This is an example of a small transitional backyard garden in Seattle.

Details like the cast stone lion and the terracotta pots from the clients' personal collection keep the space balanced between formality and personality. Designed by Mary Kirk Menefee; installed and styled by Merrifield Garden Center. Photo: Mary Kirk Menefee

Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

Casa Smith Designs, LLC

Taking advantage of the sunniest space in the garden, this veggie garden is designed to make growing your own vegetables as easy as possible. In a space 19' x 19' square, these 30" high beds made of redwood are large enough to grow food for a family of 4...or more. Photo Credit: Mark Pinkerton

Luxe West Hollywood Residence

Philip Nimmo Design

Photo by Hans Fonk
Inspiration for a small traditional courtyard formal garden in Los Angeles.

Modern Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Reseda

Prime Gardens Inc

Modern Drought Tolerant Landscaping Designed and Installed
Inspiration for a small modern front yard full sun xeriscape for spring in Los Angeles with a garden path and gravel.

Front Yard Landscape

Stephanie D Poole

The seating area is located near the sidewalk and the bocce ball court driveway for convenient socializing. The African Tulip Tree will eventually provide shade to the seating area.

Gravel Garden

Georgia Lindsay Garden Design

Gravel is a great sustainable choice for a low maintenance garden.
Inspiration for a small modern garden in London with with path and gravel.

Concrete water fountain

Studio H Landscape Architecture

Sideyard modern water feature. The fountain is located off the living room window to enjoy from both the living area and kitchen. Concrete stepping pads extend over the fountain and into the artificial turf area in the rear yard. Succulents and grasses are planted throughout the yard.

Seagrove Beach cozy backyard with synthetic turf

GreenEarth Landscape Services

Sky Pencil Japanese holly is a perfect natural barrier to disguise an enclosure. Planted in a bed of Tennessee river rock and surrounded by beautiful synthetic turf, the Seagrove Beach homeowners can enjoy their small space without being distracted by unsightly utilities.

Landscape Design Queens Park NSW

Vogue & Vine - Landscape Designers Sydney

Landscape design Queens Park NSW. By Vogue & Vine - Landscape Designers Sydney
Photo of a small modern backyard garden in Sydney.

Twin Terrace Garden

Christine Wilkie Garden Design

This small, north-east facing garden, measuring around 100 m2, was in need of a complete transformation to bring it into line with the owner's interior style and the desire for an outdoor room experience. A series of bi-folding doors led out to a relatively small patio and raised lawn area. The objective was to create a design that would maximise the space, making it feel much larger and provide usable areas that the owners could enjoy throughout the day as the sun moves around the garden. An asymmetrical design with different focal points and material contrasts was deployed to achieve the impression of a larger, yet still harmonious, space. The overall garden style was Japanese-inspired with pared back hard landscaping materials and plants with interesting foliage and texture, such as Acers, Prunus serrula cherry tree, cloud pruned Ilex crenata, clumping bamboo and Japanese grasses featuring throughout the garden's wide borders. A new lower terrace was extended across the full width of the garden to allow the space to be fully used for morning coffee and afternoon dining. Porcelain tiles with an aged wood effect were used to clad a new retaining wall and step risers, with limestone-effect porcelain tiles used for the lower terrace. New steps were designed to create an attractive transition from the lower to the upper level where the previous lawn was completely removed in favour of a second terrace using the same low-maintenance wood effect porcelain tiles. A raised bed constructed in black timber sleepers was installed to deal with ground level changes at the upper level, while at the lower level another raised bed provides an attractive retaining edge backfilled with bamboo. New fencing was installed and painted black, a nod to the Japanese shou sugi ban method of charring wood to maintain it. Finally, a combination of carefully chosen outdoor furniture, garden statuary and bespoke planters complete the look. Discrete garden lighting set into the steps, retaining wall and house walls create a soft ambient lighting in which to sit and enjoy the garden after dark.

Twin Terrace Garden

Christine Wilkie Garden Design

Earls Court Oasis

Harry Holding Studio

An inner city oasis with enchanting planting using a tapestry of textures, shades of green and architectural forms to evoke the tropics of Australia. Here, ferns and geraniums spill over the granite plank paving.

Coastal front garden Dover Heights NSW

Vogue & Vine - Landscape Designers Sydney

Coastal front garden in Eastern Suburbs Sydney. Using coastal plants and Sydney Sandstone rocks, we created a soft coastal landscape that had a designers touch but still a natural feel

Red Light Ramen Outdoor Patio

Califia Ecodesign

Fun fusion of desert style into a hip cocktail lounge and ramen bar in a beautiful British Columbia setting. We took an unconventional twist on patio decor by planting with perennials & mixing in house plants instead of the usual summer annuals used frequently here in Canada.

A Curved Edge

The Narrow Lane

This is an example of a small country backyard partial sun garden for spring in Boston with a retaining wall, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Seattle Cottage

SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture

Small arts and crafts front yard full sun xeriscape in Seattle with with privacy feature and concrete pavers.

Finnish Sauna

Minglewood, LLC

1st Finnish Ripavi Sauna delivered to the US as a pre-fab, self-leveling unit. Crane lowered over the garage and into this cozy, mosaic bluestone courtyard with granite curb to step the grades. Includes an electric heater, outdoor shower, and custom privacy fence/wall combination.

Fire pit landscape

Project Masterz

Inspiration for a small country backyard partial sun xeriscape for fall in Austin with a fire feature and decomposed granite.

Green Wall-Modernist Courtyard

terraneo landscape design

A vertical garden or green wall is the perfect way to bring life into the home and lighten up an otherwise unusable space. This Vertical garden installation in a small atrium, was part of our modernist styled courtyard project. The natural stone and bold green foilage invoke the midcentury spirit.

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.