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

Bright Green Garden

Low light reflecting off the house.
Inspiration for a small contemporary garden in Surrey.

London town garden

Arthur Road Landscapes

Jane Shankster/Arthur Road Landscapes
Photo of a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden in London with brick pavers.

A garden bursting with life

Georgia Lindsay Garden Design

A city garden full of life.
Small modern backyard garden in London.

North Park Eclectic Landscape

Revolution Landscape

Colored concrete pathway with drought tolerant plantings and dry riverbed.
Design ideas for a small side yard full sun xeriscape in San Diego with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Modern Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Reseda

Prime Gardens Inc

Modern Drought Tolerant Landscaping Designed and Installed
Small modern front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with a garden path and mulch for spring.

Cozy Backyard Patio

SCJ 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.

Butterfly Garden

FormLA 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

Front Yard Landscape

Stephanie 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

Just 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.

Garden Design, Calton Avenue, 1

Kate Eyre Garden Design

Kate Eyre Garden Design
Design ideas for a small contemporary front yard formal garden in London with a garden path and gravel.

Wildlife Friendly Front Garden

Fenton Roberts Garden Design

Jo Fenton
Design ideas for a small traditional front yard full sun driveway for summer in London with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Lincoln Park Herb Wall

Brent Riechers Landscape (BRL LANDesign)

Brent A. Riechers
Inspiration for a small contemporary rooftop full sun garden in Chicago with a vegetable garden.

Laurel Way Beverly Hills modern home zen garden under floating stairs

Whipple Russell Architects

Laurel Way Beverly Hills modern home zen garden under floating stairs. Photo by William MacCollum.
Small asian courtyard partial sun garden in Los Angeles with gravel and a stone fence.

Primrose Hill

Emma O'Connell Garden Design

Bespoke cantilevered metal steps within retaining wall with shade-loving planting including acer.
Design ideas for a small contemporary backyard garden in London.

Primrose Hill

Emma O'Connell Garden Design

Detail of curved cantilevered steps within retaining wall linking lower patio to lawn.
Photo of a small contemporary backyard garden in London.

Gravel Garden

Georgia Lindsay Garden Design

Gravel is a great sustainable choice for a low maintenance garden.
Inspiration for a small modern garden in London with with path and gravel.

Inside outside

Bright Green Garden

Inspiration for a small contemporary garden in London.

Contemporary back garden, Wimbledon, 5

Kate Eyre Garden Design

This is an example of a small contemporary backyard garden in London with a fire feature, river rock and a wood fence.

Front Yard Landscape

Stephanie D Poole

Plants were chosen to complement the house colors but also provide texture and a variety of heights that don't overwhelm the scale of the house and yard.

Small Garden Design Ideas

Get Inspired by Gardens on Houzz

A lot of the time when you get home from a long day at work, all you want to do is wind down. Where better to do this than in your very own garden at home? If you do it right, a great garden design can send you right into holiday mode. But where to start? There’s so many styles to choose from when it comes to garden design. Whether you want to create a tropical, modern, contemporary, beach style or country garden - or something else entirely - the large garden image gallery on Houzz has got you covered. Get inspired and collect your ideas to narrow down your desired garden style and features.

How to Create a Garden for Your Home

Depending on which style you’re going for, be sure to know what makes a garden and if it’s appropriate for your climate. You may want to consider adding a deck or other landscaping features, but the plants you choose will mostly dictate your style and what kind of ongoing maintenance is required. Don’t worry if your backyard isn’t very spacious - there are many plants that can thrive even in a small space and allow you to turn your space into a little paradise of your own, regardless of size.

Decide which plants to use

The greenery you choose is critical to your look. For example, if you’re trying to create a tropical garden palm trees and bamboo are your go-to options. Other popular options are golden cane palm trees and fern for ground cover. From there you can add some colour with bright flowers like frangipani, hibiscus or bromeliads. All these are actually quite hardy plants, so once established, your tropical garden is actually quite easy to maintain. Use this structure and apply it to your style. Research which plants you need to set your base for a garden and go from there.

Add some decor

If the plants don’t quite do it for you yet, or if you want to add some extra wow-factor, consider adding some extra features. Even if you can’t accommodate a swimming pool, hot tub or pond, you could look at smaller water features. Simple rocks can also have a great effect, while statues and gnomes will add some extra character. Don’t forget to add some furniture so you have a nice place to sit and enjoy your garden!

Need some help?

Once you know what you want your garden to look like, it may be hard to make it a reality on your own. If that is the case for you, consider consulting a professional to help you with your garden design. Every photo you find on Houzz will lead you to the local pro that did the job, so you won’t have a problem picking the perfect person to help! Whether you need a gardener in Brisbane, a landscape architect in Melbourne or a fireplace installer in Sydney, you can be sure to find one on Houzz.