Just in time for summer party season.
Plants and flowers bring life, color, and warmth to any setting—whether you’re working with a spacious backyard or a snug indoor corner. Beyond their undeniable beauty, gardening offers a wide range of rewards: it encourages relaxation, builds a sense of care and purpose, and even helps purify the air. With so much to gain, the joys of gardening shouldn’t be limited to those with expansive lawns or elaborate greenhouses. That’s why we’ve gathered a curated list of smart, stylish ways to start a small-space garden right at home.
From vibrant window boxes and lush hanging plants to pint-sized veggie plots and leafy balconies, there’s no shortage of clever ways to add greenery to your living space. And if you’re lacking a yard or patio, bringing plants indoors can turn even the smallest area into a serene retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or brand new to plant care, there’s an idea here to suit every lifestyle and space.
So, get the tools, roll up your sleeves, and let your green thumb sparkle with these 34 creative small garden designs.
1. Make It All-Encompassing
Designer Christina Nielsen created a serene garden retreat from a Brooklyn backyard using stone pavers laid in gravel. Plant life hugs the entire space—from fencing to containers—delivering a cozy, secluded city hideaway.
2. Mix Different-Sized Plants
On a Houston pied-a-terre balcony by M. James Design Group, there is a serene, tiered atmosphere created by plants of varying heights. Achieve the same result by placing tall potted trees and bushes near the floor, then finishing with tiny flower and herb pots on coffee and dining tables.
3. Make use of the Kitchen
Bring outdoor bliss indoors by adorning a bright kitchen with greenery. In Elizabeth Hay’s Singapore residence, where she works as an interior designer, light-green shelving unit holds potted flowers, with more flowers and herbs displayed on the windowsill—perfect for cooking and decorative splash.
4. Be Sculptural
For a timeless garden aesthetic, try classic topiary. On this back porch by designer Barclay Butera, neatly trimmed topiaries line the space with elegance. Want the look without upkeep? Faux plants are a stylish, maintenance-free alternative. “Silk plants are so realistic now—you’ll never have to water them!” Butera says.
5. Create an Archway
When stage designer and photographer Cecil Beaton lived in this house around 1979, a rose-covered trellised archway added romance to the back yard. Whether you have a front walk or a quiet garden nook, you can apply the idea to suit your space.
6. Fence It In
In N.Y.’s Southampton, Lisa Bynon’s kitchen garden features a weathered-wood table at its center, surrounded by formal raised beds shielded by a cedar deer fence—a dash of efficiency and pizzazz combined.
7. Try a Double-Duty Fence
Make your fence do more than just separate space. Here, in this design by architect Gil Schafer and landscape company Mohr & Seredin, freestanding trellises painted to match the shutters suspend climbing vines and integrate fully into the garden’s own color scheme.
8. Install an Outdoor Shower
Enclose a shower outdoors with plants for a cozy, spa environment. Designer Hadas Dembo surrounded this forest-shower area with trellises to foster plant growth and seclusion, and a jaw-dropping succulent anchors the space.
9. Drive Over It (Seriously!)
You can drive over a garden, indeed! Bay Area designer Dan Carlson created a low-profile combination of herbs and succulents, woven between permeable pavers to develop a driveway that’s also garden-friendly and beautiful-looking—no huge yard needed.
10. Set up a Miniature Greenhouse
Leanne Ford designed an A-frame garden shed that doubles as a playhouse for her daughter and someday will be converted into a greenhouse. A flexible structure like this conforms to your needs—and gets you a head start on homegrown crops.
11. Build It In
This modern home features an integrated succulent garden along its exterior wall. The plants are of a height that they offer seclusion without obstructing the view from the living room. Bonus: they are low maintenance, which is great news for anyone with no green thumb.
12. Grow Your Own Herbs
Create a rustic herb garden using a piece of wood, mason jars, and pipe clamps from your home hardware store. If room allows, plant them outdoors on a deck or patio so they’re at arm’s length in the kitchen.
13. Make It Livable
Turn an small patio into a serene retreat with the inclusion of some blooming pots and a couple of rocking chairs. It is a simple setup that gives the appearance of a hidden garden retreat.
14. Build a Micro Wall
Mount a shelving unit to the wall and line it with the small potted plants. This setup gives your screened-in porch an open and airy feel but still injects a dose of greenery.
15. Make Use of the Whole Wall
Cover your porch with a herb or flower garden that goes vertical. Take a cue from Birmingham’s Shoppe, a plant enthusiast’s haven, and top it off with a distressed armoire to hold candles and china, and keep gardening tools hidden in the drawers. A green wall beside it makes the whole location come alive.
16. Keep Your Flower Singular
Make it plain and cohesive by having just a single type of flower. Not only is it easy to maintain, but also it brings cohesion to small garden areas. These pink flowers, for instance, add romance and texture to a front door.
17. Use Your Windows
If your house does not have a balcony, window boxes can still bring the outside inside. Plant window boxes with planters, then add flowers or herbs in layers to add color to your view. This townhouse demonstrates how seasonal changes can update the look all year round.
18. Nurture a Few Pots
Start small with a handful of pots, and that’s ideal for a novice gardener—even if you have room for more. Here in this garden designed by Shazalynn Winfrey, container sunflowers are beautiful paired with plaid pillows on a bench, adding to the stonework exterior of the home.
19. Have a Sense of Humor
Gardens need not be serious. This backyard in a Newport mansion is the habitat of a playful teddy bear topiary, reminding us not to be too serious—even in small backyards.
20. Separate by Type
When choosing between a cutting garden and a kitchen garden, consider which will be the most convenient for you. In this plan by Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barker, they managed to include both in a little space—showing that with the right planning, you don’t have to do either one.
21. Make Something Old Look Beautiful
Don’t get rid of that old furniture just yet. Repurpose a busted dresser to a tiered planter, or make a wheelbarrow, old tub, or even an old truck bed. A side table is a good option for tiny patios or balconies as well.
22. Repurpose a Parkway
This dynamic red brick patio used to be a parking lot! With a central sculpture and colorful gardens throughout, it now adds warmth and personality to the gray shingles and blue shutters of this Nantucket house.
23. Make It Multi-Purpose
If you don’t have room for an additional garden, create one area that does it all. This is a terrace that serves as part dining area, part lounge (with a hanging chair), and part green haven—just enough to demonstrate that multitasking spaces can be equally garden-like.
24. Start With a Terrarium
You don’t need a huge plant to make an impact. Small terrariums, like this one in a geometric pot, create visual interest without taking up floor space. Hang it to add vertical foliage and create your own miniature world.
25. Turn Your Steps
Even narrow stair ledges may be planting space. These built-in flowerbeds on a garden staircase demonstrate how small things of greenery can make giant visual impacts—without compromising space.
26. Landscape Your Entryway Wisely
A limited front entrance need not exclude you from a garden atmosphere. Thin trees, pot topiaries, and one show-stopping planter can change even a tiny entrance into a calm, Zen-like space with clever design.
27. Max Out Your Sun Room
No yard? Problem solved. Use a sunny spot in your home to achieve an indoor garden look. A tall succulent has desert oasis cool, and a fig tree has drama factor—two great choices for sun rooms.
28. Leave It on the Balcony
Your balcony might be small, but it’s full of potential. Let your inner gardening genius shine by decorating it with leaves—think potted trees, hanging gardens, and living walls. It’s the ideal answer to a rooftop or backyard garden.
29. Go Vertical
When there’s no space, go up instead of out. This vertical garden, built out of simple materials, turns a bare wall into a stunning jungle-style backdrop. It’s maximum effect with minimalism.
30. Use Your Windows
A window box is a quaint way to grow herbs or flowers—and it can yield enormous visual returns. Balconies full of blooms like this one don’t only brighten the scenery but elevate curb appeal for the entire block. Bonus: the raised elevation adds depth most ground-level gardens can’t.
31. Grow Fresh Produce
There is nothing quite like adding home-cooked meals with flavors from your own backyard. Do you have a rooftop? Consider a vegetable garden there. Don’t have a rooftop? Research a plot in your neighborhood community garden to start growing your own fresh veggies.
32. Beautify a Pathway
A thoughtfully designed pathway can make even a small garden feel intentional and elegant. Use pavers to outline walkways or property borders, then add color with low-maintenance plants like lavender. If space is tight, take inspiration and scale it down to fit your area.
33. Convert a Garage or Attic
Don’t let unused indoor areas go to waste. Repurpose a garage, attic, or shed as an active greenhouse or indoor workshop for gardening. It’s a year-round solution to grow houseplants indoors—no outdoor garden space required.
34. Make a Path
Think of your garden as an experience, not a location. Adding stepping stones or a designated path creates order and unity, and even the smallest outdoor area will be organized and welcoming to visitors.
