This is an example of a small contemporary backyard shaded formal garden for summer in Philadelphia with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Texas Attitude with French Chateau Dreams

Botalia Designs

Natalia Lopez de la Cruz
Design ideas for a small contemporary side yard full sun formal garden for summer in Miami with a garden path and mulch.

Shelley Lake Backyard

Pacific Garden Design

Tucked away in a small subdivision, these homeowners have taken their builder-grade backyard and transformed it into a Japanese-inspired oasis. After the initial landscape design and construction by Pacific Garden Design, the homeowners have continued to craft an elegantly evolving landscape. A multi-level deck provides entertaining space as it steps down to the yard. A dry water feature anchors the corner of the yard, while a series of stone benches provide spots for quiet contemplation. The thriving garden area takes advantage of the southern exposure along one side of the yard and offers an opportunity for garden whimsy. Gravel pathways connect the space to the front yard and the natural area behind the property.

Magical Garden Property

Scenic Landscaping

Hidden garden details with natural stone walkway
This is an example of a small eclectic backyard partial sun formal garden in New York with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Intimate Broadview Terraced Patio

Spring Greenworks LLC

Inspiration for a small transitional backyard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with a container garden and concrete pavers.

Oak Park Italian Renaissance - Historic Charles S. Castle House

Arrow. Land + Structures

--Historic / National Landmark --House designed by prominent architect Frederick R. Schock, 1924 --Grounds designed and constructed by: Arrow. Land + Structures in Spring/Summer of 2017 --Photography: Marco Romani, RLA State Licensed Landscape Architect

Roseville

Landscape and Waterfall Creations

This is an example of a small traditional backyard full sun formal garden in Sacramento with a fire feature and concrete pavers.

Laurelhurst Modern Garden

Northwest Native Landscapes LLC

Dramatic plant textures, modern hardscaping and sharp angles enhanced this mid-century modern bungalow. Soft plants were chosen to contrast with the sharp angles of the pathways and hard edges of the MCM home, while providing all-season interest. Horizontal privacy screens wrap the front porch and create intimate garden spaces – some visible only from the street and some visible only from inside the home. The front yard is relatively small in size, but full of colorful texture.

A side return large enough for a garden.

Sprout Up

Round the corner a bespoke floating bench sits over a pebble shadow with lighting underneath.
Design ideas for a small modern backyard full sun formal garden for summer in London with a vertical garden and gravel.

Modern Ipe Hard Wood Privacy Fence

Little Landscapes

Custom made Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) privacy fence/divider. A gorgeous hard wood choice for outdoor fencing.
Photo of a small modern side yard full sun formal garden for spring in Toronto with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

Artificial Grass in Rathmines Urban Garden

Amazon Landscaping and Garden Design

Small Garden Design featuring Artificial Grass Natural Granite and Golden Bamboo by Amazon Landscaping and Garden Design 014060004 Amazonlandscaping.ie

Bowden House

Aralia: Innovation in Landscape Design

A courtyard garden in Cheshire. The garden features rendered walls with raised slatted cedar fencing, box balls, modern planting in a contemporary design, differing levels and climbers. The garden is used to relax and to entertain.

Interesting Front Door Combinations

Kingdom Landscape

Kingdom Landscape
Inspiration for a small front yard full sun formal garden for spring in Other with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

A tiny ecosystem in the heart of town

Giuseppe Lunardini Architetto del Paesaggio

Carex, Hydrangeas and other shade-loving species have been inserted. Giuseppe Lunardini
Photo of a small traditional front yard shaded formal garden for spring in Florence with natural stone pavers.

City Garden

Andrew Grossman Landscape Design

City garden in historic neighborhood; painted lattice inlay privacy fence; brick patio; field stone walls; copper fountain; mixed planting of flowering vines, shrubs and perennials.

Durham Contemporary Courtyard Garden

Eves & Lewis Landscape Design

Our ‘Romantic Courtyard Garden’ in Durham has been awarded a BALI medal for Design Excellence in the BALI National Landscape Awards for 2020. The brief for this garden was to create a private romantic space for dining and relaxation. A row of pleached ornamental pears (Pyrus chanticleer) and some strategically placed Beech trees provide privacy from several overlooking houses, this gives the space a feeling of green enclosure. A bespoke Oak pergola draws the eye upwards whilst also giving cover from neighbouring properties. A spherical water feature is the central focus here with a backdrop of grasses and dogwoods. Sawn ivory sandstone paving (Stonemarket Paleo) mirrors the interior ground floor of the house, bringing the inside out. This is contrasted by dark grey Baksteen pavers. Traditional materials used in a contemporary way mirror the architecture of the house. Planting is loose and informal. To combat impoverished soil, raised beds were made to create two large feature Rose beds containing mass plantings of David Austin Rosa ‘Princess Anne’ and cheerful Mexican daisies (Erigeron karvinskianus) Winter structure is provided by Osmanthus and Ilex crenata. A subtle lighting scheme extends the gardens use into the evening providing a stunning view from the house in the winter.

gardens

Cliffeton Green Design Concepts

gardens designed for the space..
Design ideas for a small traditional backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in Other with with flowerbed and decking.

Queens Park

Lucy Willcox Garden Design

For this lovely project the clients wanted to pack a lot into this compact space. A space for the adults to entertain and somewhere for the kids to play. As the garden is very much on display from the kitchen it needed to feel like a natural extension of the internal living space and a pleasure to look out onto all year round. We expect so much from gardens of this size so they need to be hard working spaces. To include all that was requested takes balance in the composition and a considered design, less is more. The garden will effectively be broken down into dining, relaxing, play areas for the kids and a great planting scheme, of course! In smaller gardens you want to make the biggest impact with the planting with bold planting beds, which is exactly what we can do in this space, the beds will be full of lush evergreen ferns with pockets of flowering perennials.

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.

Fallen Leaves

Arbordale Landscaping

Stepping stones in a minimal gravel paved area lead past two lounge chairs to the intimate dining area. The herringbone-patterned limestone patio dissipates into a lush planting bed filled with loose swaths of shade-loving perennials and seasonal bulbs. Beech hedging, and formal clipped evergreens, surround the space and provide privacy, structure and winter interest to the garden. On axis to the main interior living space of the home, the fountain, is the focal point of the garden. A limestone water wall featuring an engraved pattern of fallen Honey Locust leaves nods to the centrally located mature Honey Locust tree that anchors the garden. Water, flowing down the wall, falls a short distance into a pool with a submerged limestone panel. The light noise of the falling water helps soften the sounds of the bustling downtown neighbourhood, creating a tranquil back drop for living and entertaining.

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.