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Small 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.
Decking level with inside the house - Surbiton
Decking level with inside the house - Surbiton
Bright Green GardenBright Green Garden
Low light reflecting off the house.
Inspiration for a small contemporary garden in Surrey.
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 Contemporary Garden Blackheath
Small Contemporary Garden Blackheath
Hamilton Cody Garden DesignHamilton Cody Garden Design
Inspiration for a small contemporary front driveway and private partial sun garden for summer in London with natural stone paving.
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.
Traditional Landscape
Traditional Landscape
Design ideas for a small traditional courtyard formal partial sun garden for spring in Raleigh with decking.
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.
Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden
FormLA LandscapingFormLA Landscaping
Hot Lips Saliva, along with Hummingbird Sage and Common Yarrow, attract butterflies to the planted spaces at the entrance and alongside the dining patio. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography
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.
Front Yard Landscape
Front Yard Landscape
Stephanie D PooleStephanie D Poole
The seating area is located near the sidewalk and the bocce ball court driveway for convenient socializing. The African Tulip Tree will eventually provide shade to the seating area.
Small Changes, Big impact in Cupertino
Small Changes, Big impact in Cupertino
Just in Thyme Landscape DesignJust in Thyme Landscape Design
A retired client wanted to jazz up the entrance to her home but leave the orchard, veggie beds and hardscape the way it was. Since she does all the maintenance herself, I wanted to make sure she wouldn't have too many weeds so we used the winter months to sheet mulch the area, killing the massive amount of existing weeds & enriching the hard soil. This worked beautifully. We added a flagstone pathway with Dymondia between the stones and a small area for her new bench to sit and enjoy the garden. She didn't want plants under her messy tree, so we decorated that area with pots. She has a huge deer & gopher problem which is why she hangs the white ribbons to scare away the deer from her fruit trees.
Laguna Beach Modern
Laguna Beach Modern
dp environmentsdp environments
Pi wood landing with black beach pebble in between concrete pads. Concrete is colored, poured in place, with top cast finish. Accent plants such as Acorus, Pittosporum Golf Ball and Magnolia Little Gem are planted around the perimeter of the space. Thanks to budgetplants.com for providing the plant delivery.
Garden Design, Calton Avenue, 1
Garden Design, Calton Avenue, 1
Kate Eyre Garden DesignKate Eyre Garden Design
Kate Eyre Garden Design
Design ideas for a small contemporary front formal garden in London with a garden path and gravel.
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
Emma O'Connell Garden DesignEmma O'Connell Garden Design
Bird's eye view of lush jungle-like foliage and bespoke circular bench and table.
This is an example of a small contemporary back fully shaded garden seating in London.
Gravel Garden
Gravel Garden
Georgia Lindsay Garden DesignGeorgia Lindsay Garden Design
Gravel is a great sustainable choice for a low maintenance garden.
Inspiration for a small modern garden in London with a pathway and gravel.
Inside outside
Inside outside
Bright Green GardenBright Green Garden
Inspiration for a small contemporary garden in London.
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 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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