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  1. Garden & Outdoor
  2. Garden
  3. Type: Formal Garden

Formal Garden Ideas and Designs

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Very private backyard enclave
Very private backyard enclave
Morgan Howarth PhotographyMorgan Howarth Photography
Very private backyard enclave waterfall
Contemporary back formal partial sun garden for summer in DC Metro with a waterfall and natural stone paving.
Traditional Garden
Traditional Garden
Landscaping SolutionsLandscaping Solutions
Inspiration for a small classic back formal fully shaded garden in London with natural stone paving and a raised bed.
A garden of rooms
A garden of rooms
Wilkinson Cox LimitedWilkinson Cox Limited
Design ideas for a classic formal garden in Sussex with a garden path.
Secret Gardens
Secret Gardens
Oliver Design AssociatesOliver Design Associates
Inspiration for a medium sized classic back formal partial sun garden in New York with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Raised Bed Garden with Potting Shed
Raised Bed Garden with Potting Shed
Drip Landscape and Tree ServiceDrip Landscape and Tree Service
Raised-bed garden made with repurposed cedar. Includes drip irrigation, game fence, recycled glass mulch, and potting shed.
Medium sized rustic side formal full sun garden for spring in Austin with a vegetable patch and gravel.
Hardscapes
Hardscapes
Babaraba, Ltd.Babaraba, Ltd.
Design ideas for a medium sized classic front formal partial sun garden in Boston with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Cotton Candy
Cotton Candy
gardenUP®gardenUP®
Medium sized traditional front formal partial sun garden for spring in Boston with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Modern Elegance at Pauoa Beach
Modern Elegance at Pauoa Beach
NicholsonNicholson
This is an example of a large world-inspired front formal full sun garden for spring in Hawaii with a garden path and concrete paving.
Hampton Court Garden Festival
Hampton Court Garden Festival
MUSA Landscape ArchitectureMUSA Landscape Architecture
RHS Hampton Court Show garden
This is an example of a medium sized farmhouse back formal full sun garden for summer in Glasgow with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Temperature-reactive Cedar Cold Frame
Temperature-reactive Cedar Cold Frame
Homefront FarmersHomefront Farmers
Cold frames are a terrific way to extend the growing season on both ends; serving as mini-greenhouses they allow your garden to keep producing in cold weather months when growing would otherwise be impossible. These beautiful, locally made cedar cold frames measure 24″x 44″ and slope from 5″ in front to 24″ in back (custom built sizes are also available). A temperature sensitive piston automatically opens and closes the lid as-need to create a perfect climate for your plants.
Back garden planting with large boulder
Back garden planting with large boulder
Maximize DesignMaximize Design
Lush back garden planting, with flowering perennials, grasses and evergreen ground covers. The tree is a mature Amelanchier (Serviceberry). A large boulder that was found on site sits in a bed of Irish Moss (Sagina) and Japanese Acorus Grass.
Formal Structural Garden
Formal Structural Garden
Charlotte Rowe Garden DesignCharlotte Rowe Garden Design
Charlotte Rowe Garden Design. Large formal structural garden with water rill, limestone paving, clipped Cloud planting with petanques court and subtle garden lighting.
Wood Fences
Wood Fences
Dakota UnlimitedDakota Unlimited
Custom horizontal fence design and installation by Dakota Unlimited.
Inspiration for a medium sized modern back formal partial sun garden in Minneapolis with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Midwest Outdoor Living in a Bird Lover's Backyard
Midwest Outdoor Living in a Bird Lover's Backyard
The Cleary CompanyThe Cleary Company
Daniel Feldkamp @ Visual Edge Imaging
Large classic back formal full sun garden for summer in Columbus with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Laurelhurst Modern Garden
Laurelhurst Modern Garden
Northwest Native Landscapes LLCNorthwest Native Landscapes LLC
Dramatic plant textures, modern hardscaping and sharp angles enhanced this mid-century modern bungalow. Soft plants were chosen to contrast with the sharp angles of the pathways and hard edges of the MCM home, while providing all-season interest. Horizontal privacy screens wrap the front porch and create intimate garden spaces – some visible only from the street and some visible only from inside the home. The front yard is relatively small in size, but full of colorful texture.
Viewing Garden for Zen Pavillion
Viewing Garden for Zen Pavillion
The Art of LandscapeThe Art of Landscape
Jane Luce
Inspiration for a medium sized world-inspired back formal partial sun garden for summer in DC Metro with a garden path and gravel.
Arcadia Spanish Colonial | Front Entry
Arcadia Spanish Colonial | Front Entry
Greey PickettGreey Pickett
The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Sam Rosenbaum
Arcadia Spanish Colonial | Fountain
Arcadia Spanish Colonial | Fountain
Greey PickettGreey Pickett
The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Sam Rosenbaum
debora carl landscape design
debora carl landscape design
debora carl landscape designdebora carl landscape design
A once forgotten side yard turns into a charming gravel garden Martin Residence Cardiff by the Sea, Ca
Small mediterranean side formal garden wall in San Diego.
Niche
Niche
Seed Studio Landscape DesignSeed Studio Landscape Design
image: Travis Rhoads Photography
Design ideas for a small contemporary side formal fully shaded garden in San Francisco with natural stone paving.

Formal 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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