25 Best Garden Layout Ideas for Every Size Garden

Looking for the best garden layout ideas for your outdoor space? No matter what size or shape your backyard is, there are plenty of ways to create a beautiful garden.

From small garden ideas to large garden layouts, there are plenty of options to consider when it comes to adding a little greenery to your home. Here are the 25 best garden layout ideas for every size garden!

1. Create a plan for your flower beds

Many homeowners start a garden with a blank canvas, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t have a plan. Before you start planting, sketch out a few layouts for your garden beds and decide which plants you want to include.

You can also create a color palette for your flowers to help you decide which plants to use and where to plant them. If you’re not sure what to plant, consider flowers that are native to your area, as they’ll be well-suited to your soil and climate.

Once you have a plan in place, you can start planting your flower beds. Over time, you can add more beds and experiment with different layouts to create a garden that’s uniquely yours.

2. Use the corners of your garden

If you have a small garden, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut and use the same layout year after year. If you’re looking for a new layout, we love what’s been done in this small garden.

The corners of the garden have been used to create two lovely seating areas. The one at the back of the garden is a lovely spot for a dining table, and the one closer to the house is a great place to take in the view.

3. Plant a variety of flowers

If you’re a flower lover and don’t want to be limited to a specific color palette or type of flower, this garden is for you. This garden bed is filled with a variety of flowers, including irises, peonies, and geraniums.

The key to making a garden with a variety of flowers look cohesive is to use a few repeating colors. Here, we see pink, purple, and white flowers throughout the garden.

4. Add a water feature

There are few things more relaxing than the sound of trickling water. A water feature, whether it’s a pond, pool, or fountain, can provide a calming atmosphere in your garden.

It also can be a great way to add a focal point, especially in a large garden. Here, a pond is the main feature, surrounded by a lush garden and a small patio.

If you don’t have the space or budget for a pond, consider a smaller water feature, like a bubbling fountain or a reflecting pool.

5. Plant flowers in pots

If you’re working with a smaller garden, you might not have the luxury of a large flower bed. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the beauty of blooms.

Instead, try planting flowers in pots and arranging them around your garden. This will allow you to add color and fragrance, without taking up valuable space.

If you’re not sure which flowers to choose, try selecting a few different types and arranging them in a cluster. This will create a more natural, cottage garden look.

6. Design a window box

You don’t need a large outdoor space to create a beautiful garden. In fact, if you have a smaller garden, you could be better off getting creative with your layout.

Window boxes are a great way to add a splash of color to the exterior of your home and they can be easily moved around, so you can change up the look of your garden as often as you like.

7. Create a border

If you have a lawn that’s looking a bit tired, or a patio that needs softening, a border is a great way to add color and texture to your garden.

Here, a raised bed has been used to create a border, which is filled with a mix of colorful flowers and foliage. This layout is a great way to add interest to a garden that’s lacking in exciting features.

8. Plant a tree

If you have a large garden and want to create a new planting scheme, think about adding a tree. Trees are essential for our environment, and they bring a sense of permanence and scale to a space.

For this garden, the designers at Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer added a mature tree to create a focal point. The tree also provides shade and a home for wildlife. When you are choosing a tree for your garden, think about the aspect and the soil type. Most trees prefer well-drained soil, but some will tolerate wetter conditions.

9. Build a raised flower bed

If you want to add some flowers to your garden but are worried about the amount of space they might take up, why not try building a raised flower bed? This is a great way to add a splash of color to your garden without worrying about the flowers taking over.

This garden layout idea is perfect for small gardens, as you can build the flower bed as big or as small as you like. You can also choose how many flowers you want to plant, depending on your preferences.

10. Use a trellis to create a vertical garden

If you’re short on space, consider going vertical. A trellis can be used to grow climbing plants, like cucumbers, peas, and beans, while taking up minimal ground space.

In this garden by Sugar and Cloth, a trellis is used to create a cozy nook. A bench is flanked by a pair of trellises, which are covered in climbing roses. This creates a sense of privacy and makes the bench feel like a secluded spot in the garden.

11. Plant a rock garden

Rock gardens are a great way to create a focal point in your garden and are very low maintenance. They work especially well in smaller gardens, where they can be used to create a multi-level layout and add interest.

Plant your rock garden with a mix of low growing perennials and shrubs and pack the spaces between the rocks with gravel. For a more modern look, you can also use a combination of succulents and cacti in your rock garden.

If you want to know more about how to create a rock garden, we can help.

12. Design a Japanese garden

Japanese gardens are all about creating a sense of calm and tranquility, and they do this by employing a combination of techniques such as creating a focal point, using repetition, and carefully considering the layout of the space.

In this small garden, the owners have used a series of circular stepping stones to create a path that leads the eye around the space. The circular shapes are repeated in the circular lawn and the circular border, creating a harmonious and calming effect.

13. Plant a wildflower garden

Wildflower gardens are a great way to add color and interest to a garden, as well as providing a valuable source of nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Gardens for wildlife can take on many different forms, but a wildflower meadow is perhaps the most traditional. A meadow garden is a large area of grass that is left uncut, allowing wildflowers to grow and spread.

You can create a smaller version of a meadow garden in your backyard by planting a mix of annual and perennial wildflowers.

Choose a sunny spot and prepare the soil by removing any weeds or grass and digging in some organic matter.

Sow your wildflower seeds in the spring, and then sit back and watch as your garden comes to life with color and activity.

Wildflower gardens are low maintenance and require very little watering or feeding, making them a great choice for busy gardeners.

14. Design a cottage garden

A cottage garden is a great way to fill a garden with a mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables. The key to a successful cottage garden is to make it look like it has been growing for years, so don’t be afraid to pack the plants in.

A meandering gravel path is a great way to break up the garden and add interest, as well as allowing you to get up close to the plants. Here, the gravel path has been edged with a low box hedge.

This garden has been designed by the team at Garden House Design.

15. Create a Mediterranean garden

With the right garden layout, you can bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your outdoor space. Choose a warm, sunny spot and use terracotta pots with a mix of herbs, citrus trees, and lavender for a fragrant display.

Add a seating area to your design, and if you can, use a pergola to create a shady spot to relax. Hang festoon lights and add a fire pit to create a cozy space that you can use long into the evening.

Try to use plants with silvery foliage and those that have a relaxed, informal look to them. This will help create that relaxed Mediterranean vibe.

16. Plant a herb garden

If you’re a keen cook, a herb garden is the perfect way to grow your own fresh herbs and add a burst of flavor to your dishes. It’s also a great option if you have a small garden, as herbs can be grown in pots and containers and don’t need a lot of space.

You can grow herbs in a dedicated herb garden, or add them to your existing garden layout. Herb gardens can be designed in a formal or informal style, and can be as simple or complex as you like.

17. Design a vegetable garden

Vegetable gardens have a reputation for being disorderly, but that doesn’t have to be the case. By dividing your space into neat, geometric beds, you can create a well-organized garden that’s a joy to work in.

This layout, designed by the team at Moda Botanica, features a series of raised beds, each with its own dedicated crop. The beds are surrounded by grass paths, which are kept weed-free by the addition of a geotextile membrane.

18. Create a garden for birds and butterflies

Wildlife gardens are a great way to encourage birds, bees, and butterflies into your yard. You can create a dedicated wildlife-friendly area, or you can add wildlife-friendly plants and features throughout your garden.

Choose plants that provide food for wildlife, such as nectar-rich flowers for bees and butterflies, and seed-producing plants for birds.

You can also add bird feeders, birdhouses, and butterfly houses to create the perfect environment for wildlife in your garden.

19. Plant flowers in the shade

If you have a shady garden, you might think that you’re limited in what you can grow. However, there are plenty of shade-loving flowers that you can plant to add color to your garden.

In this garden, the homeowner has added a small flower bed in front of the shade. This is a great way to add a pop of color to a shady area and create a beautiful focal point in your garden.

Some of the best flowers to plant in the shade include impatiens, begonias, and fuchsia. You can also grow a variety of different ferns and hostas, which come in a wide range of colors and sizes.

20. Design a garden with a theme

Planting a themed garden, such as a cottage garden or a tropical garden, can be a fun way to create a cohesive look. A themed garden can be as simple as choosing a color scheme and planting flowers and foliage in those colors, or it can be more complex, such as a garden that’s designed to look like a specific place, like a Japanese garden or an English country garden.

This garden by designer Sharon Hines of Yellow House Market is a great example of a themed garden. She designed a potager garden, which is a traditional French kitchen garden where fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown together in a formal layout. Sharon’s garden is designed with a mix of raised beds, pathways, and containers, and she filled the space with a mix of ornamental and edible plants.

21. Plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year

It’s a good idea to plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year so that you have some color in your garden all year round.

In this garden designed by Janice Parker Landscape Architects, peonies, allium, and geraniums are just a few of the flowers that add color to the garden in spring.

22. Create a low-maintenance garden

If you’re not the type of person who wants to spend all their free time tending to their plants, you can still have a beautiful garden.

This garden from Jilayne Rickards features a variety of low-maintenance plants, including a variety of grasses and ferns. The natural-looking path and the stone bench add to the feeling of a wild, untamed garden.

23. Design a garden for kids

Gardens are great places for kids to play, and if you have a family, you might want to think about how you can create a garden that has plenty of space for little ones to run around and play games in.

In this garden, designed by John Davies, there is a large lawn area, and a small wildflower meadow has been created at the bottom of the garden. A stream with stepping stones is designed to encourage imaginative play, and a tree house has been built in the large tree. A sunken trampoline is another great idea if you want to create a play area that won’t take up too much space.

24. Plant flowers that attract bees

Bees are so important to the ecosystem, and they’re also great for your garden. By planting flowers that attract bees, you’ll encourage them to come and pollinate your plants.

Some of the best flowers for bees include lavender, sunflowers, and cosmos. You can plant these flowers in between your vegetables or in a separate flower bed to attract bees to your garden.

25. Create a garden with a seating area

If you have a larger garden, make the most of the space by incorporating a seating area. This could be a patio, a deck, or even a gravel area with an outdoor sofa and a fire pit.

Then, create a garden layout around the seating area. You could add a lawn, flower borders, a vegetable garden, or a combination of all of the above.

This beautiful garden, designed by The Happy Gardening Life, features an elegant patio with a fire pit and a raised vegetable garden. The raised beds are made from cedar and are 4 feet by 8 feet. The beds are 2 feet deep, which is perfect for root vegetables, and they are 3 feet high, so you don’t have to bend over to work in the garden.

Conclusion

Regardless of what garden layout you choose, make sure your plants are receiving the proper amount of sunlight. To ensure this, take the time to study the path of the sun and how it will affect your garden. Try to avoid placing taller plants in front of shorter ones, so that each plant receives the proper amount of sunlight.