These garden design ideas are key to creating a scheme you’ll love for years to come. Whether you’re looking for garden landscaping ideas to overhaul your outdoor space – however big or small – attract more wildlife, or be more sustainable, we’ve compiled some fabulous garden ideas to help you transform your back garden – and it’ll even help to boost your property value.
If you’re looking for smaller garden updates, we also share advice and styling tips on garden furniture, paving, lights, plants, borders, decking and more, to help you carve out an outdoor space you can really enjoy.
But, importantly, before you proceed with any redesigns or updates, take a look at your garden as a whole, says Andrew Kyte at The Chelsea Gardener: ‘Find out as much as you can about the garden’s position, direction and outlook. Not only will this affect planting, it can dictate how you use your space.’
Whether it’s a small garden, long and narrow garden, cottage garden or courtyard garden, you should observe where and at what times of day different parts of the garden gets light and sun. Think about access and what you want to use your garden for – planting and growing veg, sunbathing, eating alfresco or simply sitting down to enjoy a cup of tea on a sunny morning?
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House Beautiful/Mark Scott
Answer these questions and you’ll have a clear idea of exactly how you want your garden to work for you. We hope these garden ideas will give you some inspiration…
1. Get your lawn into shape
Look out of your window at your garden and the biggest shape you’ll probably see is your lawn. If it’s a good, strong shape, it will set the entire garden on the right track. And remember, it doesn’t have to be a rectangle – try an oval, circle, square or oblong shape. You’ll need the right tools to complete the job. Last year saw a rise in searches for nifty robotic lawn mowers and ride-on mowers, with the Flymo Easi Glide 300 Electric Mower being a best-seller, as revealed by price comparison service PriceRunner.
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Ian Lamond / Alamy Stock Photo
For ongoing lawn care and maintenance, Stuart Thomas, gardening expert at online garden centre Primrose, advises: ‘If your lawn is looking lacklustre, consider the three tenets of sunshine, showers and soil aeration. Cut branches back to keep excessive shade away. Water once a week early in the morning if the UK’s frequent rain isn’t cutting it. For aeration, take a fork to your lawn and poke heaps of holes. Do all of these and your lawn will be verdant before you know it. And don’t mow it too short!’
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However, with a rise in natural wildlife gardens, perhaps instead of using a lawnmower, you might want to leave your grass to grow long and discover what wildflowers cultivate naturally. This very much taps into the rewilding trend and the idea that ‘people want gardens that look like they are “of nature” rather than the more obviously designed spaces’, explains garden designer Ann-Marie Powell. Read more: The big lawn debate: to mow or not to mow?
2. Plan your planting
The best garden designs start with structural plants infilled with pretty, flowering plants. So use evergreen shrubs at the end of each border and as punctuation along the way. Include small shrubs such as box balls, or large evergreens, for example mahonia, for bigger areas.
Once you have this frame, fill the gaps with pretty flowering plants. Try to stick to just five or six different types and arrange them in repeated patterns for a coordinated and harmonious effect. A metre or more in depth is a perfect size for a border, giving you enough space to put smaller plants at the front with taller ones behind.
In this calm planting scheme, tall grasses combine with a riot of colourful pink and purple blooms. (RHS Hampton 2018: Secured by Design, designed by Lucy Glover and Jacqueline Poll).RHS/Neil Hepworth
Remember, narrow, low-planted beds can define seating or dining areas, as can lines of planted-up troughs – choose evergreen scented plants, such as lavender or Mexican orange blossom. Containers offer the most flexibility though, allowing you to move them around however suits. ‘Creeping rosemary is a great plant for edging in containers, as it trails rather than growing upright, is evergreen and covered in blue flowers in spring,’ says Tony Woods, managing director of garden design company Garden Club London.
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If you don’t have room for metre-deep beds, you could place climbers at the back of the border so you can still get height in the planting. In terms of climbing plants, opt for an evergreen like clematis, which provides a beautiful and colourful display.
Tony recommends star jasmine for seating areas: ‘It’s very well-behaved, produces masses of white, waxy, scented flowers throughout the summer and reacts well to being cut back, so is ideal for positioning behind a seating area where you don’t want plants hanging over and can enjoy the scent.’
When you’re choosing flowering plants, try to make some of them ‘out of season’ performers so you have some year-round colour, or put in spring and early summer bulbs to get the garden off to a great start.
A riot of colour, the planting here combines Helenium and Achillea in fiery colours, interspersed with striking Imperata Red Baron for structural and visual texture. (RHS Hampton 2018: Brilliance in Bloom garden designed by Charlie Bloom)RHS/Neil Hepworth
If you’re looking for ways to make your garden more sustainable, The Samphire Garden by Sue Townsend demonstrates how you can create a garden that both benefits the planet and yet is still bursting with texture and visual interest.
Set amongst paving of locally reclaimed York Stone, the coastal garden in Suffolk uses a rich palette of drought-tolerant planting, including native seaside plants, grasses and Mediterranean shrubs surrounded by a stone mulch in different sizes. Plants include verbena bonariensis, eryngiums, euphorbias, lavender, achillea, ballota, miscanthus nepalensis, pennisetum, verbena and thymus. Ensure you use permeable surfaces to allow water to be released naturally into the ground.
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Samphire garden by Sue Townsend, winner of the Beth Chatto Award for best Eco Garden at the SGD Awards 2020Sue Townsend via Society of Garden Designers
3. Trees
Mature trees can be a starting point for building a scheme. They block the glare of the sun and can also be used as an anchor for shade sails, hammocks, pendant lights or hanging decorations.
Trees can also screen an unattractive view or help to filter noise and air pollution if you live near a busy road. And they benefit nature significantly, providing pollen for insects and shelter for birds, and converting airborne carbon dioxide into oxygen.
A growing trend is multi-stem trees – planting these can create an architectural showpiece, with the elegant canopies lending themselves to layered underplanting or, if planted exclusively, creating a striking structural statement. As seen below in this modern Suffolk garden by Caitlin McLauglin, multi-stem trees and soft planting creates a deconstructed woodland environment in a front courtyard garden.
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Suffolk garden by Caitlin McLauglin, winner of the Fresh Designer award at the SGD Awards 2020Caitlin McLauglin
‘Trees are fantastic as a habitat and food source for wildlife and as a source of carbon capture. They also give structure and architecture to a garden,’ says Sarah Squire, Chair of Squire’s Garden Centres. ‘There are trees for every size and shape of garden, from a small acer in a pot on a balcony or a gorgeous flowering cherry in a back garden, to birch, whitebeam and hornbeam (my personal favourite) for larger spaces.’
4. Beautiful paving
The colour and style of your paving and the way it is laid can provide a strong design direction for the entire garden. For instance, grey or white stone laid in a random pattern will set the scene for a French country look; black or silver paving organised in a regular design will form the perfect backdrop to a sleek and modern scheme; while golden stone arranged in a mixed pattern creates an English country feel.
Aged Riven paving from BradstoneBradstoneAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below
Need some inspiration? Butter Wakefield created an elaborate paving design of 10 interlinking circles in her Ribbon Wheel garden, each one different in design and size and connected to one another by a ‘ribbon’ of York cobblestones. The circles, created from a combination of limestone and York stone are laid in a mix of setts and cobbles creating a stunning effect.
Circular paving seen in the Ribbon Wheel garden by Butter WakefieldButter Wakefield via Society of Garden Designers
If you want to create the garden of your dreams, attention to detail is everything. Create a beautiful scheme by coordinating your plants with your choice of paving. For example:
- Grey or white stone looks great with purple and white blooms
- Black and silver paving looks amazing with strong colours such as red, orange and yellow
- Golden paving works with flowers that have soft tones – pink, lavender, and chalky yellow.
Michael John McGarr, director and garden designer at Warnes McGarr & Co, suggests: ‘Rather than jet washing the old worn paving, think about something new and exciting like large-format porcelain paving. Porcelain absorbs no water so requires less cleaning than traditional types of paving, meaning less pressure washing and much less hard work when multiplied over future years.’
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Perfect for patios, terraces and courtyards, this glazed porcelain tile perfectly captures the look, texture and tonal variations seen on real slate, creating a truly authentic look and feel. The richer rusty tones offset beautifully against the darker natural colours, bringing warmth and character to the surfaces of your garden. Rustic Multicolour Slate Outdoor Tile, £39.99 per m2, CTD TilesCTD Tiles
Regardless, it’s a good idea to create a flow of movement from your home into the garden. ‘By ensuring your paving is the same level as your indoor flooring, you can blur the lines between the interior and the exterior of the property,’ adds Michael.
5. Distinct levels
Is your garden on different levels? If you don’t like the idea of incorporating stone steps, you can achieve a seamless look with your existing lawn, for example, by enabling the flow from one space to the next. As seen in the below photo, garden designer Helen Elks-Smith used grass treads, integrating them into the existing lawn to connect the lower patio to the small sun terrace above.
Garden with grass steps by Helen Elks-Smith MSGD, winner of the Large Residential Award at the SGD Awards 2020Helen Elks-Smith via Society of Garden DesignersAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below
Looking for decking ideas? If you have an uneven or sloping garden, decking is an ideal and cost-effective option for levelling it out. Decking can also have split levels and include steps, making it the ideal space for dining furniture, and due to its use, a decked garden area typically needs to withstand heavy foot traffic.
Environmentally friendly, anti-slip and maintenance-free, Millboard’s composite decking boards are an innovative mix of polyurethane and a mineral blend, offering the beauty and versatility of natural wood without the maintenance. This wood-free decking has a non porous outer layer, so it essentially self-cleans so the rain will do the hard work.
Millboard Composite Decking Weathered Vintage, Garden House DesignGarden House Design6. The furniture
For smaller courtyards and patios, go for folding furniture, or bench seating that can be tucked under a dining table when not in use. L-shaped sofas can be surprisingly compact, while larger spaces can take full-on seating sets, with matching chairs, sofas and tables, sun loungers and day beds, or on-trend hanging egg chairs or swing seats.
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Invest in a good garden furniture set that will last for years to come. Consider the space and allow enough room for each person to be able to sit comfortably and pull out their chair without bumping into anything. And remember, you’ll also need room to walk around the table with everyone seated. It takes up much more space than you might think!
According to Claire Belderbos, director of garden landscaping specialists, Belderbos Landscapes, ‘a dining table works best in the area of the garden that has early afternoon full or partial sun. Put a smaller seating area where you can enjoy the evening sun’.
Rio Grey 6 Seater Outdoor Dining Table and Ivy Chair Set, DanettiDanetti
If, for example, you can’t move your three-piece set indoors over winter, buy furniture covers to protect and extend its life. And whatever garden furniture you buy, don’t forget to accessorise with outdoor cushions for extra comfort.
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And let’s not forget other garden must-haves, including fire pits and chimineas, patio heaters, barbecues and pizza ovens – planning space for these is key, as is where they will be stored or protected once it’s winter.
This outdoor fireplace from Schiedel features natural volcanic pumice, providing insulation for a safe and spectacular centrepiece in the garden. Pumice is a natural insulator which means the fire not only heats up quickly but requires less fuel to reach an optimum temperature. Isokern Garden Fireplace, from £1,191, SchiedelSchiedel
7. Pay attention to your boundaries
In a small garden, boundary walls, fences or hedges may be the biggest element in view, so it’s really important for them to look good. They don’t have to all be the same but try to provide visual links between them. You could have the same type of fence, for instance, and grow climbers up them in coordinating colours. If you aren’t able to change the fences, whitewash them or clad them with battens or trellis. Check with your neighbours first to establish whose fence it is and ask permission before doing any work.
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Elizabeth Moehlmann//Getty Images
The materials you choose are key, too. For example, timber posts don’t have to be confined to fencing a garden off from the neighbours. Carefully positioned within a garden, they can be used to frame plants or seating areas and add extra interest to borders or paths.
A really inventive use can be seen in the NHS 70 Garden for Addenbrooke’s Hospital by garden landscape company Bowles & Wyer. They used reclaimed oak posts to frame the view along a meandering path at its centre, positioning them at different heights and angles so that new aspects of the space open up to visitors as they make their way through.
Timber posts in NHS 70 Garden for Addenbrooke’s Hospital by Bowles & WyerRichard Bloom via Society of Garden DesignersAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below8. Screening and zoning
You should also think about screening areas of your garden to create separate ‘rooms’. Introduce hard landscaping in the form of pergolas or fences, or through plants. ‘You can’t go wrong with hardy rose bushes or tall bamboo,’ suggests Jon Holloway, founder of Garden Trading. Alternatively, try a line-up of potted trees.
If space is limited, consider zoning areas of your garden, although this is a good idea for every garden shape and size. ‘The garden is definitely an extension of the kitchen and living space,’ says Vicky Angell, outdoor living buyer for John Lewis & Partners. ‘In part, this is because our homes are, on average, smaller than ever, so we’re looking to the outdoors for space to entertain and relax.’
Moucharabiya Screen, fro. £95, Screen With Envy@ourhomeonthefold (via Screen With Envy)9. Accessorise the fifth room
Think about how you can turn your outdoor space into a relaxing sanctuary with cosy garden decor and tactile furnishings. Essentially you want to create a living room look, it’s just outdoors rather than inside, so bear this in mind when on the hunt for decor and accessories.
For example, you could invest in an outdoor rug (Cuckooland sell a great selection of Fab Hab rugs made from recycled plastic) along with chunky knit throws, lanterns, and outdoor cushions for an inviting and snug feel. Reflect light around your chosen spot with a garden mirror; invest in a waterproof speaker; choose citronella candles to keep bugs at bay; keep warm in the evenings with a patio heater, and last but certainly not least, dot smaller potted plants around the space, much as you would with houseplants.
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Scion Mr Fox Outdoor Rug in Charcoal Grey, The Rug SellerThe Rug Seller/Andy Gore10. Integrate your ornaments
The most important rule with garden ornaments is to nestle them in with the planting. Choose wisely as an ornament or water feature (although it’s great for wildlife) that’s plonked in the centre of an empty space is unlikely to look good. If it’s too small it will look lost and something too big will overwhelm the space; the latter has also been known to devalue your home, so it’s something to bear in mind when it’s time to sell.
If you like the idea of hearing the trickle of running water in your garden but don’t want a fountain, try a simple stone trough and water spout like the one incorporated into Butter Wakefield’s Ribbon Wheel garden (below). The antique trough is designed with wall panels hanging above it, incorporating antiqued mirrors to reflect the garden beyond and painted a dark grey to set off the green of the surrounding plants.
Antique stone trough in Ribbon Wheel Garden by Butter WakefieldButter Wakefield via Society of Garden DesignersAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below11. Install a garden room
A garden room is a great way to maximise and extend your space whether you want a home office or a yoga studio, and planning permission is not usually required. Whether it’s a large shed or summerhouse, it can be the perfect space for entertaining guests over summer, and can even be used as additional accommodation for guests. Think about ways to make your garden more than just an outdoor area to eat, drink and soak up the sunshine.
Country Living Flintham 7 x 7 Traditional Summerhouse Painted + Installation – Aurora Green, £1,395, HomebaseHomebase12. Living walls
Living walls are becoming more popular in garden designs, providing a great way to embrace vertical planting and create maximum drama in your outdoor space. You can position a living wall anywhere, just remember to choose the right plants for that part of the garden, just as you would with a border. There are plenty of green wall kits and living wall planters available too, so shop around to find one that best suits your space.
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Edible Wall, DobbiesDobbies
You can also invest in high impact living wall systems, which varies in cost depending on how complex you want it, to fill large expanses of wall.
John Davies incorporated hydroponic walls into the roof and basement gardens of this office building in London. A mix of flowering shrubs and perennials, such as buddleia and fuschia, complements the evergreen planting framework and creates a year-round effect with seasonal colour.
Stylus Garden with hydroponic living wall by John Davies, winner of the Grand Award at the SGD AwardsJohn Davies via Society of Garden DesignersAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below
Alternatively, using your garden walls for planting – whether it’s with a trellis or containers – is a great way to create an instant living wall. Using climbing plants and wall shrubs such as clematis, roses, honeysuckle or wisteria, will add a vertical element to your outside space.
13. Don’t forget the lights
Speaking of lighting, don’t underestimate how important it is to create atmosphere in your garden. In exactly the same way that you layer up indoor lighting, do the same for garden lighting and choose a variety of sources (Lights4Fun stock a great range), including fairy lights, festoon lights, wall lights, freestanding lamps and ground lights etc. ‘Outdoor lights and a fire pit mean that you can continue to enjoy your space even when the sun sets or if the weather isn’t quite what you hoped,’ says Jon Holloway.
Whether it’s fairy lights or lanterns dotted along a garden path (Lights4Fun stock a great range), the lights you choose will bring character, ambience and atmosphere to your space – and it’s essential for dining alfresco well into the evening.
Set of 6 Solar Garden Pathway Stake Lights, Lights4funOliver Perrott Photography LtdAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below14. Small space solutions
Vertical planting is key. Make use of fences and walls by planting upwards to maximise space and buy hanging baskets (these are great for front gardens too). In terms of paving, switch to gravel; it’s much more affordable. The most important thing to remember is that just because you have a small garden, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it and make the most of it. There are some great space-saving, foldable or stackable table and chair sets that are perfect for compact spaces – invest in a garden bistro set for style and functionality and deck chairs for easy, instant seating.
Azzura 4 seater mosaic dining table with 4 black metal chairs, HabitatHabitatAdvertisement – Continue Reading Below15. A family garden
Get smart with landscaping to utilise space in a family garden to make it work for everyone. For example, Adolfo Harrison created a hidden playground in this garden in east London, weaving elements of play throughout the design so that both children and adults can enjoy the space.
Monkey bars form a pergola to which swings and slides can be attached, boulder stepping stones are laid out to enable children to jump from one to the other along the length of the garden, and two moon benches provide a snug place where they can sit, set within a living wall to create a playful face. Mirrors are used to make the space feel bigger and a ‘ceiling’ created by the canopy of long-stemmed bamboos focus attention within the space and create a more intimate atmosphere.
Family garden in east London by Adolfo Harrison MSGD, winner of the Garden Jewel category at the SGD Awards 2020Richard Bloom via Society of Garden Designers
Kids love going out in the garden for some playtime but zoning an area is key, as small family gardens can often be dominated by play equipment, leaving little room for anything else. While you would need to have a large garden to install a slide or playhouse, for more restricted spaces, sand tables or mud kitchen play sets in a corner will work great, and it will entertain kids for hours.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below16. Don’t forget wildlife
Always consider the impact your garden design has on wildlife. For example, do your best to help bees by planting bee-friendly plants, speak to your neighbours about creating a hedgehog highway, and buy some bird feeders to hang on fences or from tree branches. Bee hotels, wildlife ponds, log piles, plants for pollinators and compost heaps will continue to increase in popularity.
SRC: https://www.housebeautiful.com/
