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Outdoor Back Yard Garden Design Photos and Ideas

The retouched meadow between the house and its detached garage/guest room was given a stone walking path.
Casa Rumeu was designed by Correa Milá Arquitectes in 1963 for the Rumeu family. While it is within walking distance of the center of Cadaqués, it feels separate, surrounded by olive groves. Part of the remodel entailed creating more garden spaces, "especially within the olive tree plantations, which are an important component of the estate’s overall charm,
Natalie and Lauren wanted to replicate the feel of a Zen garden with their home’s central courtyard. The garden features a Japanese maple that pops against the charred timber cladding, while structurally, the U-shape design ushers light right through to the back of the house.
The balance of mint green-painted ironwork, plants, pool, and blue sky capture the warmth of the Mérida indoor-outdoor living environment.
A section of the facade—a cross between a shoji screen and a barn door—slides open. Planter boxes contain edible varieties that fuel Mary’s culinary explorations.
“The roof overhang extends the living space,” says Boyer, so the deck becomes a spot to entertain visiting friends and family. The couple have been working to restore the surrounding land, as well.
Using concrete for the home's basic structure inspired the team to continue the theme inside with exposed concrete brick walls, floors, and benchtops. The resulting restrained palette creates a soothing backdrop for this sustainably-minded residence.
Extension & Courtyard Facing Study
Cultivating a garden not only helps you and your family live a greener lifestyle, but also saves on grocery bills, too. Start a fruit and vegetable patch in your backyard or roof terrace; and if you live in an apartment with limited outdoor space, try growing herbs and even vegetables inside.
You don’t need to have a complicated harvesting tank built if you want to conserve water. A simpler way is to place a rain barrel—found at your local home and garden supply store—under the downspout on your roof to collect rainwater for gardening. Invest in a good water filtration or treatment system, and you can even use your rainwater for bathing, laundry, cooking, and drinking.
A sliding glass door opens onto a terrace.
Set in a garden, the prefab structure is the perfect mix of good design and convenience.
Native Sonoran flora—such as salvaged soap tree yuccas, ocotillos, and saguaros—are planted at strategic locations. Low-water hybrid grasses and shrubs complement the larger plants, creating a very serene experience while keeping maintenance to a minimum.
A koi moat surround this thatched-roof home—a collaboration between AmDesign Studio and Creative Architects—near Ho Chi Minh City.
The intimate back patio features an antique wicker chair from Maine along with a zinc table from Arteriors and outdoor dining chairs from David Sutherland.
After a years-long search for viable land, Eugene and his wife, Claire Ko, bought an old dairy farm with good soil that could be rehabbed into an organic fruit and vegetable operation.
Creeping greenery will eventually overtake some sections of the exterior. The Danish sideboard in the living room inside is vintage from Space for Life.
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
West plays on the steps that carry the family members from the bedroom to the rear garden.
Raised beds and containers are excellent choices for beginners, as you can avoid remedying your existing soil and ensure your new crops are receiving the appropriate nutrients via new potting soil.
Artist Cori Creed sits at the center of the vacation home in rural British Columbia that she and her husband, Craig Cameron, built with their friend and architect, Kevin Vallely. Dubbed WingSpan House, the split structure opens up to a large courtyard and stunning views of Skaha Lake. “It’s almost like an embrace,” says Vallely. “It’s like the two wings are capturing the heart of the home.”
External deck frame with brick that contains the exterior space while cascading into the garden. Timber deck grades at ramps to ease access and timber pergola provides valuable shade structure in summer months.
Cool air from the gardens flows into the rooms through sliding doors and windows.
A fully glazed wall—which incorporates both louvres and sliding doors—connects the dining room and kitchen to the deck and garden. The natural slope of the site replaces the need for a fence between the garden and the beach.
The windows on the Cor-Ten "sleeping volume" are more modest than the expansive glazing on the ground floor "living volume." They are screened for privacy and frame key views from each of the spaces.
Large sliders blur the line between indoors and out and expand the living space.
The new rear, two-story addition adds over 2,000 square feet of living space without sacrificing the backyard. The repetition of the curved elements, such as the tall, cement-rendered columns that band the exterior, are a subtle reference to the scale and proportions of the Victorian style.
Featuring over 3,000 square feet of living space, Casa El Maqui is comprised of two box-like bases topped with an overhanging timber-clad structure.
Sunset photo by Tomoko Matsubayashi
The townhouse's brilliant extension is defined by the garden, located just off the living room.
The lounge deck at the rear yard of Sunset Hills Residence features a swimming pool surrounded by lush gardens. Architect Hsu McCullough's design beautifully merges minimalism with an abundance of nature.
Fields of native grasses connect the main residence, situated at the top of the slope, to the new structures scattered below. A pergola extends from the post-and-beam structure that was maintained during the remodel of the midcentury home.
A level, trellised garapa-wood deck connects the main structure to the pool house. "The arbors near the pool knit everything together," says Mikiten. "The deck is constructed over a drainage pit so the wood surface can be completely flush with the interior floor and the surrounding yard, which is critical for a fluid experience by someone using a wheelchair."
Extensive landscaping enhances the exterior spaces and extends the living to the outdoors.
The stunning estate, known as S'Estaca, is sited on the northwest coast of Mallorca, between the villages of Valldemossa and Deià.
Conveniently located in the heart of Vista Las Palmas, the home sits on an expansive 13,504-square-foot corner lot, offering an abundance of outdoor space for entertaining.
The indoor/outdoor connection was important for entertaining as well. The windows and doors can be thrown open, and people can sit close to the kitchen, inside or out, with the raised platform doubling as informal seating.
Stone stairs on the perimeter of a main courtyard ascend to a rooftop garden. Large windows on the other side of the living area overlook an enclosed water feature with a statue of a monk.
The enclosed garden features lovely landscaping and has the feeling of a serene escape.
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