Lee Bestall
Inspiration for a large country backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Other with natural stone pavers.

A plant focussed front garden

Yardstick Landscape Services

Inspiration for a large and australian native mediterranean full sun formal garden in Adelaide.

Redbrick Roseville

Oliver Design Associates

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

Family Garden in Putney

Ruth Willmott Associates

Ruth Willmott
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard formal garden in London.

Union Street

ballonSTUDIO interiors & remodeling

Our San Francisco studio designed this beautiful four-story home for a young newlywed couple to create a warm, welcoming haven for entertaining family and friends. In the living spaces, we chose a beautiful neutral palette with light beige and added comfortable furnishings in soft materials. The kitchen is designed to look elegant and functional, and the breakfast nook with beautiful rust-toned chairs adds a pop of fun, breaking the neutrality of the space. In the game room, we added a gorgeous fireplace which creates a stunning focal point, and the elegant furniture provides a classy appeal. On the second floor, we went with elegant, sophisticated decor for the couple's bedroom and a charming, playful vibe in the baby's room. The third floor has a sky lounge and wine bar, where hospitality-grade, stylish furniture provides the perfect ambiance to host a fun party night with friends. In the basement, we designed a stunning wine cellar with glass walls and concealed lights which create a beautiful aura in the space. The outdoor garden got a putting green making it a fun space to share with friends. --- Project designed by ballonSTUDIO. They discreetly tend to the interior design needs of their high-net-worth individuals in the greater Bay Area and to their second home locations. For more about ballonSTUDIO, see here: https://www.ballonstudio.com/

Modern Backyard Oasis in Moorestown, New Jersey

Techo-Bloc

This backyard landscape design is inspired by our Blu Grande Smooth patio slab. Perfect paving slab for modern poolsides and backyard design, Blu Grande Smooth is a large concrete patio stone available in multiple colors. It's smooth texture is sleek to the eye but rougher to the touch which avoids it from getting slippery when wet. The large rectangular shape works as an easy add-on into Blu 60 regular modular patterns but can also work as a stand-alone to create a very linear look. Check out the HD2 Blu Grande Smooth which is all about seamless looks with a tighter/poreless texture and anti-aging technology. Check out our website to shop the look! https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/slabs/blu-grande-smooth/

Enclosed vegetable garden

Landsburg Landscape Nursery

Photo of a large country side yard full sun formal garden for summer in Minneapolis with a vegetable garden, mulch and a wood fence.

Highland Park Residence

Scott Byron & Co., Inc.

Unique water fountain feature surrounded by hedges and summer flowers. Photo by Tony Soluri
Inspiration for a large traditional side yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Chicago with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Formal Vegetable Garden

Offshoots, Inc.

A beautiful escape in your edible garden. Fruit trees create a privacy screen around a cedar pergola and raised vegetable beds.
Design ideas for a country backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Boston with a vegetable garden and gravel.

Garden for a converted school house, North Bristol

Kate Poore Garden Design

Kate Poore Garden design
This is an example of a country formal garden for spring in Other with gravel.

Color Me Hosta

gardenUP®

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.

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.

Green 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.