Photo of a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Melbourne.

Sunken courtyard
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard partial sun garden for summer in Brisbane with natural stone pavers.

Hawthorn East Courtyard

Inspiring Landscape Solutions by Parveen Dhaliwal

Night shot of the rear courtyard, as enjoyed from within the house and home office areas. 2 years of growth.
Design ideas for a small contemporary backyard full sun garden for spring in Melbourne with a garden path, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Traditional Garden

Landscaping Solutions

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

Joyous Wildlife Habitat in Santa Monica

Urban Oasis Landscape Design

A “Little Free Library” with a bespoke rustic bench on the outside of the wall has become a neighborhood gathering spot.
Inspiration for a small eclectic front yard full sun xeriscape for spring in Los Angeles with natural stone pavers and a stone fence.

Seattle Cozy Patio

SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture

In Seattle's Fremont neighborhood SCJ Studio designed a new landscape to surround and set off a contemporary home by Coates Design Architects. The narrow spaces around the tall home needed structure and organization, and a thoughtful approach to layout and space programming. A concrete patio was installed with a Paloform Bento gas fire feature surrounded by lush, northwest planting. A horizontal board cedar fence provides privacy from the street and creates the cozy feeling of an outdoor room among the trees. LED low-voltage lighting by Kichler Lighting adds night-time warmth . Photography by: Miranda Estes Photography

West London Courtyard Garden

Alexandra Noble Design | Gardens and Landscapes

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.

Coan Waterfront Landscape, Camano Island, WA

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

From the street, a round rock pathway leads to a small seating area next to the water with a small fire pit. Low maintenance, drought resistant and salt tolerant plantings were used in mass and clumps. This garden has become the focus of the neighborhood with many visitors stopping and enjoying what has become a neighborhood landmark. Located on the shores of Puget Sound in Washington State. Photo by R. Scott Lankford

Lawn Area

Terra Ferma Landscapes

The upper lawn for the kids to play with a vegetable garden on the side
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden for summer in San Francisco with a vegetable garden, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

College Crescent

John Davies Landscape

Inspiration for a small asian garden in London.

Greenpoint Secret Garden

Outside Space NYC Landscape Design

This is an example of a small contemporary backyard full sun garden in New York with with privacy feature and decking.

Small San Francisco Back Landscape

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

This tired, unused San Francisco backyard was transformed into a modern, low-maintenance landscape with site-appropriate plantings enhanced by raised planting beds and a lead-free artificial lawn to replace the existing water-thirsty lawn. I created two separate "rooms" to break up the long narrow yard, and specified full range blue stone for the two small patio areas, connected by a curved pattern of rectangular pavers of the same natural stone. The raised concrete rectangular planting beds were incorporated to bring more movement and interest to the landscape along with gravel bed accents alongside. Some of the existing concrete remained, and was stained with a color to compliment the natural stone. These photos were taken over a three year period. Photos: © Landscape Designer, Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design.

Rustic Creekside Backyard - Cedarburg, WI

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

Stone steppers lead to an irregular lannon stone fire pit area in this creekside backyard in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Westhauser Photography
Photo of a small country backyard partial sun garden for summer in Milwaukee with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Stylish City Refuge

Hufnagel Landscape Design & Construction Group

Small contemporary backyard garden in New York with a container garden and natural stone pavers.

Stepping Stone Sideyard

Plan-it Earth Design

Stepping stones lead you to...
Design ideas for a small traditional backyard partial sun garden for spring in Portland with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Beach Contemporary

Living Gardens Landscape Design

Succulent wall
Small contemporary backyard garden in Orange County with a vertical garden.

Landscape Work

Integrity Landscape Services LLC.

Photo of a small transitional backyard partial sun garden in Austin with mulch.

Finished Designs

Jill Davis Design

Photo and Design by Jill Davis
This is an example of a small traditional front yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Chicago with a garden path and mulch.

Modern Zen Garden Small Space Design

Studio H Landscape Architecture

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
Design ideas for a small contemporary side yard partial sun xeriscape in Orange County with natural stone pavers and a garden path.

St.Margarets Garden

Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping

Small contemporary backyard partial sun garden in London.

Small 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.