Do you want to create a beautiful and functional outdoor space for your home? There are many different design ideas, but it can be tough to find the right one for your needs.
Landscape gardening enables you to take an outdoor space and turn it into a stunning and functional garden – but there are certain principles you should know about.
That’s where this guide comes in. We will provide you with tips and advice on finding the best landscape gardening design ideas for your property.
So whether you’re looking for a traditional or modern style, we have you covered.
Let’s get started.
Landscape Design For Small Gardens
When it comes to our clients, most with small gardens contact us because they don’t know how to maximise their available space while still creating a stunning aesthetic.
The fact is, small gardens will always require more planning to get the elements just right, but there are things you can do to enhance the functionality of your garden without compromising on space.
You need to consider some basic principles when planning a small garden.
Space
The first thing is to understand the different types of space available in your garden and how you can use them.
For example, do you want to dedicate an area of your garden for entertaining and relaxing? Perhaps you have a smaller section that could be used as a play area for children. Or, maybe you’d like to plant vegetables?
Once you know what you’d like to achieve with your garden, you can prioritise each according to your space.
Scale
Another essential factor to consider is the scale of your garden elements. In a small space, it’s important to use features in proportion to each other and the garden as a whole.
You can achieve this by adding smaller plants and trees or opting for designs with fewer features.
Keeping it Simple
Too many features in a small garden can quickly make it feel cluttered and chaotic. Try to stick to a simple design with minimal fuss when planning your space. This will help maintain an open feel and make the area appear more prominent.
Incorporating Water Features
Water features are a great way to add interest and tranquillity to any garden – especially those with limited space. Just be sure to pick a feature that suits the size of your garden; choose something too large, and it will quickly overwhelm the space.
Streamline Your Plants and Furniture
When space is tight, it’s essential to choose furniture and plants that will ‘streamline’ the look of your garden. This means opting for plants and pieces with clean lines and avoiding extravagant details.
You can also use trailing plants or vines to help soften edges and create a more natural look.
Choose Furniture Wisely
While it’s tempting to fill every nook and cranny of your small garden with furniture, this isn’t always a good idea. When space is limited, less really is more!
Choose a few key pieces that will serve multiple purposes – such as a bench that can be used for seating or storage – rather than cramming in lots of smaller items.
Adding Vertical Elements
If you’re short on space, one of the best ways to make your garden appear larger is to add vertical elements. This could be anything from a trellis or pergola to vines or climbing plants.
Not only will this help to create the illusion of more space, but it will also provide some much-needed shade in the summer months.
Small Garden Inspiration
As you can see from this tiny courtyard garden in Pimlico, Central London, we had minimal space to work with. Using a variety of design principles, we were able to turn a dull patio into a dedicated dining and relaxation area.
Large Garden Landscape Design
If you have a large garden, then the sky’s the limit. However, many people think they can do anything they want with an expansive outdoor space, but if you’re going to create a stunning exterior, the following principles are important.
Scale
Just as with small gardens, it’s essential to consider the scale of your garden features. When everything is large, it can be challenging to create a sense of harmony and coherence.
Try to use a variety of elements in different sizes, and remember that smaller details will become more pronounced in a larger space.
Using All The Space Available
Unlike those with smaller gardens, people with extensive gardens often have trouble knowing how to utilise all the available space. This can lead to an uncoordinated and messy look.
While you don’t want your garden to appear cluttered, you need to ensure that you use the space properly, or no elements will stand out.
Dedicate Specific Areas
When you have a lot of space to work with, it’s best to dedicate specific areas for different purposes. This will help to create a more organised and structured look.
Think about including an area for dining, relaxing, playing and gardening. You can also have features such as ponds or sculptures to add interest.
It’s always best to use the available space, and dedicated areas can be excellent to showcase your garden.
Use Pathways
If your garden is on the larger side, you’ll need to include pathways to help guests move around easily. This helps with the flow of traffic and allows you to create different ‘zones’ within your garden.
Paths can be made from a variety of materials, so choose something that will complement the overall design of your space.
Gravel is a cost-effective option, but you can go more high-end with materials such as paving stones or bricks.
Large Garden Design Inspiration
We had a lot of space to work with, and we made the most of it! Our team went to Kent and managed to turn an expansive space into an expertly designed and manicured garden.
Adding some fruit trees and mature trees really sets off the final design, creating a place for children and pets to play without losing any aesthetic appeal.
Japanese Garden Landscape Design
Japanese gardens are renowned for their tranquil beauty and serenity. If you’re looking to create a peaceful oasis, this type of landscape design is worth considering.
You can use many different elements in a Japanese garden, but some of the most popular include stone lanterns, water features, and bridges.
Japanese Garden Landscape Design Ideas
Both large and small outdoor areas can incorporate a Japanese garden design.
For smaller gardens, it’s best to stick to a more simple design. Achieving this simplistic aesthetic is as easy as adding a few key elements, such as stone lanterns and a water feature.
You can go for more intricate designs, including a bridge or koi pond, if you have a more extensive garden. Japanese landscape design is definitely worth considering, no matter what size your garden is.
Japanese Outdoor Inspiration
Japanese gardens can be anything you want them to be. Instead of filling the area with plants, it’s all about balance. In fact, this can be harder to achieve in a large garden, but we did achieve a fantastic result with this stunning example.
With some tasteful stones and plants that fit perfectly into the design, the garden was ideal for families to entertain and kids to play.
Tropical Garden Design
Tropical gardens are perfect for those who want to create a sense of paradise in their outdoor space.
Some of the most popular tropical garden elements include palm trees, banana plants and bougainvillaea.
Tropical Garden Landscape Design Ideas
Tropical gardens work well in large and small outdoor areas, but there’s more flexibility when you have more space. For example, this might include adding stunning water features, dedicated cooking areas and pergolas.
Placing some lights in your cooking area can also make for a perfect entertaining area and turn your garden into the space to be.
Tropical Garden Inspiration
This tropical garden reminds us of being on holiday, enjoying those warm summer nights. We added plenty of tropical plants, including banana trees, to enhance the exotic theme, and replaced a lot of the lawn with decking for the ultimate entertaining space.
The final result? It’s a beautiful garden with so much versatility. Whether it’s relaxing in the warm weather, enjoying food with friends and family or just destressing after a hard day, this garden will stand the test of time.
How Can I Design My Perfect Garden?
When designing your perfect garden, it’s essential to think about the elements that will define its success. Landscaping is so much more than adding a few plants, and planning your design is the best way to ensure the end result is exactly what you’d like it to be.
Start by Drawing a Plan
The best way to start any design project is by drawing up a plan. Creating a detailed plan will help you visualise your ideas and ensure that everything works together correctly.
Also, planning will give you an idea of how much space you’ll use for each element.
You don’t need to be an artist – simply sketching out the rough layout of your garden will do. However, you need to ensure your measurements are recorded correctly to remove any room for error.
Include All Elements
When designing a garden, it’s crucial to include all the necessary elements, including thinking about pathways, seating areas, flower beds and sculptures.
It’s also important to consider the practicalities, such as where your bins will go and how you’ll keep your garden well-lit.
Choose Your Colour Scheme
One of the most important aspects of any design is the colour scheme. Colours can have a considerable impact on our moods and emotions. For example, blue is often associated with calmness, while yellow portrays happiness.
In recent years, orange and turquoise have become increasingly popular in Mediterranean and Moroccan gardens, so there are plenty of choices to ensure your outdoor space stands out.
Think about the feeling you want to create in your garden and choose colours that will help achieve this. You could even use a colour wheel to find complementary shades.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Designing Your Own Garden?
Drawing up a plan for your dream garden is a great way to visualise your ideas and ensure that everything works together correctly.
However, it would be best to keep a few things in mind before starting your project.
It Can Be Time-Consuming
One of the main drawbacks of designing your garden is that it can be time-consuming (which is particularly true if you’re starting from scratch).
Not only do you need to think about the layout, but you also need to choose the right plants, furniture and accessories.
If you’re short on time, it might be worth hiring a professional to help with the design process.
You Might Make Mistakes
Another thing to keep in mind is that you might make mistakes along the way. For example, the measurements might be wrong and ruin your dedicated areas. To remove the risk of errors, hiring a specialist landscape gardening team can be beneficial.
Our designers can help you create a stunning design while staying within your budget. A talented team of landscapers also knows how to maximise your available space and use various techniques to reduce your costs without compromising quality.
You’ll Struggle to Add Hardscaping Elements
One of the main benefits of hiring a professional landscaping team is that they’ll be able to help you add hardscaping elements to your garden.
This includes things like decking, fencing and walls.
If you try to do it yourself, you might not have the necessary skills or knowledge to get the job done properly.
How Can I Get Started?
If you’re interested in designing a garden, our Floral & Hardy garden design team can help. We offer a range of services, including landscape design, garden maintenance and construction.
Our designers can help you create a stunning design while staying within your budget. With us, the outdoor space of your dreams is just around the corner.
