Small Garden Ideas and Designs

Coastal Entry Garden
Inspiration for a small coastal front xeriscape full sun garden in New York with a pathway and decorative stones.

Meditation Garden

Ross Land Studio

An unused area of lawn has been repurposed as a meditation garden. The meandering path of limestone step stones weaves through a birch grove. The matrix planting of carex grasses is interspersed with flowering natives throughout the season. Fall is spectacular with the blooming of aromatic asters.

Outdoor Living in Del Sur

Jesse York, Landscape Designer

Explore the potential of compact spaces with our stylish, contemporary outdoor transformations. This small yard, now an expansive-feeling retreat, is perfect for enjoying games at the outdoor bar or relaxing by the cozy fire feature. Our use of stacked stone, ipe hardwood, and metals elegantly accentuates each aspect of this dream space for outdoor entertainment.

Contemporary courtyard

SeedOnceSown Ltd

This striking modern house had an unloved outdoor space with a large overhanging tree and dominant brick wall. We rejuvenated with new paving, porcelain cladding and a few choice plants for a contemporary look to complement the house. The addition of a living wall completes the transformation

Stylish Courtyard Garden in East London

Earth Designs Garden and Build London and Essex

A sunny, Mediterranean style garden with colourful features. With a grey porcelain tile patio, laid in stretcher pattern across the width of the garden directly outside the back door and to the right of this area, a wide raised bed constructed from treated softwood railway sleepers. A painted aluminium storage box at the end of the side return allows waterproof storage for kids toys and other garden items. The middle section of the garden features a wide yellow Balau hardwood deck stretching across the width of the garden, enclosed by a simple yellow Balau timber pergola at one end. This pergola will include a decorative panel along the back comprising horizontal slats of yellow balau decking. The rear of the space hosts a second grey porcelain patio with an L-shaped railway sleeper raised bed in the bottom left corner. The left hand boundary is clad with 150mm wide tongue and groove ‘Shou-Sugi-Ban’ Japanese charred timber wall cladding, installed vertically to create an eye-catching backdrop. The middle section of the left boundary is clad with yellow balau boards to match the decorative panel on the pergola. The left boundary wall at the rear is rendered and painted a vibrant turquoise shade. The rear right boundary beyond the pergola structure is clad with panels of Perspex ‘Naturals’. The rest of the boundary fences/walls are painted with Cuprinol Garden Shades garden paint. Two tall evergreen standard trees will provide screening along the back of the garden. Several GRP fibreglass planters will add an extra dash of colour to the design.

Mission Hills Contemporary

Torrey Pines Landscape Co., Inc

Custom water feature with copper scuppers and concrete basin.
This is an example of a small contemporary back xeriscape garden in San Diego with a water feature.

Agastache 'Blue fortune'

Georgia Lindsay Garden Design

Planting lines the path.
Photo of a small modern full sun garden in London with a flowerbed.

West Coast English Retreat

Tierra Madre Fine Gardens

Small contemporary back partial sun garden in Other with a pathway and gravel.

N16 Victorian Front Garden

Sarah Kay Garden Design

The Victorian styling details of this Stoke Newington front garden perfectly complement the double fronted house architecture.
Small victorian front fully shaded garden wall for summer in London with a garden path and gravel.

Earls Court Oasis

Harry Holding Studio

An inner city oasis with enchanting planting using a tapestry of textures, shades of green and architectural forms to evoke the tropics of Australia. Here, ferns and geraniums spill over the granite plank paving.

Windemere front garden modern update

Spring Greenworks LLC

Design ideas for a small traditional front private partial sun garden in Seattle with natural stone paving.

Patio 1

Glow & Grow LLC

Small modern front xeriscape fully shaded garden in Phoenix with decorative stones and a pathway.

Contemporary back garden, Wimbledon, 2

Kate Eyre Garden Design

This is an example of a small contemporary back garden in London with natural stone paving.

Front Yard Zen

PLdesigns

Simple zen front yard with floating steps.
Design ideas for a small world-inspired front xeriscape and private partial sun garden for summer in Los Angeles with concrete paving and a wood fence.

Small Fairy Fountain Basin

Magic Garden Dreams

One of the small fountainscapes we offer.
Photo of a small world-inspired back full sun garden in San Diego with a water feature and brick paving.

クラシカルヨーロピアンな外構

株式会社ハヤマホーム

かわいい置き物が花壇を演出してくれています。
Small midcentury front driveway full sun garden for winter in Kobe with a flowerbed, brick paving and all fence materials.

Presidio Park Refresh

Jackie and the Beanstalk

Colorful succulents with Verbena de la Mina, a California native plant
Small mediterranean front xeriscape partial sun garden in San Diego with gravel.

Stadgartenlounge

besgen Landschaftsarchitektur

Design ideas for a small modern side formal partial sun garden for summer in Cologne with a flowerbed, concrete paving and a wood fence.

small outdoor room/garden design & space planing

Studio LUPO

This is an example of a small eclectic back formal and private partial sun garden for summer in Sussex with concrete paving and a wood fence.

3d rendering for a landscape design project in Claremont, CA. - Modern look for

Vscape - Outdoor Design

3d rendering for a landscape design project in Claremont, CA. - A mixture of drought tolerant plants and grasses with modern look materials make this house the envy of the block

Small Garden Ideas and Designs

A beautifully designed garden is as important as the emphasis we place on the designs of our interiors. After all, our grounds (however modest) frame our homes and contribute to first impressions not only of our houses, but also of the households within. Options for garden designs can be as elaborate or low maintenance as your lifestyle and preferences permit – consider both your aspirations for how it should look and how much time you can invest in garden maintenance. Consulting a gardener or landscape designer will ensure you have a garden that suits your lifestyle, the local climate and soil conditions. But don’t forget that with Houzz your first stop can be collecting images of garden ideas and designs you love in order to inspire your garden plans and potentially share them with a landscape gardening professional.

How do I come up with a front garden design?

The priority for a front garden is kerb appeal. Begin by considering the area immediately around and leading up to your front door. You may want to opt for front garden designs that blend well with the style of your home – for example, abundant foliage and flowerbeds will perfectly complement a period property, whereas man-made materials, geometric shapes and contrasting textures are great ideas for a contemporary garden design. Even if your front garden is a small space, keep it tidy – if you have more space, make the most of it with garden ideas and features such as a manicured lawn, gravel driveway, water feature or garden fencing. If you don’t have the time or commitment to devote to gardening, then neatly pruned hedges, statement paving, hanging baskets, garden benches and outdoor lighting are all decorative, low maintenance garden ideas for your front garden design.

How should I design my back garden?

Back gardens typically offer more space than front garden designs and serve a more recreational purpose, so it’s important to know how you want to spend time in your garden before you design it in order to build in the features that you will enjoy. If you love relaxing in the garden and dining al fresco, think about patios, decking, garden furniture and BBQs. For the more horticulturally-inclined, incorporate flower beds, greenhouses or vegetable garden designs. Your landscape gardening professional can help you install structures such as sheds, pergolas and gazebos that complement your garden design, and artfully-placed garden ideas such as lawn edging and lighting will add definition to your chosen design.

How do I create a low maintenance garden?

The great news is, gardens aren’t exclusively for the green-fingered. Whether you’re not horticulturally-inclined or simply don’t have the time for a bit of landscape gardening, you can still have a garden design that looks the way you want by making some smart design choices. While many of us favour low maintenance gardens like urban gardens, roof terraces and patio gardens, lovers of greenery don’t need to sacrifice grass for paving slabs. Whatever you want from your garden, there are a variety of gardening solutions that can be built in to make life easier. For example, labour intensive features such as vegetable patches, greenhouses and flower beds can be optimised with an automatic irrigation system. These can be offset with fuss-free garden ideas such as hard landscaping, including gravel, paving or decking, and hard-wearing evergreens that require minimal upkeep. You might even consider replacing your garden fencing with slow growing hedging, which can be maintained less regularly than wooden fence panels. If having a lawn is important, there are different types of grasses in varying degrees of durability and maintenance. You may choose to take a more relaxed approach to your lawn – “wild” garden designs can have great charm if the grasses and flowers are chosen carefully. If you prefer a manicured lawn, it’s a good idea to invest in a “mulching” lawn mower that will recycle clippings and remove the need for cleaning up. Finally, there isn’t a more low maintenance garden lawn than artificial grass which can look highly realistic and keep your garden looking green. Garden ornaments are a great way to add interest to your low maintenance garden design – go for smart garden ideas such as solar garden lights which are both decorative and functional. Find some of the most popular design ideas on Houzz.

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