Modern small garden ideas: Your Guide to garden design for small outdoor spaces

Whilst small outdoor spaces may feel limited by their size, they are nothing but a space filled with potential.

When designed well, and thoughtfully, they can feel like your own private retreat, dining spot or stylish extension of your home.

Whether you are working with a compact courtyard, a narrow balcony or an urban garden, we have all the modern garden ideas you could need to help transform your outside space into a stunning small garden, bespoke to your style.

In this guide, we will cover all the modern small garden ideas to stage and equip your garden, covering aesthetics, furniture, lighting, ambience and more.

Let’s get started.

How to shape and plan a small garden

This stage is all about knowing what you want to highlight and how you want to use your space.

You might find sketching out your garden could help with knowing how to arrange it. Don’t forget to measure spaces so you are aware of the exact dimensions you have to work with.

Why not start with these suggestions first?

Recommended Read: The Mindo 111 Extendable Outdoor Dining Table 

Greenery and planting area

Raised beds in a variety of styles, from stone minimal designs to rustic wooden planters, potted plants for a pop of colour, or even getting creative with a vertical garden are all ideal options without valuable floor space being taken up.

Use subtle transitions to delineate these areas without making the garden feel cramped.

You could always experiment with changes in flooring materials like decking, tiles or gravel. Low walls or even outdoor rugs are innovative modern small garden ideas that can help with cohesion and flow, giving the illusion of space.

Space-saving tips

• Built-in seating with hidden storage has dual functionality.
• Mirrors create the illusion of depth.
• Foldable or stackable furniture can be stored out of view.
• A Portable LED lamp brings lighting anywhere, without permanent fixtures required

Recommended Read: How to Choose the Perfect Dining Table

Minimalist small garden ideas

Keeping a small garden looking fresh and expansive is all about clean lines, modern elements and a less-is-more approach.

Here are some minimalist garden ideas to help your space feel calm, open and stylish with a focus on luxury pieces for enduring quality. The last thing you want is to overwhelm the space with too many pieces.

Neutral colour palette

Stick to muted tones for furniture, paving, and planters to maintain a cohesive look. Pops of colour are welcome, but to have cohesion, they need to complement existing colours or hues.

Tip: Muted tones and high-quality materials like stone, wood and metal are the best modern small garden ideas for materials and colours, as they keep things sleek yet organic.

For a compact and stylish small table, opt for the Cane-line Glaze Coffee Table.

Pared back in aesthetics and customisable with two different size options, multiple colourways and a choice of materials including teak, aluminium, and glazed lava stone tops, this table brings a refined, hard-wearing and modern look to your outside space.

Garden path ideas for small gardens

A garden path can act as a way to define your space, bringing a sense of flow, structure and visual interest.

Here are some modern and stylish ideas for a small garden to elevate your garden pathways to their maximum potential.

Garden path ideas for small gardens

A garden path can define your space, creating a sense of flow, structure, and visual interest. In a small garden, the right path can make the space feel more open, connected, and stylish.

Floating stone slabs

Consider large-format floating slabs set in gravel or grass to add a contemporary look to your path. This method creates a sense of movement and depth, so your garden seems larger.

Tip: Light-coloured stones like sandstone or concrete will give the best effect.

Gravel vs. stepping stones – which is best?

Gravel paths are a budget-friendly option that adds texture and a natural aesthetic. They provide good drainage, preventing waterlogging, and work well in informal or more relaxed spaces.

Stepping stones are more structured and intentional and work well in a modern or Japanese-inspired garden. Price-wise, they can vary depending on the quality of the stone, but their uniqueness is afforded within this.

Alternatively, you could try embedding stepping stones into a gravel pathway for a balanced look

How to design a garden layout

It's time to get creative. Some careful placement and innovative furniture can create just the right layout for your space.

By layering plants in tiers, with the tallest at the back and the shortest at the front, using trees, shrubs and ground cover for a natural flow.

Choose plants that complement each other in height, texture and colour.

• Trees for height. Choose small ornamental trees or pleached trees to create a natural canopy.
• Shrubs for structure: Use evergreen shrubs for year-round greenery, and go for seasonal flowering varieties for interest.
• Ground cover plants. Opt for low-maintenance varieties like creeping thyme or sedum to fill gaps and suppress weeds.

Modern small garden ideas: Styles

It is useful to think about a cohesive garden theme or style that you want all your design choices to focus on. We have listed some of the most popular styles to inspire you and your garden space.

Small Japanese Zen gardens

A Japanese Zen garden is a minimalist space that uses natural materials like bamboo, gravel and stone to formulate a tranquil, balanced environment that can be a peaceful space for reflection.

Zen gardens provide plenty of small garden ideas because of their uncluttered, minimalist and intentional designs.

With key features like the use of natural materials, refined planting like moss ferns and small trees, water elements, raked gravel or sand and stepping stones and pathways.

Tips for a small zen garden:

• Focus on a few key elements, a water feature, path, planters or furniture.
• Use bamboo screens to create structure.
• Introduce asymmetry. Avoid rigid, symmetrical layouts.
• Go for an earthy, calming colour palette. Think soft greens, neutral and wood tones.
• Add a small seating area like a lounge chair or bench.
• Opt for soft lighting in the form of lanterns or hidden LEDs.

Small Scandinavian-inspired gardens

This kind of garden style embraces simplicity, natural beauty and of course, functionality.

A strong focus on neutral colour palettes and natural materials creates a harmonious garden with clean lines, carefully chosen soft lighting, simple plantings and stylish outdoor furniture.

Tips for a small Scandinavian garden:

• Use natural materials like wood, stone, and metal.
• Add in soft, muted tones like whites, greys, and earthy greens.
• Keep plantings simple and structured with grasses, ferns, or small trees.
• Try the Case Tanso Soft Seating Collection for a cosy, inviting atmosphere.
• The stylish Tala Muse Rechargeable Portable Lamp is a smart pick here for its performance, style and multiple colourways.

Small Mediterranean courtyard garden

With natural materials like terracotta, stone and wood and colours like orange, browns and reds, a Mediterranean courtyard garden brings all the sun-drenched visual warmth of Southern Europe.

Brimming with inspiration for small garden ideas, the Mediterranean courtyard garden involves layered textures, sun-loving plants like olive trees, lavender, and rosemary, terracotta pots and shaded seating areas.

Tips for a small Mediterranean garden:

• Use terracotta, stone, and wood for warmth and texture.
• Add decorative tiles or mosaic patterns for that Mediterranean feel.
• Create a shaded seating area with a pergola, canopy, or climbing plants.
• Choose a warm, earthy colour palette with okra, deep reds, and sun-kissed neutrals.
• Use soft, ambient lighting like lanterns, candles, or wall-mounted lights.

Recommended Read: How to Make the Most of Your Urban Oasis

We hope you have found some inspiration from our modern small garden ideas. From zoning to materials, garden path ideas, outdoor furniture, plants and garden themes, there is a world of opportunity out there to style your small garden to an exquisite standard.

For tailored guidance on your garden, speak to our team for bespoke advice today.. Email us at sales@hollowaysofludlow.com or call us on 020 7602 5757