Terremoto Landscape designer and founder David Godshall opted for a creative hardscape as opposed to grass in this backyard. Not only do playful tiles allow for a welcome pop of color, but they’re also drought-friendly and easier to maintain. The lush flora surrounding the area allows for plenty of green despite the lack of grass.

A lawn isn’t the only landscape design that’ll brighten up your front yard. Madeline Stuart gave this SoCal home by architects Wallace Neff and John Byers a sense of place with agave plants flanking the entrance and blooming bougainvillea spilling over the wall.

Designed by John Houshmand, a furniture maker from the Catskill mountains, this hacienda retreat in Mexico features Barragan-esque concrete exteriors that speak to the local design culture while also emphasizing the organic and natural desert environment. Every outdoor area was optimized for spending quality time in the fresh air: Potted cypresses line the rooftop courtyard lounge, a daybed reading nook is nestled between two exterior walls, passageways between rooms are covered overhead but wall-less, and a large pool connects to the jacuzzi, echoing the roofline of the home.

If you have an outdoor shower, create a natural illusion of privacy with a wall of florals (or plants that don’t mind moisture). Flowering shrubs like the hydrangeas in this backyard by landscape designer Ed Hollander can act like a living shower wall (and tend to be cheaper), plus they enhance the air of romance in already romantic setting. Be sure to prune branches so warm sunlight can pour in.

Cantilevered over the forest floor, this living room in a home designed by Ore Studios marries modern design with nature beautifuly. The house functions as a “transparent jewel box” in the middle of the Puget Sound landscape.

Deep in the forest of upstate New York, designer Beverly Kerzner went above and beyond to commune with nature by clearing vines, non-native plants, and debris a half-acre away from the forested part of her property (a 30-minute walk from the main house!). Next, she built a platform and filled it with all the glamping goods: a well-decorated yurt, an outdoor wood-burning stove, and lounge furniture on the exposed deck. A few steps away, there’s even an outdoor bathroom.

Even a small patio can fit a water feature, which can bring that calming sound and energy reminiscent of a zen garden. Here, Sarah Solis manages to pack it all in style. Who knows, maybe if someone sat on this cute terrace and focused on the calming trickling water, they could manifest a full-sized soaking tub.

This backyard in a home by Amir Khandwala has it all: A lush lawn, a swimming pool and adjacent lounge area, and an outdoor dining room under a pergola. Low hedges are a great visual signifier, allowing you to keep each activity zone separate.

This small backyard in designer Fitz Pullin’s Jacksonville, Florida, home was destined for majestic greatness despite its modest size, thanks to the dramatic tree and climbing vines.

Limiting yourself to one type of flower saves on yard work in the long run. For a client who really loves roses, Edmund Hollander planted some 250 English grandifloras. It doesn’t get more romantic than this.

A living archway frames the pathway to Rebecca Vizard‘s vegetable garden. A post office in Seaside, Florida, inspired the design of the petite shed.

There’s nothing like a modern fountain to set the scene in a courtyard. It gives this sitting area by Jean Liu a calming atmosphere and also helps fill the other side of the pathway.

Chloe Warner kept a California home‘s landscaping simple: “We did nothing more than set up areas for dining and entertaining.” A Galanter & Jones heated love seat by the door entices party guests “to spill out onto the patio on cool evenings.”

Between the fire pit and floating dock, it tough to choose where to relax at Thom Filicia’s sophisticated lake house.