Small contemporary backyard partial sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a retaining wall and decking for winter.

A custom build water feature is the focal point of this small landscape design. Flanked by Papyrus, the colorful sky blue tiles are offset by rust tone accent tiles to match the custom steel troughs. The water spills into a custom basin with rocks and pebbles for a natural pond look while maintaining a contemporary shape. Lily Pads and other bog plants can be grown in here.

Terrasse pour une vue imprenable

Nathalie JEANNE - Conceptrice de jardin

Terrasse avec 2 matériaux. terrasse en dallage sur chape béton en bois composite SILVADEC. Massifs de persistants avec vivaces et graminées.
Inspiration for a small country front yard full sun garden in Other with a garden path and decking.

Living Walls

Landscaping by Steve Blaum

Small modern backyard partial sun formal garden in Miami with a vertical garden and decking.

Japanese Inspired Backyard Santuary

Bradford Associates, LLC

Drone technology shows the backyard after construction and installation was complete.
Photo of a small asian backyard partial sun garden for summer in Providence with with pond and decking.

Magnolia Front Yard

Banyon Tree Design Studio

Banyon Tree Design Studio
Design ideas for a small contemporary front yard full sun xeriscape for fall in Seattle with a garden path and decking.

Built-in BBQ

Terra Ferma Landscapes

A nighttime shot of the BBQ
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard garden in San Francisco with decking.

Stoke Newington Garden

London Garden Designer

Small contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden in London with with waterfall and decking.

Meditative Healing Garden- Laurel Canyon

Ketti Kupper Conscious Life Design

Photo by Ashley Elizabeth Ford
Photo of a small backyard partial sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with decking.

Stadgartenlounge

besgen Landschaftsarchitektur

Inspiration for a small modern side yard partial sun formal garden for summer in Cologne with with privacy feature, decking and a wood fence.

St Kilda West Renovation Interior Design & Decoration

Style Precinct Interior Design & Decoration

A small courtyard that packs a lot of punch for its size. Part of the view from the main open plan living//kitchen/meals area, it shines bright at night with creative garden lighting design.

North Beach Courtyards

Cultivart Landscape Design

Peta North
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard garden in Perth with decking.

Laguna Beach Modern

dp environments

Ipe deck with sand finish concrete, black beach pebble, pittosporum silver sheen, pittosporum golf ball, podocarps hedge, miscanthus accent grasses, magnolia little gem. Thank you budgetplants.com for providing plants.

Clair-obscur - Jardin

Stéphane Larcin - Concepteur - Paysagiste

Plongé au coeur d'un jardin d'ombre, protégé par la présence d'un majestueux érable, le visiteur s'émerveille des jeux de textures, des contrastes et des associations végétales qui se révèlent progressivement à lui. Dynamisé par une imbrications des espaces à vivre et des niveaux topographiques, ce jardin contemporain puise ses racines dans des matériaux et des végétaux subtilement associés : pavés parisiens, bois exotique, fougères arborescentes...

Corrie - Modern

Blue Stone Construction

Design ideas for a small modern backyard partial sun xeriscape in San Diego with with path and decking.

Rosedale Backyard Living Space

Owen Landscape Architect

The east side of the yard features a raised trough planter against the architectural screen, and wrapping around the corner of the deck. This helps to envelope the outdoor living furniture; along with the overhead pergola this creates a sense of containment. Photo credit: Tracy Granger

Brockley

Epoch Landscapes

Shortlisted for the prestigious Pro Landscaper's Small Project Big Impact award. Used as an example of excellent design on London Stone's website.
Inspiration for a small contemporary courtyard partial sun formal garden for spring in London with decking.

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2019

Amelia Bouquet Garden Design

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2019
Photo of a small country backyard full sun garden for summer in London with with flowerbed and decking.

Garden entry from house

Dorthy Pautz Landscape Architect

Existing stairs from the back door leading to the tiny garden used to go to the flat on-grade garden level - a raised deck was added which eliminated two of the existing steps creating a large landing/spa deck and created a more relaxed flow to the stone patio. The new corner spa is sitting on a new slab below the deck, and the new deck (with removable panel at the spa mechanical panel) was built around the spa. The design includes custom lattice screens around the hot tub to give it a luxury spa feeling and screen the adjacent neighbor's house wall. Blue Bamboo was planted on grade at the deck corners with root barriers in order to create a lush green look and complement the screening. New lattice was added under the stair which is covered by star jasmine.

Midtown Commons Courtyard

Native Edge Landscape

After their brand new construction was completed, this family had a beautiful and comfortable home that truly fit their needs. However, this new construction lacked an outdoor living space, which left the backyard feeling stark and bare. With this blank slate, we were able to create a relaxing environment for this family to enjoy. Faced with the challenge of using every square-inch of this small space, Native Edge was able to design a landscape that left this family worry-free. We incorporated a low maintenance composite decking system, modern raised metal planters, and a bubbling urn water feature to tie this peaceful landscape together. The poor drainage of the lot gave us the opportunity to create a striking cat walk and drainage feature, which left ample room for their vegetable and herb garden hobby. There is even a nook for the family dog to enjoy!

Small Garden Design Ideas with Decking

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.