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  1. Garden & Outdoor
  2. Garden
  3. Space Location: Back Garden

Small Back Garden Ideas and Designs

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Cozy Backyard Patio
Cozy Backyard Patio
SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture - MontanaSCJ Studio Landscape Architecture - Montana
A forgotten backyard space was reimagined and transformed by SCJ Studio for outdoor living, dining, entertaining, and play. A terraced approach was needed to meet up with existing grades to the alley, new concrete stairs with integrated lighting, paving, built-in benches, a turf area, and planting were carefully thought through.
Meditation Garden
Meditation Garden
Ross Land StudioRoss 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.
London town garden
London town garden
Arthur Road LandscapesArthur Road Landscapes
Jane Shankster/Arthur Road Landscapes
Photo of a small contemporary back partial sun garden in London with brick paving.
A garden bursting with life
A garden bursting with life
Georgia Lindsay Garden DesignGeorgia Lindsay Garden Design
A city garden full of life.
Small modern back garden in London.
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
Emma O'Connell Garden DesignEmma O'Connell Garden Design
Bespoke cantilevered metal steps within retaining wall with shade-loving planting including acer.
Design ideas for a small contemporary back garden steps in London.
Small outdoor room with a green wall in Kensington
Small outdoor room with a green wall in Kensington
The Garden BuildersThe Garden Builders
Pro Colour Photography
Photo of a small contemporary back partial sun garden for summer in London with a living wall and natural stone paving.
Country Farmhouse Gathering
Country Farmhouse Gathering
Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc.Artemis Landscape Architects, Inc.
Design ideas for a small country back formal full sun garden for summer in Bridgeport with a potted garden and gravel.
Ladera Ranch Modern Farmhouse
Ladera Ranch Modern Farmhouse
Living Gardens Landscape DesignLiving Gardens Landscape Design
Our homeowners were looking for a garden where they could sit by the fire, grow vegetable and hear the sound of water. Their home was new construction in a modern farmhouse style. We used gravel and concrete as paving. Board formed concrete firepit keeps it feeling modern. The vegetable beds supply season vegetables and herbs.
Stepping Stone Sideyard
Stepping Stone Sideyard
Plan-it Earth DesignPlan-it Earth Design
Stepping stones lead you to...
Design ideas for a small classic back partial sun garden for spring in Portland with a garden path and natural stone paving.
Raised Bed Vegetable Garden
Raised Bed Vegetable Garden
Casa Smith Designs, LLCCasa Smith Designs, LLC
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
Stylish City Refuge
Stylish City Refuge
Hufnagel Landscape Design & Construction GroupHufnagel Landscape Design & Construction Group
Small contemporary back garden in New York with a potted garden and natural stone paving.
Mara Vista Contemporary and Soft
Mara Vista Contemporary and Soft
Bosler Earth DesignBosler Earth Design
Fountain in the Back Yard
Photo of a small contemporary back xeriscape garden in Los Angeles with a water feature and decorative stones.
Small town garden no lawn
Small town garden no lawn
amandashipman.comamandashipman.com
Amanda Shipman
Photo of a small contemporary back partial sun garden for summer in Hertfordshire with a garden path and brick paving.
Woodland Garden- Los Feliz
Woodland Garden- Los Feliz
Ketti Kupper Conscious Life DesignKetti Kupper Conscious Life Design
Decomposed Granite path between Giant Sequoias leads to repurposed, reshaped and stained rear concrete slab. Micro-climate appropriate plants complete the picture. Photo by Ketti Kupper.
West View
West View
Seed Studio Landscape DesignSeed Studio Landscape Design
image: Travis Rhoads Photography
Inspiration for a small modern back full sun garden in San Francisco with a potted garden and decking.
Seattle Cozy Patio
Seattle Cozy Patio
SCJ Studio Landscape ArchitectureSCJ 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
Inside Outside
Inside Outside
Bright Green GardenBright Green Garden
This Camellia was a big blob of green at the end of the garden. We cut it back to show off its great legs and look how it flowered the following spring. © Deb Cass
Shadyside
Shadyside
The Outdoor Living StudioThe Outdoor Living Studio
Design ideas for a small contemporary back formal partial sun garden for summer in Other with a water feature and gravel.
Custom Greenhouses
Custom Greenhouses
BC Greenhouse Builders LtdBC Greenhouse Builders Ltd
Our Cottage 8x10 double glass greenhouse offers unbeatable insulation for colder climates. With additional ventilation and decorative options, this is the jewel in your yard.
Modern Small Space
Modern Small Space
Studio H Landscape ArchitectureStudio H Landscape Architecture
Studio H Landscape Architecture
This is an example of a small modern back xeriscape partial sun garden in Orange County with concrete paving.

Small 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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