A once forgotten side yard turns into a charming gravel garden Martin Residence Cardiff by the Sea, Ca
Small mediterranean side yard formal garden in San Diego.

Traditional Garden

Landscaping Solutions

Inspiration for a small traditional backyard shaded formal garden in London with natural stone pavers and with raised garden bed.

Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

Casa 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

Private Modern Garden

Outside Collective

Christel Leung
Small modern backyard full sun formal garden in San Francisco with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Chelsea Garden

Honor Holmes Garden Design

Inspiration for a small transitional backyard full sun formal garden in London with decking.

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.

Modern Landscape

Design ideas for a small modern backyard partial sun garden in Denver with natural stone pavers and a water feature.

Chiswick Contemporary courtyard

Nordland Landscapes

This garden was overgrown and not used at all by the property owners. The homeowners wanted a contemporary courtyard that was family friendly and modern. To achieve this, materials were chosen to match the stylish interior of the house. Also by using lighter coloured material we were able to brighten up the garden. The printed porcelain paving gave a contemporary modern feel whilst introducing added interest. Cedar batten fencing was used to clad the boundaries to minimise the oppressive feel of the high boundaries and to introduce more light into the garden. The cedar timber floating bench now provides a place to sit and entertain. It is also the perfect height for the clients’ children to use as a play bench. To brighten up the dull and dark corner by the french doors, the original steps were clad in beautiful blue and grey encaustic tiles to add much needed colour and interest in an area that had been previously neglected. This contemporary courtyard is now bright and welcoming and used by the property owners and their children on a daily basis.

Pop of Colour

Wentworth Landscapes

Photo of a small transitional front yard full sun formal garden in Toronto with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

West London Courtyard Garden

User

A private garden designed, with minimal maintenance in mind, for a newly converted flat in Ealing. It has a long taxus hedge to provide year-round interest viewable from the property as well as to act as a backdrop to a Prunus ‘Accolade’ when it is in flower and leaf. This cherry tree is positioned centrally opposite a cantilevered glass box extruding from the facade of the building.

Niche

Seed Studio Landscape Design

image: Travis Rhoads Photography
Small contemporary side yard shaded formal garden in San Francisco with natural stone pavers.

Townhouse garden

Neil Jones Design

Using a refined palette of quality materials set within a striking and elegant design, the space provides a restful and sophisticated urban garden for a professional couple to be enjoyed both in the daytime and after dark. The use of corten is complimented by the bold treatment of black in the decking, bespoke screen and pergola.

Landscape Water Feature Design & Installation Rochester NY Acorn Ponds

Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls

Landscape Water Feature Design & Installation Rochester NY Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls brought this Rochester (NY) front yard landscape to life with the installation of this stunning custom designed water feature which consists of bubbling urns, waterfalls, led lighting and beautiful aquatic plants. The sound of water running softly through this lovely water feature provides a relaxing sound that inspires relaxation which makes you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy all the simple pleasures life has to offer. Not only are water features lovely, they will make any space look more aesthetically pleasing and are the next best thing to living on a lovely lake or a sparking fish pond. This water feature has bubbling urns which can be installed with multiple sizes in groupings or we can design & install your water feature to have only one gorgeous stand alone urn. We love installing these beautiful urns in pondless waterfalls as well as in streams and fish ponds while adding LED lighting to them. Another cool feature is the addition of FIRE to the top of our fountains which really enhances the whole garden and makes the house stand out from the rest. The owners can sip their morning coffee on the porch and see a myriad of lovely birds and other pretty wildlife stop by for a quick sip of water. It’s a simple pleasure, but it brings a smile to the lives of our Western NY clients in Rochester & Buffalo New York (NY) and we love what we do. Our unique water features are also easy to maintain! Homeowners worry their new custom water feature requires ample work to maintain, but they do not. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls design experts are happy to discuss seasonal care of water features with our clients to ensure they’re being cared for properly, no matter the season. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls can help you design and install a beautiful water feature to add that peace and tranquility to your outdoor spaces. For large or small projects, there are always solutions to adding a water feature in your garden weather you are thinking about installing a pondless waterfall, one of a kind fish pond, custom water feature or large recreational pond. Acorn works with you from beginning to end so you can have a worry free addition to your backyard.

Rooftop Landscaping in Minneapolis

yardscapes Inc.

Finished photo of everything put together. This photo shows the long narrow portion of the deck with the large tournesol planters for an added pop of color. In the middle of each planter there is a custom twisted metal trellis for added interested and height.

Iron Fences

Custom Security Fence & Iron Works, LLC

This is an example of a small traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in Houston with mulch.

Landform Consultants - Project Value £35,000 - £60,000 - Winner

The Association of Professional Landscapers

Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard full sun formal garden for summer in Berkshire with decking.

Small interior Zen garden

The Japanese Garden

This zen garden is located on a central courtyard that connects the kitchen of the house, with the living - dining area and main access hall. As you can see it is glazed on several sides, each view after concluded the work is slightly different. This time, only put a lamp in Japanese style to give the night lighting environment. This is a sample of a Zen garden that carries an implicit minimalist in design. The conditions in the house are basically clear and minimalist tones, it is for that reason that it was decided to this design. Few elements, well distributed, with a mix of different textures, from coarse gravel and dark gray color, contrasting with the white gravel and raked; allows us to balance the wabi sabi and the scene.

Banyon

Chelsea Sullivan Design (formerly Jilzart)

Design ideas for a small tropical side yard partial sun formal garden in Los Angeles with a retaining wall and gravel.

City Garden- Cedar Arbor

Bradford Associates, LLC

A lovely cedar arbor allows the climbing roses to frame the garden entrance.
Design ideas for a small traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for summer in Providence with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Lindfield

Joanne Green Landscape & Interior

Our client’s wanted classically styled gardens, built upon a semi-formal framework. They requested level spaces for the kids to play on and a swimming pool, which was to be the hero of the project. The result speaks for itself. This large garden is made up of different ‘pockets’ – a vegetable garden, formal front garden, large grassed area for the kids to play, a pool area, a patio for entertaining and a small relaxation garden that houses a stunning water feature. Our planting schedule included Viburnum, Japanese Box Hedging, Hydrangea’s, Gardenia’s and Ornamental Pear trees. The result was a stunning semi-formal classic garden that adheres to a young families growing needs. Photographs by Brent Wilson

Small 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.