Affordable Back Garden Ideas and Designs

The star at the center of this veggie garden is the perfect place for the dwarf lemon tree. The six pointed star (just like the Great Seal of the United States) is ideal for the strawberries to cascade over the edges. The star is 6' with 3' clearance around the star so the space is wide enough to comfortably access the veggie beds from all sides. Photo Credit: Mark Pinkerton

John and Sarah's backyard renovation

Landscape East & West

Stephen Cridland
Photo of a contemporary back garden in Portland with concrete paving.

St.Margarets Garden

Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping

Small contemporary back partial sun garden in London.

Seattle Cozy Patio

SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture

In Seattle's Fremont neighborhood SCJ Studio designed a new landscape to surround and set off a contemporary home by Coates Design Architects. The narrow spaces around the tall home needed structure and organization, and a thoughtful approach to layout and space programming. A concrete patio was installed with a Paloform Bento gas fire feature surrounded by lush, northwest planting. A horizontal board cedar fence provides privacy from the street and creates the cozy feeling of an outdoor room among the trees. LED low-voltage lighting by Kichler Lighting adds night-time warmth . Photography by: Miranda Estes Photography

Newington

McQue Gardens

Copper Mango
Medium sized traditional back full sun garden for summer in Edinburgh with natural stone paving.

Traditional Landscape

Design ideas for a medium sized traditional back formal partial sun garden for summer in Other with a garden path and mulch.

Wood Fences

VIKING FENCE CO

This is an example of a medium sized classic back driveway full sun garden for spring in Austin with concrete paving.

Centerville River Cottage Garden planting

JuliaGarden Design Ltd.

Delphiniums and snapdragons add sparkle to this mid-summer cottage garden. This Cape Cod garden includes dahlias, daylilies and a traditional border planting of French yellow marigolds, dusty miller, alyssum and ageratum.

Traditional Outdoor Expanse

BPI Outdoor Living

BPI Outdoor Living
Photo of a medium sized classic back full sun garden in Indianapolis with a fire feature and brick paving.

Folsom Street

North Bay Construction, LLC

Clay Seibert
Inspiration for a large modern back partial sun garden for summer in San Francisco with a living wall.

Contemporary home with woodland garden Lexington, MA

Cultivar, Inc.

Spring L. McGrath
Medium sized contemporary back fully shaded garden for spring in Boston.

Le bal des saisons

Kevin Clare - Paysagiste

La banquette offre un lieu de vie privilégié pour la famille
Photo of a small rural back partial sun garden for spring in Paris with a flowerbed and concrete paving.

Aquascape Fire Fountain

Magic Garden Dreams

One of our aquascape fire fountains. Can be an incredible add on to any new or pre-existing water feature.
Photo of a small world-inspired back partial sun garden in San Diego with a water feature, a fire feature, a garden path, a pond, a waterfall and decorative stones.

Contemporary Food Forest

Sweet Smiling Landscapes

Medium sized modern back xeriscape full sun garden for spring in Santa Barbara with gravel, a wood fence and lawn edging.

Privacy Fence installed

The Garden District

The Valero Family wanted a new area where they could have foliage growing and covering an area that faced the neighbors for more privacy and also to enhance the look of their backyard. Privacy fence, new landscaping , palm trees and beach pebbles were installed in this area,

Residential cottage garden

Landscape Design & Associates LLC

Backyard patio area now getting established
Design ideas for a bohemian back partial sun garden for spring in Detroit with a raised bed and brick paving.

English Style Courtyard Garden

SolMauna Creation + Design

Inspiration for a medium sized classic back partial sun garden for spring in Denver with natural stone paving.

Permeable Paver Lakeside Patio

Landscapes by Tom LLC

granite steps, with permeable paver landings, and a permeable paver patio
Medium sized beach style back xeriscape full sun garden for summer in Boston with a retaining wall and brick paving.

Cottage Rose Garden

Ivy & Bloom

A small garden space has been transformed into a romantic rose garden with cottage style perennials. A pocket handkerchief lawn features a vintage wrought iron garden seat, flanked by wrought iron obelisks which feature climbing roses and old fashioned sweet peas. Stepping stones lead their way into each border so the roses and perennials can be enjoyed close up. Box hedging keep the edges neat and the plants contained. Across a small pebble path, a third border provides more space for larger perennials and a tree hung with bird feeders invites wild birds into the garden. Although the focus for summer is on roses, dahlias are a feature of late summer with a multitude of flowering bulbs in the spring. In winter the garden holds its form through the hedging and topiary plants, including dwarf standard stone fruit trees and pittosporum balls.

Solana Beach Sustainable Landscape and Bird Sanctuary

Revolution Landscape

Medium sized rustic back xeriscape full sun garden in San Diego with a water feature and natural stone paving.

Affordable Back 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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