50 Beautiful Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Need backyard design inspiration? Try these backyard landscaping ideas for a sloped, shady or boring backyard.

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Backyard Ideas for Spaces Large and Small

Is your backyard in need of a renovation? We have plenty of backyard landscaping ideas — from design ideas for small backyards and backyards that slope to family-friendly designs and backyards designed for entertaining.

Make your backyard a place that reflects your style, whether you prefer a contemporary-style space with succulents and abundant hardscapes or a cottage-style look with pathways or water features framed by masses of colorful perennials. If you like to host outdoor parties, consider adding a fire pit or fireplace for guests to gather around.

Fire pits can work in all kinds of backyard schemes, on decks, poolside, in a lush forest setting and in a vast clearing. This corner fire pit becomes the perfect spot to snuggle up as the evening winds down and stars come out. See the following photos for more backyard design ideas and inspiration.

See More Ideas: 60 Gorgeous Fire Pit Ideas and DIYs

From: Casa Smith Designs, LLC

A Cottage Garden's Colorful Planting Palette

Plants like iris, alliums, echinacea, roses and foxglove emphasize the cottage style of this colorful backyard garden. The flowering plants are primarily pink, white, yellow and blue — a soft palette that complements the natural shingles of the home. Flowering shrubs, roses, perennials, annuals and spring bulbs ensure that the garden is in bloom from March until late fall.

See More Cottage Gardens: 30+ Cottage Garden Ideas We Love

From: Andrew Grossman

Create Areas of Interest

Create multiple areas for friends and family to mingle. Here, a lush, green lawn offers space to spread out and play lawn games or have a picnic. A gorgeous fire pit seating area provides room to relax and, just steps away, a spacious deck is an ideal spot to enjoy dinner alfresco.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Backyard With Gravel Landscaping

This backyard boasts a staggered deck walkway that leads to a back door entrance to the home. Stone, gravel and evergreen landscaping are used throughout the yard, while a small pond features a unique floating stone patio complete with an outdoor dining table and chairs.

More Hardscaping Ideas: 40 Wow-Worthy Hardscaping Ideas

From: Dickson Realty

Rustic Backyard

Perfect for entertaining, this rustic, funky backyard has an outdoor kitchen made from reclaimed wood with a built-in grill as well as a bar with metal stools. A custom stage also made from reclaimed wood overlooks a grassy lawn and a lounge area.

Chic Rock Garden

Garden walls of horizontal wood slats provide a screen and create a focal point in this garden space. A water feature offers soothing sounds.

Get More Ideas: 15 Unique Garden Water Features

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Add Color With Plants and Design Features

Trees, shrubs and outdoor pillows bring color to this neutral modern patio. A forsythia boasts bright yellow flowers, a shrub with purple leaves bursts with jewel tones and orange pillows add more warm color.

More Perennial Ideas: 25 Perennials for Season-Long Color

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Sloped Backyard Becomes Terraced Garden

Designers turned the sloping back of this home's yard into a terraced garden with a stream. The stream tumbles over several waterfalls, one right at patio's edge.

Get More Advice: Tips for Working With a Sloped Yard

From: Paradise Restored Landscaping

Deck With Vine-Wrapped Pergola

This large outdoor deck is painted a dark charcoal color that subtly separates it from the home’s charcoal exterior. Wrapping the beams of the pergola in climbing vines adds a botanical transition from the outdoor living area to the adjacent yard.

More Deck Designs: 50 Deck Design Ideas to Express Your Style Outdoors

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

A Family Backyard Built for Fun

A modern hammock sits in this open backyard with trees and tall shrubs for shade. A round tile hopscotch court and an outdoor chalkboard make this a great place for the whole family to relax.

Get Family-Friendly Ideas: 35 Family-Friendly Backyard Designs

Outdoor Dining With a Spa

This backyard is one both adults and children can enjoy, with areas for play and relaxation incorporated into the design.

From: Bob Hursthouse

Contemporary Backyard With a Pool

This backyard view blends traditional landscaping and a checkerboard paving pattern with a contemporary pool design.

Learn More: Contemporary Landscape Design

From: Luxury Portfolio International®

Big Style in a Small Backyard

This backyard's not big, but it creates an inviting mood with a deck, small patio, trim walking paths and even a wee garden. Off to one side sits a separate art studio.

See More Design Ideas: Big Design Ideas for Small Outdoor Spaces

From: McGuire Real Estate

Resort-style Backyard and Pool

The swing bed underneath the pergola provides views of this resort-style backyard. Annual planters offer seasonal color nearby while lighting around the yard ties the space together to create an at-home resort getaway.

More Poolside Landscaping: 40 Stunning Ways to Landscape Around a Swimming Pool

From: Mom's Design Build

Subtle Terracing in Backyard

This backyard benefits from the subtle use of various textures on its terraces that ups the excitement level.

Get Sloped Yard Tips: Tips for Working With a Sloped Yard

Welcoming Water Features

Creating a naturalistic stream and waterfall adds movement, sound and wildlife to the backyard landscape that will be enjoyed by the entire family.

How About an Outdoor Fireplace

An outdoor fireplace creates a cozy place to gather after sunset, extending evening entertaining long into the night. This stacked stone fireplace surround also features a mounted TV perfect for game night under the stars.

Get Fireplace Ideas: 30 Cozy Outdoor Fireplace Ideas

From: Mom's Design Build

Elevated Deck With Shade

This elevated deck features a stone border with ornamental plants. White curtains provide shade, making this outdoor dining area a comfortable place to enjoy a lovely meal.

Get Shade Ideas: DIY Backyard Shade Ideas

Family-Friendly Outdoor Entertaining Space

This Atlanta, Georgia, backyard is fully equipped for outdoor entertaining with an outdoor gathering/grill area, a trampoline, fire pit and seating area for guests, landscaping and even a tumble mat for children.

Steep and Shady

What some homeowners would see as deficits — a sloped and shady backyard — these homeowners have turned into assets. This tranquil, restful escape from busy city life features a path that winds through groves of 'Knock Out' roses, butterfly bushes, azaleas and areas of visual interest, from a koi pond to a bird bath, along the way.

Cottage Charm

This lovely backyard includes a hot tub with a surround built to match a custom-built pergola and bench seating that includes built-in planter boxes full of colorful hydrangeas.

Dream Deck With Pergola

A sprawling two-level cedar deck and brick patio anchored by an outdoor fireplace and pergola provide ample space for al fresco dining and relaxing with friends or family. To soften all the hardscape, Chris Lambton and crew pushed back the wooded area to make room for a raised bed filled with perennials for year-round appeal and blooming annuals for color.

Get Pergola Ideas: 36 Backyard Pergola and Gazebo Design Ideas

Hip California Backyard

A modern rock garden, rows of succulents and restful geometry create a cozy-meets-chic backyard retreat. An Ipe wood screen creates a focal point and draws the eye to a water feature. A shaded corner offers a great spot to relax.

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Contemporary Tiers

Terraced tiers evoke a sense of peace, excitement and interest in this urban backyard.

From: Tomecek Studio Architecture

A Balanced Succulent Garden

A collection of succulents adds color and texture to this backyard that balances a variety of textures from pebbles to wood to a natural rock fountain.

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Mediterranean Backyard

Contemporary pendant lights hang under a covered patio in the dining area of this Mediterranean-style backyard. An outdoor grill station with a patterned tile backsplash sits to the right of the pool.

Get Outdoor Lighting Ideas: 25 Outdoor Lighting Ideas That Won't Break the Bank

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Mod Outdoor Patio

Outdoor art punctuates the landscaping along this privacy wall. An outdoor dining space continues the sleek, contemporary look.

Creative Privacy Ideas: 45 Creative Ways to Add Backyard Privacy

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Succulent Garden

Wood platforms situated in the natural rock bed create a comfortable walking path by this succulent garden. The small plants feature rich tones of green and purple, adding instant life to the space. Bamboo stalks shooting up against the wall add height to the area.

From: Studio H Landscape Architecture

Create an Easy Backyard Playhouse

A canvas teepee creates a backyard summer playhouse for children to enjoy from spring through fall.

Backyard Vegetable Garden

A well planned backyard vegetable garden plot can yield a bountiful harvest of vegetables from spring into fall. A variety of crops, such as tomatoes, squash and herbs, will flourish in a well watered and sunny spot.

Get Raised Bed Ideas: 25 Raised Garden Bed Ideas

Handy Backyard Greenhouse

A small backyard greenhouse is a good spot to start early vegetables and flowers. Once the weather warms, the door and windows can be left open to increase airflow.

See Greenhouse Ideas: 36 Greenhouse Design Ideas That Will Inspire You

Personal Space

Create your own special space that combines gorgeous garden features with the comforts of home.

Garden Family Room

If you have a large backyard, you may have room for an outbuilding to use as a guest room, playhouse or private retreat. Furnish it with comfortable furniture to create a relaxing home away from home.

A Newfangled Answer to the Back Deck

Old and new architectural styles combine in this striking backyard Southern pavilion. The focal point (#1) is the striking fireplace. A woven, seagrass rug (#2) softens the space. Water-resistant furniture (#3) makes sense in this space exposed to the elements.

Create a Garden Oasis

Pick and place a potting shed with an eye to the overall design of your yard so that it doesn’t sit out there like a lonely, disconnected outbuilding. The materials, design and placement of this shed tie it to the surrounding Asian-style garden.

Creative Shed Makeover

Think outside the big box when it comes to backyard design. Customize prebuilt sheds and other outdoor features for your own taste and needs. For under $100 and a quick trip to the hardware store, an ugly shed was transformed into this fun tiki hut by covering it in reed and straw.

Consider a Shed for a Staycation in Your Backyard

Designer Egypt Sherrod created this charming shed in her Atlanta backyard to provide a close-to-home escape.

Get She Shed Ideas: 21 Best She Shed Ideas

A Non-Traditional Poolscape

If you're interested in adding a pool to your backyard landscape, consider all of the ways you can include other amenities to incorporate the pool into the landscape: firewalls, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, cabanas and other garden elements.

Lushly Landscaped Pond

Exotic foliage surrounds the edges of this small backyard pond.

Backyard Pond Is a Tranquil Garden Feature

A pond can be a beautiful, calming feature in a backyard if the space is large enough. It will help attract wildlife and a variety of surrounding plants can be used to offer color and texture.

Surround a Backyard Grill With Beauty

Entertaining in the backyard is a favorite pastime of family and friends. A patio can easily be adapted for an outdoor eating area by adding a grill, table and chairs.

See Outdoor Kitchens: 75 Outdoor Kitchen Designs for Ideas and Inspiration

From: Bob Hursthouse

Double Duty Building

This clever structure combines an outdoor shed for stashing gardening equipment and a treehouse for a little extra fun.

Long and Winding Path

A winding backyard path is the perfect way to explore the many different areas of the yard. The path can go from the house, past a dining table, to a shed and around to a play area, all surrounded by plantings.

See Pathway Ideas: 40 Ideas for Creating the Perfect Pathway in Your Yard

Charming Playhouse

A path leads the way to a nestled backyard playhouse.

See Charming Playhouses: 60 Enchanting Playhouses

Inviting Wood Deck

Wood decking is a way to make a small backyard space warm and inviting. It creates a sophisticated look for an outdoor living and dining area right outside the home.

Live in the Trees

Is your backyard graced with large, sturdy trees? Then maybe what you need is a treehouse. DIY designs range from simple, open-air decks to fully-finished spaces complete with plumbing and electricity.

Make Your Fire Pit a Focal Point

Fire pits create a wonderful focal point for an outdoor gathering space and add warmth to backyard gatherings on cool evenings.

From: J.R. Kramer

Shady Retreat

Work with the landscape and light to create your ideal backyard escape. Landscape designer Jamie Durie removed the lawn from this shady backyard and then filled the space with tropical plants, a floating lounge and a daybed.

Moss Garden

Moss gardens mean even shade is no deterrent to green. Moss makes a beautiful border in this Japanese garden and requires no mowing.

Create a Homesteading Oasis

The owners of this tin roof chicken coop wanted to create a home for their chickens and guest houses for visiting bluebirds. The homeowners said landscaping was a key factor in placing this chicken coop on the far side of the garden. The height of the coop creates a separation between the yard and the street that runs behind the next-door neighbors' yard. The building works as both a privacy screen and has the added advantage of looking like a charming shed or rustic playhouse.

Get Chicken Coop Ideas: 24 Fabulous Backyard Chicken Coops

50 Beautiful Backyard Landscaping Ideas

Related To:

Shop This Look

Backyard Ideas for Spaces Large and Small

A Cottage Garden's Colorful Planting Palette

Create Areas of Interest

Backyard With Gravel Landscaping

Rustic Backyard

Chic Rock Garden

Add Color With Plants and Design Features

Sloped Backyard Becomes Terraced Garden

Deck With Vine-Wrapped Pergola

A Family Backyard Built for Fun

Outdoor Dining With a Spa

Contemporary Backyard With a Pool

Big Style in a Small Backyard

Resort-style Backyard and Pool

Subtle Terracing in Backyard

Welcoming Water Features

How About an Outdoor Fireplace

Elevated Deck With Shade

Family-Friendly Outdoor Entertaining Space

Steep and Shady

Cottage Charm

Dream Deck With Pergola

Hip California Backyard

Contemporary Tiers

A Balanced Succulent Garden

Mediterranean Backyard

Mod Outdoor Patio

Succulent Garden

Create an Easy Backyard Playhouse

Backyard Vegetable Garden

Handy Backyard Greenhouse

Personal Space

Garden Family Room

A Newfangled Answer to the Back Deck

Create a Garden Oasis

Creative Shed Makeover

Consider a Shed for a Staycation in Your Backyard

A Non-Traditional Poolscape

Lushly Landscaped Pond

Backyard Pond Is a Tranquil Garden Feature

Surround a Backyard Grill With Beauty

Double Duty Building

Long and Winding Path

Charming Playhouse

Inviting Wood Deck

Live in the Trees

Make Your Fire Pit a Focal Point

Shady Retreat

Moss Garden

Create a Homesteading Oasis

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