Your outdoor space, however small, can be made to stand out with the right small garden ideas.
From functional pergolas and firepits to elegant pools, natural ponds, and beautiful foliage, we’ve selected inspiring small garden design ideas that will maximize the impact of your outdoors.
Take a look!
1. Create Levels
One way to add interest to a small garden is to create different levels. A classic way of achieving this is getting rid of the lawn and building a raised or sunken terrace.
The focal steps linking the two areas in this small garden, together with the ledges around the area, help open up the space, adding extra spots for plants and seating. Stylish and space-saving flexible furniture for the barbecue area makes perfect small garden ideas.
2. Add a Pool
A swimming pool can bring a real dash of fun to your small garden. Here, a pool adds elegance to the small backyard and is bordered by a mortared privacy wall that hides just enough of the neighbor’s backyard while keeping the landscape in view.
Pockets of small shrubs and trees surrounding the patio furniture and fire bowl set the scene and create a cozier spot to sit in.
3. Embrace a Gazebo
A gazebo is an excellent option to boost intimacy in your small garden. Here, the rustic gazebo nicely complements the industrial slabs while creating a nook to escape for resting and reading.
The gazebo also helps to divide the space and create specific zones. Several plants surrounding the structure help to screen out the view.
4. Break the Conventions
Plant different-sized plants in your small garden to create shape and variety. Limiting your garden to small plants only emphasizes its miniature size.
This small backyard garden provides adequate space where children can play, a spot for family dining, and nooks for reading or relaxing. The soaring trees and open views beyond the backyard keep the space from feeling cramped while giving it the feel of a vista.
5. Plant a Herb Garden
Herb gardens are perfect for small garden ideas! Here, a space-saving garden filled with flowers, fruits, and various culinary and medicinal herbs captures the homeowner’s love for cooking and gardening.
Go for raised planters, which will save you space beneath and prevent your back from straining from bending over vegetable beds. To further increase your garden’s aesthetic appeal, paint them a color of your choice.
6. Build a Pergola
A pergola provides a designated spot for unwinding and relaxing but also presents the opportunity to incorporate an array of climbing plants that add beauty and shade.
The pergola used here stands out against the brown tiles and light wood fence, providing more dimension to the garden while maximizing the space’s appearance. Climbing plants add visual interest and help unify the pergola with the rest of its surroundings.
7. Add a Bit of Intrigue
Mixing up unexpected elements is an excellent way to increase the visual interest of a small garden. Here, a small pool, lawn, paving materials, gravel, and container planters add enough flair to instantly deconstruct the space’s small-size status.
The natural stone wall blends well with the pavers while providing a focal point for the space.
8. Soften Hard Elements
To create contrast and interest in your small garden, combine concrete pavers with your lawn. The firepit, welcoming chairs, and bench are the focus of this landscaping idea.
A secondary seating spot with a hanging egg chair combines with the pool to help the small backyard feel more spacious.
9. Celebrate the Seasons
One way of achieving an impactful display in your small garden is using seasonal plantings. Here, various vibrant flowers, including purple hebe, pansies, and yellow and pink foxgloves, cluster together for maximum effect and bring beautiful spring color.
The seasonal plants combine with various ornamental grasses and mixed perennials for a cheerful display.
10. Make the Most of Your Space
This serene, compact backyard uses a small pool to create a focal point in the landscape. Lush landscaping helps draw attention to the space, while a glass panel barrier makes the outdoor space feel well put together.
A corner bench and warm lighting take center stage at the wall, offering a cozy place to sit with an elegant ambiance.
11. Incorporate Various Shapes
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Abstract shapes and curves can trick the mind into thinking your small garden landscape is more significant than it is.
The curvy bench in this small garden idea takes full advantage of this illusion, which is further enhanced by the pavers arranged in a geometric pattern and the curvy borders of the pavement.
12. Cater for Wildlife
No matter how limited your square footage is, there are plenty of garden pond ideas for compact spaces. And with small gardens usually attracting little wildlife, adding a pond is an excellent way to encourage animals into the space.
Native perennials surround this circular pond, enhancing its natural beauty. A geometrically aligned deck provides a spot for seating and relaxing as you enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature.
13. Line them Up
A series of small boxwood shrubs and miniature trees dress up the plain white wall in this small backyard, creating a truly original space.
Separating the concrete pavers with grass adds more elegance to the space (the trick isn’t as complicated as it looks).
14. Keep it Formal
Never take horizontal space for granted in a small backyard. A good landscaping idea is to use trees and shrubs that grow up. Here, espaliering helps to beautifully cover up the wall.
Long and short, well-trimmed hedges border the pavement for a formal look, with a rustic bench adding some intrigue. A pair of black ceramic planters add depth and start off the symmetrical look.
15. Simple and Clean
This small garden idea reduces visual clutter to cultivate a sense of calm and order in the space.
A curving, wall-hung bench creates the illusion of more space, with lighting underneath it adding visual interest. A firepit further enhances the coastal vibe of the area.
16. Create Zones
Divide your garden into sections for relaxation, socializing, or entertaining to make your limited space feel like a larger outdoor living area.
A designated firepit area and a cozy bench at the far end of this backyard allow for a more organized use of the landscape while creating a feeling of added space. Go for rockeries to break up your space since they are simple and require little maintenance.
17. Deck Out the Area
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This small garden design idea features a raised pool and a functional dining area perfect for lazy days in the warm weather and casual dining out in the sun.
The natural wood decking contrasts nicely with the gray finishes on the pool, dining set, and wall while providing as much focus as the planting.
18. Opt for a Rustic Look
This small garden design idea uses a raised flower bed that doubles as seating for the firepit area to save some precious outdoor square footage.
The firepit blends nicely with the rocky surroundings for a touch of rustic charm, while colorful flowers in the background beautify the space.
19. Go for Raised Garden Beds
Using raised flower beds can give your small backyard a sense of height and transform the look and feel of the space. Here, raised beds create different levels, making the small garden appear more spacious.
The brick beds combine with wood stairs to help direct the eye to the seating area on the deck and create a pleasing distraction from the lack of space.
20. Make it Contemporary
Consider this small garden design idea if you are limited by a small backyard, don’t require a lawn, and have a passion for plants. Here, white raised beds stagger plants for height and integrate seamlessly with the space’s palette for a clean look.
The gray seating and striped black-and-white pillows give the space a modern feel, with the chic firepit acting as a natural focal point.
21. Create Borders
Take inspiration from small garden design ideas by using borders for thoughtful planting.
Here, a range of herbaceous perennials and tropical plants allow even the tiniest parts of the garden to flourish. This design idea is especially useful when you want to incorporate grassless garden ideas.
22. Bring In Some Color
This small garden design idea uses Supertunia Vista Bubblegum petunias to add beauty and function.
Since the eye is automatically drawn to them, the rest of the narrow backyard seems to recede and feel bigger. The black fencing provides an excellent backdrop for the flowers and adds depth to the space. The clever use of string lights on the fence also helps to draw the eye into the distance.
23. Add Corner Seating
It’s simple to ignore spots that are out of view, such as corners, in a small backyard. Corner seating is a game-changer in small garden designs, turning these dead spots into unexpected showstoppers.
Here, a corner sofa offers more seating than individual chairs, while a cantilever patio umbrella provides much-needed shade. A neat lawn, small bushes, and trees pair with the black mulch to add interest.
24. Excel with a Tropical Feel
Filling your small garden with furniture can make it devoid of life. Incorporate various pockets of foliage around patios and paths with shrubs, trees, and planters to fully utilize your limited space.
Plenty of palm trees create a lush feel in this small garden design idea. The trees combine with other tropical plants and pools to give the garden a holiday feeling that lasts all summer.
25. Prioritize on Comfort
One way to make your small garden design feel bigger is to use outdoor living room ideas that make it feel like a continuation of your indoor space.
Here, a pergola with overhead spotlights, a furniture set, and a rustic coffee table ensure this space is worth spending lots of time in. A wooden wall clock makes the space feel more like an extension of the home, while a plethora of plants add a natural ambiance.
26. Capitalize on Lighting
If you’re looking for small garden design ideas that make a space look larger than it is, lighting can be an integral tool.
The industrial architecture of this small backyard creates a sense of space. At the same time, different types of lighting throughout the area trick the eye into perceiving more depth.
27. Go for a Light Color Palette
The colors you decide to use in your small garden design can completely transform the feel and look of the space. A light color such as white helps reflect light, making your space feel bigger and brighter instead of small and dingy.
A hedge above the wall in this small garden creates a lovely sense of enclosure. Garden beds with drooping plants add interest and greenery without taking up too much room. A daybed completes the look and provides a quiet nook for relaxing.
28. Make a Statement
Getting the balance of planting and landscaping right in your small garden design is integral to making your space look beautiful. Here, plants such as Alocasia macrorrhiza, Strelitzia nicolai, Philodendron Xanadu, Viola hederacea, Sansevieria trifasciata, and Dracaena Draco breathe life into space.
Polished concrete pavers, plain white walls, and gray furniture contrast beautifully with the lush greenery. A petite pool adds a sense of tranquility to the small garden design.
