85 Landscaping Ideas That Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space (2024)

Nothing channels the French countryside like a lavender field—especially one that leads to a stone flower-arranging studio. Wendy Owen wanted her Sonoma, California, property to feel like a laid-back, rustic French village. She channeled that atmosphere with landscaping ideas like lovely stone pavilions, stand-alone sheds for gardening, and outdoor cooking areas.

Emily Janak's Wyoming mountain house strikes the perfect balance between quaint and polished. A well-kept lawn contrasts with wild lavender within the garden's wooden fence, and a canoe suspended under the upper-level extension brings dimension and character.

Tiered infinity pools might seem over the top, but the raised design can be a practical way to connect a spa and swimming pool. Even better if yours is overlooking a cool landscape feature, like the life-size chess board in this backyard designed by Ken Fulk. Yard games are always a win, especially if revelers who would rather lounge in the pool can hang nearby.

Before designer Patrick Wade made over the backyard of this 1930s Spanish Revival bungalow, the space was badly overgrown. So he revamped the landscaping with fresh brickwork and sculptural greenery: boxwood spheres and hedges.

A partial stone wall props up a pergola for shade, while a garden door beyond makes the cozy fireplace zone feel extra private and serene. To keep the outdoor space of this 1950s ranch in Kansas City feeling open and green, Jeffrey Dungan's team designed it to extend only halfway up past the sitting area.

Rows of hydrangeas and hedges offer a beautiful alternative to typical garden fences. The soft pastel colors are especially stunning and a natural fit for summer cottages, like this one in East Hampton designed by Robert Stilin.

Add more vertical greenery to a hardscaped patio by painting your fence or trellis Go Away Green. The paint color is popular among designers in outdoor areas for its magical camouflaging abilities! Here, Mimi McMakin used a mossy color on the chairs too.

Instead of a hard-to-maintain lawn, opt for gravel and bring in greenery with lush pots and topiaries scattered around the perimeter of the yard. If you love hosting, an outdoor table is essential—on her Nashville patio, seen here, Gen Sohr anchors one with two wicker end chairs and cozies it up with special throws and cushions.

When you don't have a front yard or even a sizeable porch, call on your windows for a beautiful landscaping idea, as Sarah Bartholomew did here. A copper lantern lights the way home, picking up on copper flashed windows and gutters, and window boxes are enlivened with pretty white florals and greenery.

Landscape architecture design studio Terremoto populated the garden of this Bel Air, California, home with native species wherever possible and created "a gradient of wildness" on the steep hillside. The lush canopy of low-water, low-maintenance plants includes native grasses, sages and lilacs, and redbud trees.

Designer Alison Victoria brought her small urban backyard to life with a clever landscaping idea. The trick to maintaining a low-maintenance garden wall that adds greenery? It's faux! She removed the glass from an antique pier mirror that was formerly in the entryway of an old home and then nailed faux fir panels directly into the fence.

At a Seattle home by Studio DIAA that literally floats on water, the occupants hung a hammock for a truly restful backyard experience. They also like to place an essential oil diffuser on the cedar deck to really max out the spa vibes.

No front yard? No problem. Beautify your driveway instead. Bay Area designer Dan Carlson combined succulents and herbs for this low-to-the-ground garden-meets-driveway flanked by permeable pavers.

For this Palm Beach vacation house, Caroline Rafferty decked out a small bar prep zone (conveniently located right by the cabana) in saturated colors and stripes, then optimized the space with a ceiling fan and hidden remote-controlled hurricane shutters for the off-season. A home bar made of wicker makes it even more inviting.

Landscape designer Marcello Villano incorporated olive and cypress trees in this Palm Springs courtyard as a nod to the homeowner's Italian heritage.

Terremoto Landscape designer and founder David Godshall opted for a creative hardscape as opposed to grass in this backyard. Not only do playful tiles give a welcome pop of color, but they're also drought-friendly and easy to maintain. The lush flora surrounding the area allows for plenty of green despite the lack of grass.

A lawn isn't the only landscaping idea that'll brighten up your front yard. Madeline Stuart gave this SoCal home by architects Wallace Neff and John Byers a sense of place with agave plants flanking the entrance and blooming bougainvillea vines spilling over the wall.

If a built-in landscape feature isn't in the cards, consider a standalone structure. Landscape designer Jay Griffith's backyard pagoda is a grown-up version of a treehouse. Floor cushions enhance the sense of intimacy, while curtains provide extra privacy.

"We used a mix of traditional and drought-resistant plants," says Denler Hobart, who framed the bocce court outside this California home in brick, bluestone, boxwood, and hydrangeas.