in London with natural stone paving.
Small outdoor room with a green wall in Kensington
Small outdoor room with a green wall in Kensington
The Garden BuildersThe Garden Builders
Pro Colour Photography
Photo of a small contemporary back partial sun garden for summer in London with a living wall and natural stone paving.
Landscape Design
Landscape Design
WINN Design+BuildWINN Design+Build
This is an example of a large contemporary back full sun garden for summer in DC Metro with a pathway and natural stone paving.
Very private backyard enclave
Very private backyard enclave
Morgan Howarth PhotographyMorgan Howarth Photography
Very private backyard enclave
Contemporary side formal partial sun garden for summer in DC Metro with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Southfields Garden
Southfields Garden
Tom Howard Garden Design and LandscapingTom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
Medium sized contemporary back formal full sun garden for summer in London with a pond and natural stone paving.
Oak Tree Setting With Hillside Views, Landscape Renovation, Northern California
Oak Tree Setting With Hillside Views, Landscape Renovation, Northern California
Dig Your Garden Landscape DesignDig Your Garden Landscape Design
APLD 2021 Silver Award Winning Landscape Design. Galvanized troughs used for vegetables in the side yard. An expansive back yard landscape with several mature oak trees and a stunning Golden Locust tree has been transformed into a welcoming outdoor retreat. The renovations include a wraparound deck, an expansive travertine natural stone patio, stairways and pathways along with concrete retaining walls and column accents with dramatic planters. The pathways meander throughout the landscape... some with travertine stepping stones and gravel and those below the majestic oaks left natural with fallen leaves. Raised vegetable beds and fruit trees occupy some of the sunniest areas of the landscape. A variety of low-water and low-maintenance plants for both sunny and shady areas include several succulents, grasses, CA natives and other site-appropriate Mediterranean plants complimented by a variety of boulders. Dramatic white pots provide architectural accents, filled with succulents and citrus trees. Design, Photos, Drawings © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design
Family garden in St Margarets
Family garden in St Margarets
Jane Ashley Garden DesignJane Ashley Garden Design
Yorkstone patio surrounded by colourful planting with stylish lounge seating and sunshade in garden with 2 patios, pretty shed, lawn and glorious borders
Small town garden no lawn
Small town garden no lawn
amandashipman.comamandashipman.com
Amanda Shipman
Photo of a small contemporary back partial sun garden for summer in Hertfordshire with a garden path and brick paving.
Townhouse garden
Townhouse garden
Neil Jones DesignNeil Jones Design
Using a refined palette of quality materials set within a striking and elegant design, the space provides a restful and sophisticated urban garden for a professional couple to be enjoyed both in the daytime and after dark. The use of corten is complimented by the bold treatment of black in the decking, bespoke screen and pergola.
Shadyside
Shadyside
The Outdoor Living StudioThe Outdoor Living Studio
Design ideas for a small contemporary back formal partial sun garden for summer in Other with a water feature and gravel.
Contemporary Landscape
Contemporary Landscape
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard full sun garden for summer in Los Angeles with gravel and a desert look.
A Texan in New England
A Texan in New England
Gilmore Landscape ArchitectureGilmore Landscape Architecture
Robert Gilmore
Design ideas for a large contemporary back partial sun garden for summer in Boston with a retaining wall and gravel.
Boreum Hill Brownstone Garden
Boreum Hill Brownstone Garden
New Eco LandscapesNew Eco Landscapes
Photos by Anthony Chrisafulli
Medium sized contemporary back full sun garden for summer in New York with a retaining wall and natural stone paving.
Austin Lakefront Residence
Austin Lakefront Residence
The Garden Design StudioThe Garden Design Studio
www.seeinseeout.com
Medium sized contemporary back formal full sun garden for summer in Austin with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Austin Lakefront Residence
Austin Lakefront Residence
The Garden Design StudioThe Garden Design Studio
www.seeinseeout.com
This is an example of a medium sized contemporary back formal full sun garden for summer in Austin with a garden path and gravel.
Lawn Area
Lawn Area
Terra Ferma LandscapesTerra Ferma Landscapes
The upper lawn for the kids to play with a vegetable garden on the side
This is an example of a small contemporary back partial sun garden wall for summer in San Francisco with a vegetable patch, natural stone paving and a wood fence.
Earls Court Oasis
Earls Court Oasis
Harry Holding StudioHarry Holding Studio
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.
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
The London Gardener LtdThe London Gardener Ltd
We were asked to redesign a large garden in Wandsworth, SW18. It needed to be child-friendly, with a sunken trampoline and a large real grass lawn and plenty of space to entertain and enjoy the sun. Also our client was anxious to keep the garden private, and to block views into the garden where possible. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy a number of mature trees in other gardens, and this allowed us to focus more on the medium and lower layers of planting. We mixed long-flowering shrubs and perennials with small multi-stemmed trees, all of which were planted with a long season of interest in mind. The planting around the sunken trampoline had to be kept low so the children could be seen from the house, and also robust incase it got landed on!
Sakura House
Sakura House
Arbordale LandscapingArbordale Landscaping
Photo of a small contemporary back formal partial sun garden for summer in Toronto with a garden path, concrete paving and a wood fence.
Ealing, contemporary family garden
Ealing, contemporary family garden
Beaufort & Rampton LandscapesBeaufort & Rampton Landscapes
Inspiration for a medium sized contemporary back full sun garden for summer in London with a fire feature, decking and a wood fence.

Contemporary Garden for Summer Ideas and Designs

A beautifully designed contemporary garden is as important as the emphasis we place on the designs of our interiors. After all, our grounds (however modest) frame our homes and contribute to first impressions not only of our houses, but also of the households within. Options for garden designs can be as elaborate or low maintenance as your lifestyle and preferences permit – consider both your aspirations for how it should look and how much time you can invest in garden maintenance. Consulting a gardener or landscape designer will ensure you have a garden that suits your lifestyle, the local climate and soil conditions. But don’t forget that with Houzz your first stop can be collecting images of garden ideas and designs you love in order to inspire your garden plans and potentially share them with a landscape gardening professional.

How do I come up with a contemporary front garden design?

The priority for a front garden is kerb appeal. Begin by considering the area immediately around and leading up to your front door. You may want to opt for front garden designs that blend well with the style of your home – for example, abundant foliage and flowerbeds will perfectly complement a period property, whereas man-made materials, geometric shapes and contrasting textures are great ideas for a contemporary garden design. Even if your front garden is a small space, keep it tidy – if you have more space, make the most of it with garden ideas and features such as a manicured lawn, gravel driveway, water feature or garden fencing. If you don’t have the time or commitment to devote to gardening, then neatly pruned hedges, statement paving, hanging baskets, garden benches and outdoor lighting are all decorative, low maintenance garden ideas for your contemporary front garden design.

How should I design my contemporary back garden?

Back gardens typically offer more space than front garden designs and serve a more recreational purpose, so it’s important to know how you want to spend time in your garden before you design it in order to build in the features that you will enjoy. If you love relaxing in the garden and dining al fresco, think about patios, decking, garden furniture and BBQs. For the more horticulturally-inclined, incorporate flower beds, greenhouses or vegetable garden designs. Your landscape gardening professional can help you install structures such as sheds, pergolas and gazebos that complement your garden design, and artfully-placed garden ideas such as lawn edging and lighting will add definition to your chosen design.

How do I create a low maintenance garden?

The great news is, gardens aren’t exclusively for the green-fingered. Whether you’re not horticulturally-inclined or simply don’t have the time for a bit of landscape gardening, you can still have a contemporary garden design that looks the way you want by making some smart design choices. While many of us favour low maintenance gardens like urban gardens, roof terraces and patio gardens, lovers of greenery don’t need to sacrifice grass for paving slabs. Whatever you want from your garden, there are a variety of gardening solutions that can be built in to make life easier. For example, labour intensive features such as vegetable patches, greenhouses and flower beds can be optimised with an automatic irrigation system. These can be offset with fuss-free garden ideas such as hard landscaping, including gravel, paving or decking, and hard-wearing evergreens that require minimal upkeep. You might even consider replacing your garden fencing with slow growing hedging, which can be maintained less regularly than wooden fence panels. If having a lawn is important, there are different types of grasses in varying degrees of durability and maintenance. You may choose to take a more relaxed approach to your lawn – “wild” garden designs can have great charm if the grasses and flowers are chosen carefully. If you prefer a manicured lawn, it’s a good idea to invest in a “mulching” lawn mower that will recycle clippings and remove the need for cleaning up. Finally, there isn’t a more low maintenance garden lawn than artificial grass which can look highly realistic and keep your garden looking green. Garden ornaments are a great way to add interest to your low maintenance garden design – go for smart garden ideas such as solar garden lights which are both decorative and functional. Find some of the most popular design ideas on Houzz.
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