The owners had a messy balcony, using it only for bar-b-q. We transformed the balcony to an area with a dinning table, sitting area and even adding a cool swing. Now, they can watch best views of the Carmel from every spot they choose, even from the house. the vegetation is a drought tolerant, with all year interest. It suits the surrounding landscape and does not compete with it.

Italian Arabescato Cervaiole waterfall garden feature and Carrara marble patio.
Photo of a small contemporary backyard garden in London with a water feature and natural stone pavers.

www.meganmaloy.com
This is an example of a small country backyard shaded formal garden for winter in New York with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

A small courtyard garden in San Francisco. • Creative use of space in the dense, urban fabric of hilly SF. • For the last several years the clients had carved out a make shift courtyard garden at the top of their driveway. It was one of the few flat spaces in their yard where they could sit in the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee. We turned the top of a steep driveway into a courtyard garden. • The actual courtyard design was planned for the maximum dimensions possible to host a dining table and a seating area. The space is conveniently located outside their kitchen and home offices. However we needed to save driveway space for parking the cars and getting in and out. • The design, fabrication and installation team was comprised of people we knew. I was an acquaintance to the clients having met them through good friends. The landscape contractor, Boaz Mor, http://www.boazmor.com/, is their neighbor and someone I worked with before. The metal fabricator is Murray Sandford of Moz Designs, https://mozdesigns.com/, https://www.instagram.com/moz_designs/ . Both contractors have long histories of working in the Bay Area on a variety of complex designs. • The size of this garden belies the complexity of the design. We did not want to remove any of the concrete driveway which was 12” or more in thickness, except for the area where the large planter was going. The driveway sloped in two directions. In order to get a “level”, properly, draining patio, we had to start it at around 21” tall at the outside and end it flush by the garage doors. • The fence is the artful element in the garden. It is made of power-coated aluminum. The panels match the house color; and posts match the house trim. The effect is quiet, blending into the overall property. The panels are dramatic. Each fence panel is a different size with a unique pattern. • The exterior panels that you see from the street are an abstract riff on the seasons of the Persian walnut tree in their front yard. The cut-outs illustrate spring bloom when the walnut leafs out to autumn when the nuts drop to the ground and the squirrels eats them, leaving a mess of shells everywhere. Even the pesky squirrel appears on one of the panels. • The interior panels, lining the entry into the courtyard, are an abstraction of the entire walnut tree. • Although the panel design is made of perforations, the openings are designed to retain privacy when you are inside the courtyard. • There is a large planter on one side of the courtyard, big enough for a tree to soften a harsh expanse of a neighboring wall. Light through the branches cast playful shadows on the wall behind. • The lighting, mounted on the house is a nod to the client’s love of New Orleans gas lights. • The paving is black stone from India, dark enough to absorb the warmth of the sun on a cool, summer San Francisco day.

Little Giant Photography
Inspiration for a small eclectic backyard partial sun formal garden for summer in Milwaukee with a vegetable garden and natural stone pavers.

Our homeowners wanted a garden with a natural feel. We added concrete steppers with dymondia groundcover for a new pathway to the backyard. Low water plantings with a natural feel bring hummingbirds. Drip irrigation and permeable paving. The nasturtiums are from seeds planted by the owner, the leaves are edible. Vegetable beds and fruit trees in the backyard provide a bountiful harvest.

Chris Warnes & Bauer Media
Photo of a small contemporary front yard full sun garden for summer in Sydney with a container garden and concrete pavers.

An Phuong Gorham
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard full sun formal garden in Sydney with a vertical garden.

Oak shelves display partial shade evergreens in a variety of forms and foliage texture
Design ideas for a small contemporary rooftop full sun garden for summer in London.

Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in London with a retaining wall and decking.

Photo of a small eclectic front yard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles.

Courtyard garden - Outdoor living by www.sapphirespaces.co.uk - stylish and practical white garden furniture, perfect for courtyard gardens and alfresco dining. Sapphire Spaces | bulthaup Exeter. Photos by Darren Chung.

Custom built-in BBQ and concrete counter and steps leading to bedroom. Photo Credit: Brett J. Hilton
This is an example of a small beach style side yard garden for summer in San Diego.

Small spaces can be some of the most intimate spaces, selecting appropriate materials and using the correct proportions can actually make the space feel more expansive.

Lovely delicate shapes where the living wall meets the house. © Deb Cass
Small contemporary courtyard partial sun garden in Surrey with a container garden for summer.

Carissa Hood-Pope
This is an example of a small courtyard shaded garden in Other with a container garden.

Tyler Hinrichsen
Photo of a small traditional front yard full sun garden in Calgary with concrete pavers.

Distinctive Gardens
Inspiration for a small traditional courtyard partial sun garden for spring in Adelaide with a water feature and decking.

Photo of a small modern backyard full sun garden in Boston with natural stone pavers.