Landscape Design

Master plans, paths, paving, levels and the structural bones that make a garden work in every season.

A modern backyard with a cedar deck, fire pit, lounge seating, ornamental grasses and birch trees lit by string lights at dusk.

Modern Backyard Design: Architectural Planting, Cedar, and Calm Outdoor Rooms

A modern backyard is more than a wood deck and a fire pit. Here are the design principles — and the planting strategy — that make it feel calm rather than empty.

30 May 2026 · 12 min read