52 Best Backyard Landscaping Ideas

When it comes to backyard landscaping ideas, there are plenty of options available. Whether you have a small backyard or a large backyard, there is an option for you, not to mention tons of affordable ways to achieve your desired look too. To figure out the right landscaping for you, think about your unique style and how your landscaping can represent you. You can even mix various aesthetics together if you’re not into just one look.

You can start with one space at a time, adding a garden border before turning to container gardens in pots. You may choose to update or create a new structural element, adding some hardscaping or a new pathway, a water feature like a pond or fountain, or a new seating area. From a sleek modern look to a charming English garden, the possibilities are endless, guided by your terrain, your budget, your design inspirations, and your do-it-yourself landscaping know-how.

Explore these backyard landscaping ideas that show you how to transform your outdoor area into your favorite space.

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• 01of 52Tall Perennial GrassesPin @ann.living / InstagramThis cozy yet spacious seating area has plenty of privacy thanks to privacy fencing and some well-placed tall perennial grasses that also help absorb noise. The patio, which features a dining and seating area, is framed by a gravel-covered garden bed with a few plants that help to separate the space from the lawn.
• 02of 52A Two-Level Retaining WallPin KG DesignsIf your yard has steep levels or hills you may want to consider a retaining wall. This one has two levels around the seating area, with the lower one providing a space for seasonal plantings and a built in fireplace. The look comes together with a dramatic round metal pergola that supports the beautiful white wisteria vine (a plant that needs a strong structure away from the house, as its growth can become invasive over time). This pergola adds an airy, open feel to the solid retaining wall, balancing the angular walls with circular lines.
• 03of 52A Backyard With Simple LandscapingPin @ann.living / InstagramLandscaping need not be complicated or fussy. This simple design allows an interesting border to the lawn area with simple wooden posts laid in as borders. The gray fencing, gravel, lighting fixtures and planters accent the gray tones in the tree bark, and easy plants like clumping grasses and evergreen shrubs provide interest all season.
• 04of 52Line a Pathway With Colorful PlantsPin KG DesignsLining a pathway with plants can be one of the more straightforward ways to start. Just be careful to not choose any plants that would grow in a way that made it difficult to use the path. The concrete path above allows plenty of room for walking or placing a chair to linger over the nearby vista. Planting perennials that bloom from spring through autumn makes this walkway a welcoming destination through three seasons.
• 05of 52A Dining Nook in a Small BackyardPin @s.u.s.a.p. / InstagramA few potted or climbing plants can go a long way to frame a small seating area. With minimal plants, decor can do the rest of the work. The all-weather rug transforms the stone patio beneath it, creating the feel of a small outdoor room, and the filigree metal table and chairs are accented by other metal decor and various objects made of natural materials in an attractive neutral palette.
• 06of 52Define Your Space With StructurePin Finding LovelyWith a large backyard space, structural elements are key to defining the space and giving it a shape. Doing this first can help guide your landscaping choices. This yard is flanked by mature trees on its edge, and so a variety of smaller levels and contrasting shapes creates a pleasing and functional design. The garden shed with fenced in area is the focal point. The flagstone path provides graceful curves and the white stone carries on the color theme of the white fence posts and white painted trim on the shed. Finally, the curved shapes of the flower beds also define the walkway’s connection to the larger property.
• 07of 52A Vegetable Garden in the BackyardPin @sunnygardentime / InstagramSometimes you can tell where a gardener lives. This backyard is all about celebrating gardening, with many potted plants, vines with colorful flowers growing over fences and sheds, and comfy green chairs strategically placed to rest and enjoy the view of your accomplishments after a busy morning of gardening.
• 08of 52Open Air FencingPin Finding LovelyFences can be necessary and useful structures, but they need not always be opaque or thick for privacy. This open air fence allows plenty of sight lines throughout the garden, including views of the raised beds through the fence. The curved arbor over the gate could hold climbing roses or other vines. The strong structure of the fence, incorporated with the flagstone path, solidifies the location as a central focal point by the shed, and yet the whole area looks airy and inviting.
• 09of 52Patio Pavers and Ground CoversPin Design by Mindy Gayer / Photo by Vanessa LentineInstalling a patio with pavers can be a lot of work and requires decisions about preparing the space, leveling, gravel or sand, etc. These large pavers simplify the logistics a bit, and the ground cover growing between them softens the look and breaks up the large expanses of white in this design. There are lots of options for ground cover too, including grasses, creeping sedum, and creeping thyme.
• 10of 52Plenty of GreeneryPin Mindy Gayer Design Co. / Photo by Vanessa LentineThis simple backyard landscaping from Mindy Gayer Design Co. includes a large green lawn that hugs the curves of the backyard patio. Low-slung shrubs around the edge of the home and in small groupings scattered from the patio to a small mulch-filled island in the center of the lawn allow the architecture to take center stage and not compete with mature trees surrounding the property.
• 11of 52A Sunken PatioPin @ladylandscape / InstagramThis seating area centers around a fire dish but the round structure could as easily be a table or water feature. The real star here is the sturdy rock wall surround built of natural granite blocks, and stairs leading down to the flagstone patio, creating a sunken room effect, with plenty of lush plantings at ground and wall level to add a dose of nature and privacy.
• 12of 52Try Mediterranean StylePinThis Southern California backyard from Mindy Gayer Design Co. has Mediterranean-inspired landscaping, with a minimalist approach to planting, a play of heights, and a rustic water feature. Other Mediterranean features could include an herb garden, a patio made from old bricks, or a micro-orchard.
• 13of 52Easy Desert BordersPin @beartrapgarden / InstagramThis desert backyard is a series of garden beds and walkways. Gravel is used for a tidy, attractive look and moisture retention in times of drought. The gravel works on the walkway and in beds as an alternative to wood mulches. If the ground covers spill over the edge of the border into the path, hey, the more the merrier. The native plantings and many succulents provide a lush, colorful yet easy-going approach to having a large-scale yet simple garden plan.
• 14of 52Framed Stone StepsPin @falkner_gardens / Instagram / Photograph by Jean Allsop /Birmingham Home & Garden (cover)The planters framing the stone stairs make a dramatic entry point for the sprawling lawn and a shady seating destination beneath mature trees. The large stone planters are naturally aged by moss and weather, and the abundant flowers include plenty of low maintenance hosta. The large pavers are an easy way to create a patio or walkway below the raised level and leaving some grass in between creates a casual yet intentional look.
• 15of 52A Border of CactiPin Michelle Boudreau Design / Photo by Lane DittoeMichelle Boudreau Design lined the walls of this Palm Springs pool area with a row of cacti along one side, and a series of large white square planters on the other that gives the space a modern look.
• 16of 52Sustainable DesignPin @beartrapgarden / InstagramNearly every design element in this beautiful off-grid desert property is intended to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. From the native plants to the moisture-retaining gravel to the rain barrels and clever use of found objects, this appealing landscape design shows respect for the planet and a resourceful sensibility.
• 17of 52Varying Plant HeightsPin Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-TrampEmily Henderson Design landscaped the path leading to the backyard play area an effortless feel with grasses, bushes, and flowering plants of varying heights and varieties to give it a playful enchanted garden feel.
• 18of 52A Poolside Backyard GardenPin @ladylandscape / InstagramPools are great for cooling down in hot weather, but what about cooling down when you’re not in the water? A shady pavilion and terraced gardens alongside the stairs make this pool feature a comfortable and beautiful place to beat the heat. The cool-warm color palette of perennials is eye-catching and invokes both sun and water.
• 19of 52A Lawn PatioPin Marie Flanigan InteriorsThis modern and minimal design features a level lawn area the same shape as the pool, flanked by a simple bed with young birch trees. The simple lines are accented by the clean lines of the furniture chosen. The limited palette of white and brown with touches of deep green is anchored by the perennial beds with low-growing shrubs.
• 20of 52A Lower-Level Backyard Fire Pit Seating AreaPin Design by Mindy Gayer / Photo by Lane DittoeFor homeowners who like to entertain, having more than one outdoor area for socializing can be a great way to maximize space. This design emphasizes seating areas over garden beds or plantings, with multiple levels and wide concrete stairs tying them all together. The sleek design of all three areas is minimal yet comfortable, with Adirondack chairs around the firepit area and comfortable seating on the lower patio, and a slightly more formal dining area on the upper level.
• 21of 52Backyard Gravel GardenPin Dazey DenDazey Den traded green grass for a sculptural gravel garden in the backyard of this desert home. A stone walkway and shrubbery make this feel like a secret oasis. The twinkle lights are also a fun touch.
• 22of 52Vines on a Pergola or ArborPin @ladylandscape / InstagramThe installation of a pergola or arbor can create an attractive and functional focal point for your garden. They can frame an entry way to a seating area or other destination, and also add shade to a sunny spot. This one has a trumpet vine, a beautiful but somewhat invasive flower that can be trained to behave itself if it has a strong structure to climb on. The cozy seating area on the wooden deck is surrounded by easy care hedges and perennials, and the large pavers offer some flexibility when designing walkways.