Photo of a mid-sized traditional front yard partial sun formal garden for spring in Boston with a garden path and mulch.

Rock garden

Maher & Greenwald Fine Gardens

Mid-sized traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in New York with a vegetable garden.

Paleface Ranch

Van Wicklen Design

Large country backyard full sun formal garden in Austin with a container garden and mulch.

Contemporary Garden Putney

Landscaping Solutions

Designed by Simon Thomas
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary courtyard partial sun formal garden for spring in London with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Redbrick Roseville

Oliver Design Associates

Inspiration for a large traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in New York.

Arcadia Spanish Colonial | Fountain

Greey 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

Mid Century Modern

Beaudry Garden Design

This is an example of a large traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in San Diego with a container garden and gravel.

Vinyl Spaced Board Fence

AVO Fence & Supply

White spaced board fence with a scalloped top - this fence makes a lovely backdrop for the garden along the outside border of this backyard.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in Boston with mulch.

Front Facade-Summer

Chalet

This is an example of a large traditional front yard partial sun formal garden with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Upperville Estate

River's Edge Landscapes

Photo of a large backyard full sun formal garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

English Jewel Box

Mariani Landscape

View the expansive lawn, lined with formal beds and a wall of green for privacy from the bluestone terrace. A break in the New England fieldstone seat wall directs you to the stairway down to the green grass.

Dedham Residence

a Blade of Grass

View from under the beech toward the bluestone patio.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional courtyard full sun formal garden in Boston with brick pavers.

Georgian revival

Western DuPage Landscaping, Inc.

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

Arbors: Architectural Artwork

B. Gordon Builders, Inc.

Follow the path under the arbor to your private sanctuary. Landscape design by Peter Koenig: Peter Koenig Design
Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in San Francisco with a water feature and mulch.

Coastside Retreat

Zeterre Landscape Architecture

Flagstone path with Armeria, Lavender, Dymondia and Fortnight Lily
Mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden in San Francisco with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Burns Avenue

Stride Studios

William Ripley, APLD The arbor is stained a traditional color for this formal space which keeps the garden sophisticated and tailored while accentuating the other shades of green in the plants. This color looks black, but is actually considered "Charleston Green." Here's a little info I found on the color, " http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/classic-paint-colors-00417000077685/page5.html"

Southwest Contemporary

Soloway Designs Inc | Architecture + Interiors AIA

Photo of a front yard partial sun formal garden in Phoenix with natural stone pavers.

Suburban Oasis

Princeton Design Collaborative

Jeffrey Edward Tryon
Photo of a small contemporary courtyard shaded formal garden for summer in Philadelphia with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Photobook: patios, water features, walls, gates and more!

Landscape East & West

This is an example of a large traditional sloped partial sun formal garden in Portland with mulch and a retaining wall.

AMS Landscape Design Studios

AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard formal garden in Los Angeles with gravel.

Formal 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.