55 Ideas for Landscaping Around a Deck or Patio
Looking to update your outdoor space? Give the most-used area of the yard a purposeful makeover with problem-solving plantings, smart shade solutions and gorgeous inspiration from some of our favorite outdoor living spaces.
Landscaping Ideas for Function & Style
These days, many of us are spending more time relaxing, entertaining (or even working) on our back decks or patios, so why not make the surrounding landscape as beautiful as possible? A small investment upfront and a weekend spent planting will ensure your backyard stays beautiful for years to come. We've compiled a list of 55 gorgeous ways to landscape around a deck or patio, whether your goal is to plant some privacy, kick up the color with annuals or enjoy year-round color with evergreens. Here, the designers at Mom's Design Build installed a putting green next to this pretty patio geared toward entertaining.
SEE MORE: Outdoor Oasis: Elevated Backyard Gathering Space
Plant Trees for Privacy
In desperate need of some privacy in your outdoor space? You could build a fence to shield yourself from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors, or you could plant a living wall of beautiful evergreen trees instead. Here, Emerald Green arborvitae trees, which can reach up to 15 feet tall, provide beautiful privacy year-round and create a gorgeous green backdrop to this cozy outdoor living room. In warm seasons, the white brick fireplace is flanked by stunning limelight hydrangeas.
SEE MORE: Plants for Privacy
Combine Textures
Layering diverse, organic textures in the beds surrounding your deck or patio is an easy way to make your outdoor space feel like an oasis. To achieve this look, pair contrasting elements like rough boulders and soft grasses in one part of the mulched bed, then build a rock garden in another. Weave a few favorite annuals and small shrubs throughout for a low-maintenance landscape that feels like it's been there all along.
SEE MORE: Backyard Pictures From HGTV Urban Oasis 2020
Plant Between Pavers
An assortment of sedum, thyme and dwarf mondo grass populates the negative space between bluestones on this Charleston patio. Planting creeping groundcover in the gaps between pavers or steppingstones softens hard edges and offers up a more enlivened landscape. With this technique, the entire outdoor area has a consistent, textured style that draws the eye naturally throughout the space.
SEE MORE: 40 Unique Paver Designs for Outdoor Spaces
Try a Maximalist Approach
This cute cottage patio bustles with an abundance of greenery. Installing too few plants is an all-too-common landscaping mistake: A sparse garden can look bleak and doesn’t pack much of a visual punch. If you're a maximalist on a minimalist budget, however, opt for hardy species that will spread or lush groundcover plants to help deter the cost. Alternatively, you can take a page from this porch’s book, and install raised beds and containers that allow you to pack a punch on a smaller scale.
SEE MORE: Gorgeous Maximalist Outdoor Spaces That Will Never Go Out of Style
Grow More Groundcover
This modern patio is softened and framed by lush beds filled with abundant groundcover plants nestled between larger grasses and succulents. Groundcovers can be a huge boon to a landscape, acting as a living weed barrier and often a source of year-round color. While the initial installation takes some maintenance and time to grow, groundcover plants are a low-maintenance, sustainable addition once established. Check out some of our favorite groundcover options below.
SEE MORE: 18 Tough Groundcovers
Plant Slopes With Care
Take a sloped yard from structural to stunning with plants and rocks made to withstand erosion. A common and simple way to landscape a slope is by filling it with a single plant type. This method is effective, if uninspired. For a bit more interest, consider blending a mix of foliage colors and textures, growth habits and even adding in non-plant elements like boulders. Planting a diverse selection is not just nice to look at, but also hedges against disease or insect problems which could be a disaster in a monoculture. Grab our top tips for landscaping on an angle, below.
SEE MORE: Tips for Working With a Sloped Yard
Choose Native Plants
No need to overthink it. If your area boasts beautiful native plants and landscapes, simply copy your surroundings. The outdoor design of this gorgeous modern home complements the dynamic architecture while incorporating the surrounding California wilderness and vibrant plants in the landscaping.
Install a Hedge of Hydrangeas
Add a burst of lush greenery and brilliant blooms to your patio-scape by installing a long hedgerow of hydrangeas. Once established, these pretty perennials feature an array of magnificent blooms and maintain their visual appeal long after most flowering shrubs and perennials have peaked. Blessed with a no-fuss nature, hydrangeas aren’t especially selective about where they’re planted, as long as they have well-drained soil and a bit of shade. Check out our comprehensive cheat sheet for growing and maintaining perfect hydrangeas, below.
READ MORE: How to Plant, Grow and Care for Hydrangeas
Try Vertical Gardening
If your patio and accompanying yard lack square footage, take your garden vertical. Living walls are an engaging way to introduce greenery to your outdoor area without expanding into the available living space. They also make great privacy screens!
SEE MORE: 12 Pretty + Practical Vertical Garden Planters
Turn Slopes Into Terraced Beds
Stone steps are skirted by a series of tiered beds around this enchanting Colorado patio. Converting sloping areas of a yard into terraced beds can transform that unusable space from eyesore to outdoor delight. Adding structural support and increased opportunities for planting, stepped beds work to minimize erosion and poor water drainage.
SEE MORE: 26 Sturdy Retaining Wall Ideas for a Sloped Yard
Switch to Sustainable Landscaping
This eco-friendly patio is surrounded by artful xeriscaping. While xeriscaping often conjures up images of desert vistas, the term actually applies to any landscaping that doesn’t require irrigation. It’s a great, sustainable technique to achieve striking scapes around living spaces without a lot of a rainfall or access to water. Follow the link below for a list of perfect plants for xeriscaping.
READ MORE: Xeriscaping Plants
Hide Away in the Hedges
Neatly manicured boxwood hedges border this tasteful outdoor dining area, creating an intimate retreat just steps away from the back porch. Hedges are an elegant alternative to privacy screens or fences and introduce an air of refinement to your outdoor space. With a wealth of options to choose from, you can be sure to find the perfect hedge for your haven.
SEE MORE: 20 Ideas for Fabulous Boxwood Designs
Pick a Perfectly Petite Tree
Trees are the perfect shade solution for an outdoor living space, but their size tends to present a landscaping roadblock. Fortunately there are a number of species that only grow to a medium height and have a non-aggressive root system, making them ideal for a deck. Japanese maple, ornamental crabapple and pine are all possibilities that can be planted in small areas or grown in containers. Follow the link below to discover more shade trees for small landscapes.
See More: 12 Shade Trees for Small Landscapes
Combine Beauty & Function
A patio that's both pretty and practical? Yes, please. Just beyond the concrete pavers of this calming courtyard, hardy evergreens, including boxwoods, grasses and rosemary, create a backyard retreat that's a breeze to maintain year-round in the Alabama climate.
SEE MORE: This Ultra Stylish Couple Designed Every Inch of Their Minimalist Alabama Home
Don't Be Bashful About Blending
Perennials and annuals each have an extensive list of virtues. A perennial flower bed is a wonderful option to conserve costs, as there’s no need to replace plants each year. Annuals, on the other hand, only bloom for a season, but offer an instant color boost. Get the best of both worlds by planting your patio landscape with an assortment of each. You’ll cut your yearly floral budget and keep your outdoor area looking radiant and renewed.
READ MORE: What’s the Difference Between an Annual and a Perennial?
Go Green With Grass-Block Pavers
When Shanty Wijaya of ALLPRACE homes bought this new construction in 2019, she wanted it to blend in with the rest of the historic neighborhood. "There was no landscaping and the backyard was empty, lacking visual interest and creativity," Wijaya recalls. So she used mature landscaping and greenery to enclose the yard and create the illusion that the property is surrounded by nature and farther away from the city. "We wanted the space to feel like a private sanctuary and retreat for the future homeowner," she says. To complete the look, she planted two flower beds off the back deck with low-maintenance grasses and small shrubs, then installed a gorgeous grass-block paver patio.
SEE MORE: Tour a Modern California Farmhouse With a Craftsman-Style Exterior
Choose Hydrangeas for Privacy
Create a low-profile moment of intimacy in a larger outdoor area by planting ornamental grasses, as in the space surrounding this cozy fire pit. This little idyll demonstrates that just a bit of gardening can go a long way.
SEE MORE: 16 Ornamental Grasses You Should Grow
Pet-Friendly Planting
There are a shocking number of commonly used flowers and shrubs that can do serious damage when ingested by a pet. If your patio landscaping plays host to a furry friend, be sure to pay special attention to the garden's greenery. No need to break out the bulldozer for an already established design, just consider casing the yard before turning Fido loose. Follow the link below for tips on protecting your pet and a list of harmful plants.
SEE MORE: Protect Your Pets From Harmful Plants
Choose Local
This cozy porch is engulfed by a bewitching assortment of perennials and native plants. Native vegetation benefits a backyard landscape as it is accustomed to the local climate, and requires less water and fewer pesticides. While finding a good selection may be difficult in big box stores, your local nurseries should be able to help you find and procure a good variety.
Black Thumb? Try Artificial Turf Instead
Enjoy green grass in your backyard year-round with artificial turf. Just steps from this beautiful covered patio, low-maintenance faux grass was installed to withstand the brutal Tampa, Florida, heat. Although turf can be an investment upfront, it can save you loads on water, mowing and maintenance long term. Check out more unique artificial turf designs at the link below.
SEE MORE: 40 Beautiful Artificial Turf Designs
Surround Your Space
Starting from scratch with your landscape? Consider designing your patio around a large shade tree, then line the perimeter with hardy, low-maintenance shrubs, grasses and perennials. In a few years, you'll have a fully grown garden retreat right in your own backyard.
SEE MORE: Bohemian-Style Backyard With Multiple Entertaining Areas
Elevate With Outdoor Art
Spice up your deck or patio landscape with art. This gorgeous piece of living artwork introduces a vibrant focal point that helps invigorate the neutral scheme of the patio. Incorporating art into landscape design with curated sculptures or living pieces like this one enriches the space and creates a gorgeous gallery atmosphere for outdoor entertaining.
SEE MORE: Screened Porch Pictures From HGTV Smart Home 2016
Boost Privacy With Bamboo
Shades of Green Landscape Architecture used a high fence, a large cherry tree and a thick screen of bamboo to achieve the feeling of a private getaway in this suburban backyard. The patio is surrounded by oversized beds of drought-tolerant perennials, grasses and succulents (see more in the next slide) and features large concrete pavers lined with elfin thyme.
Pull In Outside Elements
Cheery drought-resistant plants fill in the spaces left by asymmetrical hardscaping on this pretty, modern patio. A delightful border of agave, euphorbia, anigozanthos and sedum serves to temper the area’s copious angles and edges. By filling the beds with contrasting green and red native foliage, the landscape designers were able to pull in the colors and textures of the surrounding environment, adding natural appeal and establishing a dynamic aesthetic.
Conserve Water With Cacti
If you live in an arid region, or if your community is under a water restriction or you're simply looking to conserve, consider landscaping around your deck or patio with water-wise plants such as cacti. Check out our cactus-growing tips below, and you’ll discover that these plants are not only environmentally friendly but also overflowing with head-turning good looks.
READ MORE: How to Care for a Cactus
Make the Most of Limited Space
Small backyard? No problem. Pack your tiny terrain with lush plantings for an opulent look. Rows of hydrangeas and Emerald Green arborvitae are nestled between a privacy fence and a cozy dining bench in this petite outdoor space, creating the illusion of a larger backyard.
Wow With a Waterscape
From waterfalls and water fountains to reflecting pools and koi ponds, outdoor water features can help turn your landscape into something special, providing a beautiful and unique focal point. Make a splash in your outdoor design by installing a wow-worthy water feature like the charming, bubbling pond that borders this back deck. See more of our favorite water features and get inspiration for your space at the link below.
SEE MORE: 70 Wonderful Water Features for Any Budget
Craft Colorful Containers
One of the simplest, most versatile ways to incorporate greenery into your outdoor area is to build a container garden. Portable and easy to change out, potted arrangements are great for introducing new color into existing landscapes, keeping a garden feeling fresh seasonally or sprucing up a lackluster area of the porch. Pro Tip: Group containers of varying sizes together to craft a visually arresting deck display. Follow the link below for more container garden inspiration.
See More: 15 Summer Container Garden Recipes
Plant Palms for Privacy
A majestic palm plant pulls double duty on this tropical patio. Paired with the pretty pink hues of the Crown of Thorns plant, the soft green palm creates a warm, exotic atmosphere, while the sizable fronds make a natural screen. These brilliant beauties can be found in a vast variety of sizes, shapes and shades, and are surprisingly hardy in colder zones. Pro Tip: When selecting your palm, be sure to check that it is compatible with your growing zone and pay special attention to its sun and shade preferences. Check out our list of cold-hardy palms below.
SEE MORE: 13 Cold-Hardy Palm Trees
Fill Vertical Space With Vines
One of the perks of this patio is the vertical space its beams offer climbing plants. The beautiful wisteria surrounding the columns adds gorgeous greenery and natural insulation. Roses, clematis, passionflower and jasmine are all gorgeous climbing varieties that can be grown in large containers. If, as the plants mature, the base of the column becomes bare, try training young shoots to spiral as they climb instead of going straight up.
SEE MORE: 15 Perennial Vines
Hang Out With Hanging Planters
A quick and easy way to enhance a covered deck area is to include a few hanging planters. Incorporating suspended plants adds visual interest to patio seating areas and creates a sense of unity with the surrounding landscape. This is especially handy when working with small outdoor areas that don't offer a lot of room for large containers or flower beds. Learn how to make your own hanging rope planters at the link below.
GET THE HOW-TO: Make Your Own Hanging Rope Planters
Plant Between Rocks
Flower beds tucked into the surrounding hardscapes beautifully accentuate this welcoming patio. The organic element added by the beds breaks up hard lines and serves as a natural shift down to the deck, contributing layers of aesthetic and tactile interest. Planted containers tucked into the stairs add vibrant color that complements the marbled neutrals of the stonework.
SEE MORE: Waterfront Patio With Outdoor Living Room and Kitchen
Dress Up Your Dining Space
A ledge and unusual chandelier create a multitude of opportunities to integrate flora on this enchantingly eclectic patio. A lattice provides a flowering privacy wall perpendicular to a row of mature bamboo, which shields diners from prying eyes. Featuring a plethora of plants in unusual ways, this outdoor living space boasts an imaginative and intimate ambiance.
SEE MORE: 50 Stylish & Functional Outdoor Dining Rooms
Prevent Pests With Plants
Depending on where you live, pests can prove to be a major headache. Citronella candles and insect repellants don’t always cut it, and some guests find the smell decidedly distasteful. This patio has a secret weapon: lavender. There are a whole host of flowers and shrubs that act as a natural insect repellant. Planted around your deck, they can help repel mosquitoes, add color and produce a pleasant (for humans at least) fragrance. Follow the link below for a full list of flowers and plants that mosquitos hate.
SEE MORE: 20 Mosquito-Repelling Plants
Keep It Simple
If your backyard gets constant sunshine or you just don't feel like dealing with high-maintenance flower beds, consider surrounding your back deck or patio with a mix of organic materials like river rock, pea gravel or mulch. The result is a clean, streamlined look that requires very little upkeep.
Build a Bird BnB
Looking for an efficient, natural way to discourage pests while promoting pollination? Consider building an avian abode. Constructing an inviting space for native bird populations is great for a garden and can even help prevent weeds! Tip: Birdbaths and houses encourage more winged visitors than bird feeders and are much less messy.
Buy It: Etsy, $29.95
Fill Your Beds
Designer Heather Lashbrook Jones of A Blade of Grass Landscape Design suggests prioritizing areas that will be seen the most, like the beds that surround your patio. Here, a bluestone paver patio shines in the middle of beds bursting with brilliant blooms such as Knock Out roses, oak-leaf hydrangeas, Limelight hydrangeas and manicured boxwood shrubs.
Build a Bed Head Garden
A cozy fire pit area sits tucked away beside a casual, curated garden of grasses and colorful perennials. This type of gardening, know as "bed head," looks effortless and organic, but is actually carefully planned to appear so. Landscape designer Danilo Maffei defines a bed head garden as "an imprecise blend of structure, glamour and randomness, like your mate who rolls out of bed, eyes droopy, hair cranked to one side, but her natural beauty shines through all the same." Key elements include ornamental grasses, natives and drought-tolerant plants. Check out more beautiful bed head gardens below.
SEE MORE: Grow a Bed Head Garden
Keep Herbs on Hand
Raised herb gardens arranged around this deck are attractive and functional. If your hobbies include gardening and cooking, you can serve both passions by integrating edible plants into your patio landscaping. Vegetables and herbs are a delight to look at, are often fragrant and supply fresh ingredients to your kitchen throughout the summer.
SEE MORE: 24 Herbs That Grow in Some Shade
Go for the Ornamental Grasses
Don’t discount the power of decorative grasses. In this ultra-modern outdoor area, the incorporation of maiden grass along the edge keeps the heavily geometric design from feeling overly cold and clinical. Grasses are a great way to establish a bed border or add an element of flair to a container arrangement. Follow the link below for a tour of the best ornamental grasses to suit any landscape.
See More: 16 Ornamental Grasses You Should Grow
Incorporate an Arbor
A wealth of vining greenery and blooming shrubbery transforms this flagstone patio into a living oasis. Everywhere the eye falls it can find something climbing, flowering or draping, making the entire space come alive with natural detail. Utilizing architectural structures to host the majority of the plants keeps the small square footage open and free for use.
Grow a Garden in the Sky
Lush landscapes find their way into even the most aerial outdoor living space. This New York City high-rise patio is home to a series of flowering beds and planters that would be right at home in a country courtyard. Incorporating groundcover and containers filled with mid-size trees, vines and flowers, the space feels charmingly overgrown and tucked away in nature.
SEE MORE: Small Space Gardening Tips for Apartment Dwellers + Urbanites
Pretty-Up the Perimeter
Just beyond this petite patio, a manicured raised lawn creates a perfect backyard play space for the family's children. Low, board-formed concrete walls allow water to drain away from the house while large hydrangea bushes, lavender plants and native grasses and trees adorn the perimeter. The result is a backyard oasis that's equal parts pretty, private and practical.
Swap Flower Beds for a Petite Pond
This beautiful backyard patio features a gorgeous live edge that drops abruptly into a charming koi pond. Guests can sit in the rocking chairs and relax by the soothing sounds of the stacked stone waterfall.
Diversify Your Arrangements
Built-in redwood beds steal the show on this family-friendly porch. Stocked with herbs, vegetables and perennials, the functional garden generates huge visual impact by combining plants of varying heights. The dance of color and texture keeps the arrangement feeling lively.
Add Interest With Raised Beds
If your deck or patio feels a little too exposed, break it up with dividers that double as planters. On this modern patio, a dark gray steel container provides a pretty spot to plant a statement tree and small shrubs, adding greenery and style to the otherwise spartan landscape. Learn how to make your own steel beds by watching the video below.
GET THE HOW-TO: Curved Steel Raised Beds
Exude European Elegance
A symmetrical courtyard bordered by ivy and mulberry trees brings to mind the sophistication of southern France. Dotted with topiaries trained into spheres, this patio space communicates a refined sense of order. The flowering vines and ivy add a touch of lived-in charm, keeping the space from feeling too formal.
Add a Touch of Bamboo Beauty
Bamboo adds an element of exotic drama and flair to this outdoor dining area while boosting the effectiveness of the privacy fence. An unsung hero of the landscaping world, bamboo requires very little water to thrive, helps to deter erosion, and has no need for pesticides or fertilizer. This fast-growing grass can instantly increase your patio’s appeal; just make sure to go with a non-invasive, clumping variety.
Create a Place to Meditate
Need to relax? Here, a modern rock garden, rows of succulents and restful geometry create a backyard retreat that's both zen and cozy. An ipe wood screen creates a focal point and draws the eye to a water feature while a shaded corner offers a great spot to kick back and chill.
Plant for Four Seasons
It’s tempting when visiting a nursery to focus on the in-season foliage. However, with a little pre-planning, you can maintain a stunning four-season landscape display. To engineer a year-round blooming sequence, go for a mix of spring bloomers, summer stunners, and fall follow-ups. If you enjoy your deck during the winter months, a few potted or planted evergreens will keep you in color as you gather around the fire. Follow the link below for year-round color planting ideas.
See More: 19 Favorite Bulb Flowers for Year-Round Color
Don't Fear the Faux
Few would ever expect that this respectable boxwood border is in fact synthetic. Hedges can require a lot of time and resources before they are properly established. Fortunately, for those with only a little landscaping time to spare, faux hedges offer a quick, low-maintenance solution for adding greenery and privacy to a patio.
Straight Out of a Storybook
Magical hues of pink and purple blooms coupled with silvery fir trees turn this wooden deck and pool into a storybook setting. Each landscaped area is filled with lush, diverse plantings, leaving no plot feeling sparse or exposed. With its beautifully curated volume of greenery, this scene would be right at home in the pages of The Secret Garden.
Formal and Fun
A symmetrical hedge surrounding a fountain acts as the focal point in this stately patio garden. While the design is highly structured, the use of vibrant annuals and brimming container arrangements keeps it from feeling too stiff. Playful colors and foliage can bring an element of fancy to any backyard escape.
Peculiar Planters
Like Dolly Parton said, "Wildflowers don’t care where they grow." Meaning you can get funky fresh with your container arrangements, like this fanciful mum arrangement housed in a vintage wooden wheelbarrow. Tip: If you’ve got a quirky item on hand that just hasn’t found its perfect purpose, consider upcycling it into a cute planter.
Try Your Hand at Stone
Create the look of a cozy cabin retreat by building a multi-level backyard patio out of gray stone and boulders, then planting native perennials throughout. The result is a stunning stone hideaway that feels miles away from the nearest neighbor.

Photo By: Mom's Design Build
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