- Garden & Outdoor
- Garden
Garden Ideas and Designs
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.
Whether you want inspiration for planning a garden renovation or are building a designer garden from scratch, Houzz has 719,753 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Gregory Phillips Architects and Sophia's Gardens. Look through garden photos in different colours and styles and when you find a garden design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful garden ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.
Inspiration for a small world-inspired garden in London.
Pleached hornbeam to go above back wall. - junioroeuf
Inspiration for a traditional back full sun garden in Cheshire with a pond.
This project involved a complete back to brick refurbishment and 100 metre square enlargement of this Fulham terraced house. The property had not been modernised in 50 years and the practice managed the project from initial design, through planning, tender, construction and fit out. The kitchen was extended to the side and rear in order to create an enormous 45 square metre room where children could play, adults could cook and the whole family could be together. This allowed the formality of the front rooms to be preserved as ‘toy free’, with a grand entrance hall exemplified by the Georgian circular hall table, enclosed drawing room and limestone fireplaces to cater for the parents once little ones were asleep.
Four bedrooms and three bathrooms were carved into the upstairs to include a decadent master bedroom with walk through wardrobes and master en-suite. Element 7 flooring, 18th century antiques and Colefax & Fowler furnishings are combined elegantly with collected art pieces and personal family mementos.
Stats & Fittings: Triple Glazing, Full U/F Heating, Integrated Sonos, CAT 6 Cabling, LED Lighting, Farrow & Ball, Neptune, Element 7, Stone Age, Nina Burgess Carpets, Neptune Kitchen, Lefroy Brooks, Miele, Alternative Bathrooms, English Fireplaces of Distinction
the fence, the short raised wall - webuser_876735530
Mel Yates
Photo of a contemporary back full sun garden in London with a pond.
Water - canal: separate properties - robertodotti
Guy Lockwood
Design ideas for a contemporary back partial sun garden in London with a potted garden and gravel.
Design - small lawn patch and boxes along the wall - all_is_well
Inspiration for a small classic back formal fully shaded garden in London with natural stone paving and a raised bed.
I like the work way in this and the close to nature idea - ubong_inam
Oxford Garden Design
Large rural back garden for summer in Oxfordshire with gravel.
Veg area and good design for a green house. - marcus1antonious
The new lawn sweeps round the garden - the right hand side of the garden isn't complete yet as the guinea pig hutch still has a guinea pig inside! New planting of purples greens and greys. The sweeping shape of the lawn and the emphasis on the corner makes the shallow garden shape seem deeper.
Jane Harries
The contrast in slabs and stones - lillyinthevalley
Using a refined palette of quality materials set within a striking and elegant design, the space provides a restful and sophisticated urban garden for a professional couple to be enjoyed both in the daytime and after dark. The use of corten is complimented by the bold treatment of black in the decking, bespoke screen and pergola.
interesting small garden design - beate47a
Looking across the garden a year after it was planted.
Richard Brown Photography Ltd
Inspiration for a medium sized traditional back partial sun garden in Hertfordshire.
Beautiful path maximising the journey in the garden. - webuser_955167025
Amanda Shipman
Small country back full sun garden for summer in Hertfordshire with brick paving.
Precioso jardín. La fuente divina. - teresa_seijo
Jenny Bloom
This is an example of a traditional back garden in London.
Fencing/cladding softened by planting - clare_lang8
Phil Hirst Gardens
Classic garden in Other.
pretty table and chairs - webuser_973429161
Raised beds and stepping stones lead up to the rear of the house.
This is an example of a small victorian back partial sun garden in London.
Paving, gravel and brickwork - cbritten
Inspiration for a traditional garden in London.
Seat at fence surrounded by lavender Nice. - jacqui_penfold
A tired, overgrown garden has been transformed into a stunning contemporary space with a generous patio outside the house, and a cedar deck in the top corner of the garden where my clients can relax and enjoy the sunshine.
The main patio has been lowered to the same level as the internal floor space, enabling us to create some level changes in what was previously a flat garden. Raised beds help to break up the space, and add additional interest and structure. Cedar seating and a matching table and storage unit have been built on the main patio to form a stylish seating area.
The planting has been designed to be bright and colourful, matching the internal colour scheme of the house, and providing interest and structure throughout the year. The existing shed has been renovated and painted, and set behind a rendered wall which helps to hide the utility area at the back of the garden.
Richard Brown Photography Ltd
I like the dark red coloured plants - webuser_161584246
Photo of a contemporary back garden in London with decking and a raised bed.
Circular flowerbed at end of raised bed - linda_ambrose57