Complete Gardening
Your garden deserves a modern makeover that’ll have neighbors peeking over the fence with admiration. Contemporary landscaping combines sleek design with stunning plants that create visual drama year-round.
From architectural statement makers to flowing ornamental grasses, these plant choices transform ordinary spaces into magazine-worthy outdoor retreats. Get ready to discover the secrets behind today’s most coveted garden designs.
1. Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) – The Perfect Hedge Master
Boxwood stands as the undisputed champion of contemporary garden structure. Its dense, small leaves create crisp, clean lines that define modern outdoor spaces beautifully.
Landscape designers love boxwood because it tolerates heavy pruning and maintains its shape throughout all seasons. You can sculpt it into geometric forms, neat hedges, or intricate topiary designs.
Plant boxwood in well-draining soil with partial shade for best results.
2. Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) – Vertical Drama Creator
Golden bamboo transforms boring fence lines into stunning vertical features that sway gracefully in the breeze. Its golden-yellow canes create natural screening while adding exotic flair to modern landscapes.
This fast-growing bamboo reaches impressive heights, making it perfect for privacy screens or dramatic backdrop plantings. The rustling sound of bamboo leaves adds a peaceful, zen-like quality to outdoor spaces.
Install root barriers to control spread effectively.
3. Yew (Taxus baccata) – The Sculptural Showstopper
Yew trees bring timeless elegance to contemporary gardens with their dark green, needle-like foliage and incredible shaping potential. Professional landscapers prize yew for its ability to transform into living sculptures.
This evergreen tolerates heavy pruning and grows slowly, making maintenance manageable for busy homeowners. Yew works beautifully as formal hedging or standalone specimen plants.
Choose male varieties to avoid potentially toxic berries around children and pets.
4. Olive Tree (Olea europaea) – Mediterranean Elegance
Olive trees instantly transport your garden to the sun-soaked Mediterranean with their silvery-green leaves and gnarled, artistic trunks. These drought-tolerant beauties thrive in contemporary settings where water conservation matters.
Mature olive trees develop character-rich bark and twisted branches that serve as living sculptures. Their evergreen nature provides year-round interest without demanding constant attention.
Plant in well-draining soil with full sun exposure for optimal growth.
5. Clumping Bamboo (Fargesia murielae) – The Gentle Giant
Unlike its aggressive cousins, clumping bamboo stays exactly where you plant it while providing the same elegant, architectural appeal. Its graceful arching canes create natural privacy screens without invasive spreading.
This bamboo variety produces delicate, narrow leaves that flutter beautifully in gentle breezes. The soft green color complements both bold and subtle garden color schemes perfectly.
Clumping bamboo requires minimal maintenance once established in your landscape.
6. Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima) – Flowing Movement
Mexican feather grass brings ethereal beauty to modern gardens with its incredibly fine, hair-like blades that dance in the slightest breeze. This ornamental grass creates a soft, cloud-like texture that contrasts beautifully with hard landscaping elements.
The grass produces delicate, feathery seed heads that catch sunlight and create magical lighting effects throughout the day. It works wonderfully as border plantings or mass groundcover.
Drought-tolerant once established, requiring minimal water.
7. Morning Light Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) – Elegant Upright Beauty
Morning Light miscanthus stands tall and proud with distinctive white-edged leaves that shimmer like silk ribbons in sunlight. This ornamental grass creates dramatic vertical accents in contemporary landscape designs.
During autumn, the grass produces stunning plumes that persist through winter, providing four-season interest. Its upright growth habit makes it perfect for creating natural screens or specimen plantings.
Cut back in late winter to encourage fresh spring growth.
8. Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) – Soft Textural Wonder
Fountain grass earns its name from the graceful, arching habit that resembles water cascading from a fountain. Its soft, feathery plumes add incredible texture and movement to modern garden designs.
The grass produces bottlebrush-like seed heads in late summer that persist into winter, creating year-round visual interest. Birds love the seeds, adding wildlife appeal to your contemporary landscape.
Plant in full sun for best flowering and compact growth habit.
9. Bronze Sedge (Carex testacea) – Copper-Colored Contrast
Bronze sedge brings warm, copper tones to contemporary gardens with its distinctive orange-bronze foliage that glows like burnished metal. This ornamental grass creates stunning color contrast against green plantings.
The grass maintains its beautiful bronze color throughout most of the year, providing consistent visual interest. Its fine texture and compact size make it perfect for border plantings or container gardens.
Extremely low-maintenance once established in well-draining soil conditions.
10. Caradonna Salvia (Salvia nemorosa) – Purple Spike Sensation
Caradonna salvia produces striking purple flower spikes that rise like royal scepters above neat, compact foliage. This perennial creates bold vertical lines that add structure and color to contemporary garden beds.
The deep purple flowers bloom repeatedly throughout the growing season, attracting beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Its drought tolerance makes it perfect for low-maintenance modern landscapes.
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming all season long.
11. African Lily (Agapanthus africanus) – Spherical Showstopper
African lily creates garden magic with its spectacular globe-shaped flower clusters that float above strap-like foliage like colorful balloons. These perennials produce stunning blue or white spherical blooms that command attention.
The flowers appear on tall, sturdy stems that make excellent cut flowers for indoor arrangements. African lily foliage remains attractive even when not in bloom, providing year-round garden structure.
Plant in full sun with well-draining soil for best flowering performance.
12. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Prairie-Style Perfection
Purple coneflower brings the natural beauty of prairie wildflowers to contemporary gardens with its distinctive daisy-like blooms and prominent orange centers. This native perennial creates a relaxed, naturalistic feel in modern landscapes.
The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and birds while providing long-lasting color from summer through fall. Seed heads left standing through winter add architectural interest and wildlife food.
Extremely drought-tolerant once established, requiring minimal garden maintenance.
13. Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) – Airy Purple Clouds
Tall verbena creates magical floating effects in contemporary gardens with its tiny purple flowers clustered atop tall, nearly invisible stems. This perennial adds height and color without blocking views of plants behind it.
The delicate flowers attract butterflies and create a soft, romantic atmosphere in modern landscape designs. Verbena self-seeds readily, creating natural drifts throughout the garden over time.
Plant in full sun for best flowering and strongest stem development.
14. English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) – Aromatic Elegance
English lavender combines stunning visual appeal with intoxicating fragrance, creating a sensory experience that elevates any contemporary garden. Its silvery-gray foliage and purple flower spikes provide classic beauty.
The aromatic oils released when brushing against lavender plants create natural aromatherapy in your outdoor space. Dried flowers retain their fragrance for months in indoor arrangements.
Prune after flowering to maintain compact shape and encourage repeat blooming cycles.
15. Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamentosa) – Architectural Spikes
Adam’s needle brings desert drama to contemporary gardens with its sword-like leaves and towering flower spikes that reach impressive heights. This architectural plant creates bold focal points in modern landscape designs.
The dramatic white flower clusters appear on tall stalks, creating spectacular vertical displays that last for weeks. Sharp-pointed leaves provide year-round structure and textural interest.
Extremely drought-tolerant, thriving in poor soils where other plants struggle to survive.
16. New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) – Bold Strappy Leaves
New Zealand flax makes a powerful statement in contemporary gardens with its bold, sword-like leaves that fan out like giant green ribbons. This architectural plant creates instant drama and tropical flair.
Available in various colors from deep green to bronze-red, flax provides year-round structural interest. The plant occasionally produces unusual orange or red flower spikes that add unexpected color.
Plant in well-draining soil with protection from harsh winds that can damage leaves.
17. Giant Allium (Allium giganteum) – Spherical Spectacle
Giant allium creates garden fireworks with its enormous purple spheres that float above the landscape like oversized lollipops. These bulbs produce some of the most dramatic flowers in contemporary garden design.
The perfectly round flower clusters can reach softball size, creating incredible visual impact when planted in groups. After flowering, the seed heads provide continued architectural interest throughout summer.
Plant bulbs in fall for spectacular spring displays that will amaze visitors.
18. Halcyon Hosta (Hosta ‘Halcyon’) – Shade Garden Luxury
Halcyon hosta brings sophisticated elegance to shaded areas with its beautiful blue-green heart-shaped leaves that create lush, tropical-looking foliage masses. This perennial excels in contemporary shade gardens.
The thick, substantial leaves provide excellent ground coverage while maintaining a neat, organized appearance. Lavender flower spikes appear in summer, adding vertical interest to the horizontal foliage.
Plant in rich, moist soil with consistent moisture for best leaf color and size.
19. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) – Fragrant Carpet
Creeping thyme transforms hard edges into soft, fragrant carpets that release delightful herbal scents with every footstep. This low-growing groundcover creates living pathways and softens harsh landscape transitions.
Tiny flowers in pink, purple, or white cover the plant in late spring, creating colorful mats that attract beneficial insects. The aromatic foliage provides natural pest control while adding culinary herbs.
Plant between stepping stones or along pathway edges for maximum fragrant impact.
20. Dragon’s Blood Sedum (Sedum spurium) – Drought-Proof Beauty
Dragon’s blood sedum creates stunning living carpets that thrive in the toughest conditions while providing year-round color and texture. This succulent groundcover spreads to form dense, weed-suppressing mats.
The fleshy leaves turn brilliant red in fall and winter, creating dramatic color changes throughout the seasons. Star-shaped flowers in pink or red appear in summer, attracting butterflies and bees.
Perfect for rock gardens, slopes, or anywhere you need low-maintenance groundcover solutions.
21. Obsidian Heuchera (Heuchera ‘Obsidian’) – Dark Foliage Drama
Obsidian heuchera creates striking contrast in contemporary gardens with its nearly black, glossy leaves that shimmer like dark mirrors. This perennial provides dramatic foliage color that makes other plants pop.
The dark purple-black leaves maintain their color throughout the growing season, providing consistent visual anchor points. Delicate flower spikes in cream or pink rise above the foliage in late spring.
Plant in partial shade with well-draining soil for best leaf color and plant health.