Back Yard Project in Spring Valley Village, Texas

New wire trellis diamond pattern on wall and disappearing fountain.
Small backyard partial sun formal garden in Houston with a water feature and gravel.

Planting for Privacy

Kim Rooney Design

Landscape by Kim Rooney
Photo of a small traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with with privacy feature and gravel.

Footscray

Normark Landscapes

This is an example of a small tropical backyard formal garden in Melbourne with decking and a retaining wall.

Kalorama DC Courtyard Garden

Molly Scott Exteriors, LLC

The elegant curved staircase provides access to the garden from the upper level living room space. The existing Climbing Hydrangea was carefully preserved during construction and will quickly soften the brick walls. Photographs by Molly Scott, RLA Landscape and Hardscape installation by John Shorb Landscaping, Inc. Home renovation and garage repairs by Smith, Thomas and Smith, Inc.

Beverly Hills Custom Design

Intex Design and Construction

Custom Design & Build | Beverly Hills, CA
Inspiration for a small modern front yard partial sun formal garden for spring in Los Angeles with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

Carlisle, MA Residence

Design Works - Landscape Architecture & Const.

Small traditional backyard formal garden in Boston with a garden path and natural stone pavers for summer.

Manhattan Courtyard

Apiary Studio

A private children’s foundation hired award-winning architecture firm, Christoff : Finio Architects, to renovate and remodel the classical-style townhouse structure into a modern and light-filled headquarters. Christoff : Finio contacted Hans to develop a planting plan for the intimate, rear courtyard gardens as well as a planting scheme for the front tree bed. We carefully selected plant material that could thrive in an extremely low-light environment while providing seasonal interest and color as a counterpoint to the modern interior. Herbaceous flowering and evergreen plants were selected to drift through each other with intermittent vertical accents, creating a lush courtyard border.

Details

Molly Scott Exteriors, LLC

The crisp angles of the lawn border contrast with the soft texture of the plantings. Landscape Design: Molly Scott Exteriors, LLC Landscape Installation: John Shorb Landscaping, Inc. Photography: Joseph Andrew Townsend, townsendfilms

Cottage Garden

Kerry Lewis Landscape Architecture

The garden gate in summer.
Photo of a small country courtyard full sun formal garden for summer in Boston with a vegetable garden and brick pavers.

Rooftop Gardens

Aralia: Innovation in Landscape Design

Aralia Gardens Limited. www.aralia.org.uk
Design ideas for a small contemporary rooftop formal garden in Hertfordshire with a vertical garden and decking.

Urban Garden

Rosenfeld Associates

This is an example of a small traditional backyard shaded formal garden for summer in Portland.

Glebe

sticks and stones Landscape Design

Small tropical backyard partial sun formal garden in Sydney with a retaining wall and decking for summer.

Traditional Landscape

Photo of a small traditional courtyard partial sun formal garden for spring in Raleigh with brick pavers.

Flower Power

Greenwood Design Associates, LLC

Three raised beds make the most of limited growing space in this compact garden. I was invited to do the planting design for this compact hillside project after the hardscape was complete. The home is situated on a corner lot, and a number of very narrow beds and stepped planting arrows wrap the house in a "C" shape. The homeowner was looking for plantings that would be soft and inviting for her children, and welcome birds, bees, and butterflies to the garden. Kelly Greenwood

A sanctuary garden in Palo Alto

User

A seasonal splash of golden colored Rudbeckia blazes in the rear patio. The over-sized ceramic fountain gives the garden an "Alice in Wonderland" quality that sets a carefree mood. Photo- Chris Jacobson, GardenArt Group

Phinny Ridge- Small Space Garden

Kim Rooney Design

Landscape by Kim Rooney
Small modern backyard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with a garden path and decking.

Window Garden

Fava Design Group

Exterior planter attached to the bottom of the window. SHOT BY SARGENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Inspiration for a small traditional backyard full sun formal garden for spring in Baltimore with a container garden and brick pavers.

Grace Design Associates

Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates

The garden was designed to be enjoyed from ground level and from the balcony above --- with an eyeful of joyous color that suits the client's personality to a tee. Plantings include lots of roses from her "favorite roses" list, with perennials and a few annuals to knit it all together. It can be very challenging to make a collection of plants into a cohesive and delightful garden --- and the strong structure of this garden does just that!

Andrew Renn Design, Beautiful gardens of Melbourne Australia

Andrew Renn

Andrew Renn Design, Beautiful gardens of Melbourne Australia
Design ideas for a small traditional backyard formal garden in Melbourne.

Gardens

CSDesign llc

A intimate bluestone patio surrounded by lush gardens with year around interest.
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with natural stone pavers.

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.