20 Palm Springs Backyard Ideas With Pools, Cacti and Colorful Patios

Looking for palm springs backyard inspiration with a little personality? Think striped loungers, tall cacti and bright umbrellas beside blue water.

These pictures include desert-style gardens plus a few leafier spaces and front entrances with details you could borrow for your backyard.

You can keep things simple or go all out with color. Start with a planting corner or your patio chairs, then decide whether you want yellow stripes, pink fringe or something a little quieter.

Backyard ideas worth saving

curved pool and raised spa

We’re starting off with this gorgeous curved pool and its raised round spa. I love the little waterfall connecting the two.

Rounded planting beds follow the water’s edge, with a lounge chair tucked beside the house.

This garden is much leafier than a desert yard, but the winding pool shape is a lovely detail to borrow.

cacti lit from below

How pretty are these tall cacti against the white walls? The golden light reaching up their stems is my favorite part.

A large boulder sits between the clusters, with smaller stones covering the ground.

If you want to highlight a planting bed after dark, consider lighting a few of its tallest plants.

white patterned wall

I am obsessed with this white patterned wall. The flower-like openings are so pretty beside the plain white corner and green lawn.

Try a single patterned screen if you want a similar detail without changing every wall. The little white planter is worth keeping in mind too.

green striped loungers

If you are looking for a simple color combination, this one is for you. Dark green and white stripes cover the loungers, with white frames and a pale peach wall behind them.

I’d leave the matching cushions just as they are rather than adding another pattern.

a circular fireside corner

Don’t want every seating area beside the pool? This wooded garden shows a different option, with gray chairs arranged around a low circular fire pit. Pale rocks outline the gravel clearing.

For a desert-style variation, you could borrow the circular layout rather than the dense planting. Have any fire feature planned for safe clearances and local rules.

orange doors and tall cacti

That orange is so good! This picture shows a front entrance rather than a backyard, with bright double doors between white walls and tall cacti.

Take the color idea outside by choosing an orange garden gate or shed door. Keep the surrounding colors simple if you want the same bold look.

boulders and golden grasses

This planting arrangement may just be one of my favorites here. I love the wispy golden grasses beside the big gray boulders and pointed blue-green leaves.

Leave some open gravel between your planting groups if you want to follow this layout. You don’t need to fill every little gap.

mint green and desert plants

Here is another front entrance with a color worth borrowing. The mint-green doors look so pretty behind the upright cactus and wide, pointed leaves.

If orange isn’t your thing, try this softer green on a backyard door. A nearby bed with rounded pebbles could carry over another detail from the picture.

pink umbrellas with fringe

How cute are these pink umbrellas? I am obsessed with the long pale fringe around the edges.

Cream-colored loungers sit underneath, with green cushions and patterned pillows along their backs.

Read also: 20 Balcony Patio Ideas With Pretty Plants, Small Seating and Twinkling Lights

Choose a pink umbrella for your own poolside corner if you want to try the color without replacing the seating.

yellow stripes at the bar

The yellow-and-white awning is so cute above this outdoor bar. I especially love that the white stools have different colored seats instead of matching yellow ones.

For a smaller backyard version, try colorful seat pads around a plain outdoor counter. A bright planter would be a fun extra touch.

orange umbrellas and retro patterns

If you are looking for lots of color inspiration, then this one is for you. There’s orange on the umbrellas, loungers and pots, plus green and yellow in the patterned dining chairs.

I love how the orange carries across the whole patio. Pick one color to repeat if you want to mix several patterns like this.

hot tub behind lattice screens

This is a much greener garden than the cactus-filled spaces above, but the little hot tub corner is worth a look. Black lattice panels stand on either side, with hanging plants and dark blue pots nearby.

Borrow the screen arrangement if you want to give a backyard spa its own separate nook.

two chairs and a fire bowl

Don’t want to go overboard with patio furniture? No problem! This space keeps things simple with two rounded chairs and a low black fire bowl.

The square raised planter is my favorite detail. Its single pointed plant looks lovely beside the wide paving slabs.

hammock between the palms

I love this white hammock between the palm trunks. The pink and yellow flowers behind it make the little corner even prettier.

If you want a similar spot without attaching anything to your trees, consider a freestanding hammock beside your planting beds.

white pebbles and tall greenery

This is another gorgeous way to bring cacti into a narrow garden bed. Tall stems sit against the white wall, with broad pointed leaves and smaller rounded plants in front.

The white pebbles are such a pretty detail beside the gray-edged path. Keep your plants set back from the walkway when planning a similar arrangement.

pink lights beside the pool

If you love a colorful evening patio, save this one. Rows of glowing bulbs cross above the pool, with pink and turquoise lighting around the curtained seating area.

I’d borrow the pink accent lighting for a patio corner. For lighting anywhere near water, have a qualified installer plan a pool-safe setup.

citrus trees in round beds

How pretty is the orange fruit against that dark fence? The citrus trees stand in separate circular beds, surrounded by a green lawn and a pale border.

Read also: 20 Landscaping Along Fence Ideas With Flowers, Greenery and Garden Lights

If you’re considering citrus for your own yard, check which varieties suit your conditions first. The round bed shape is a simple detail to carry into your plan.

yellow umbrella and matching stripes

I know the pink umbrellas above are gorgeous, but this yellow one is another favorite. Mostly because the tiered top and scalloped edges look so cute above the striped loungers.

Try yellow-and-white cushions with a solid yellow umbrella to follow this combination. The white chair frames keep the rest simple.

shade sails over the patio

Want a dining spot and a separate place to sit? This patio shows both, with a rectangular table near the grill and pale lounge seating beside the round fire feature.

I love the overlapping shade sails overhead. They’re a different option to consider if you don’t want a row of umbrellas.

bold stripes and blue planters

Last but definitely not least, we have this pretty poolside setup after dark. I love the bold black-and-white stripes!

Large blue planters stand beside the glowing turquoise water, with tall palms rising behind them.

Try a deep blue pot beside striped seating if you want to borrow just one little part of this look.