Small gardens can be just as captivating as larger landscapes, with the right flower bed designs. Whether you are working with a compact backyard, side yard, or balcony, a thoughtfully designed flower bed can completely transform your outdoor space.
With a bit of creativity, even the smallest outdoor space can metastasize into something extraordinary. Continue below to get some inspiring ideas to elevate your small garden into an outdoor oasis.
Tips for Small Garden Flower Beds
- Choose compact or dwarf plant varieties to prevent overcrowding.
- Layer plants by height to create depth in small spaces.
- Mix textures and bloom times to keep your beds interesting year-round.
- Don’t forget the fragrance! Scented plants, such as lavender or sweet alyssum, add another sensory layer to your garden.
Tell Us: Which one of these flower bed creations do you find most inspiring? Let us know in the Comments below!
1. Climbing Vine Garden.
A vertical garden with climbing vines and flowering plants like jasmine, roses, foxgloves, and geraniums was added to the gravel courtyard of a cozy cottage in the Cotswolds. It offers a space-saving solution that helps make your outdoor area feel cozy and welcoming. (via Imperfect Interiors)
2. Design A Rain Garden.
A rain garden is a landscaped depression that collects and filters rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs, driveways, or sidewalks. It helps filter pollutants, reduce flooding, and recharge groundwater by allowing stormwater to naturally soak into the soil instead of flowing directly into storm drains or waterways.
This Rain Garden overflow is highlighted with recycled concrete pavers. The stunning deciduous shrub is a ‘Tiger Eye’ Sumac, Rhus typhina. It stuns in the garden with its ever-changing foliage — chartreuse in spring, bright yellow in summer, and transforms with orange and scarlet hues in fall. This compact shrub is an excellent choice for small gardens or even patios, as it can also thrive in containers. It needs well-draining soil and ample daylight to ensure proper growth. (via Banyon Tree Design Studio)
3. Welcoming Entry Garden with Flowers.
Colorful flowers and foliage greet you as you come up the center walk of this small urban home in Portland, Oregon. The lawn serves as a sweeping pathway and provides a green respite for the eye. Flowers include geraniums, “Magilla Purple” Perilla, a gorgeous foliage plant, and Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’ (Spurge). (via Plan-it Earth Design)
4. Flowers Spilling Out.
Add a touch of whimsy to your garden bed with this spilled flower pot idea. Select a large pot from your local garden center that will hold visual interest in your garden and lay it flat. Create a small flower bed using well-draining soil and plant colorful blooms. Select plants that will attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to create a pollinator-friendly garden. This low-maintenance flower bed is planted with zinnia and marigolds. (via Mindy Joiner / Pinterest)
5. Garden With a Wheel Barrel.
A tipped-over wheelbarrow is the perfect flower bed idea for your small garden. It will help you to add visual interest and abundant color. Select plants depending on the look you want to create. If you are looking for trailing flowers, select Petunias, Lobelia, Sweet Potato Vine, and Bacopa. For more compact flowers, choose Marigolds, Geraniums, Pansies/Violas, Impatiens (a shade-loving flower with vibrant color). Filler plants include Alyssum, Dusty Miller, and Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (adding a wonderful aroma). (via Patty Veles / Pinterest)
6. Drought-Tolerant Flower Bed.
Boulders and a riot of California native and climate appropriate drought-tolerant plants create a joyous garden. The purple flowers are Convolvulus sabatius (Bindweed), while the red flowers are Leucospermum cordifolium, an upright, evergreen shrub. The orange flowers are Orange Calibrachoa, also called Million Bells or Superbells. They are like mini petunias and come in a variety of colors. (via Urban Oasis Landscape Design)
7. Tree Stump Flower Bed.
If you have a tree stump on your property, you can transform it into an eye-catching focal point by planting a small flower bed in and around it. Flowers that grow well from a tree stump include succulents, moss, and wildflowers (violets, lichen, or baby’s tears), pansies and violas, small ferns, and creeping Jenny or trailing ivy. (via Three Dogs in a Garden)
8. Reupurpose a Whiskey Barrel.
To recreate this look, visit your local garden center, like Home Depot, and purchase one or two barrels. These whiskey barrels are a lot of fun to work with. For supplies, you’ll need a whiskey barrel, soil, pebbles, fertilizer, mulch, and flowers. Find an ideal spot in your small garden where this can serve as a focal point. Place your pebbles about 2-3 inches deep. Add the soil with a slow-release fertilizer. Plant your flowers, and then water. Add an LED pathway light in a lantern style into your pot to cast a warm glow in the evening. (via El Dorado Nursery & Garden / Facebook)
9. Meditating Frog Statue.
Add a feeling of zen to your flower garden with a meditating frog statue. The homeowner purchased this cast stone ‘Totally Zen Too Frog Statue’ from a local garden store. It is designed to weather naturally. The company that makes it is called ‘Campania International’. However, you can find them online at a handful of places such as “Frontgate” and “The Garden Gates”. (via Pro Care Horticultural Services)
10. Salvaged Wheelbarrow Flower Bed.
Create a focal point in your garden by repurposing an old wooden wheelbarrow and filling it with well-draining topsoil and colorful flowers. The blooms include pansies and petunias. Both are ideal for flower beds, containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets. You can also create this as a flower bed display in containers that can be placed in your shed, greenhouse, or garage in the winter to protect them from the cold. (via Three Dogs in a Garden)
11. Create a Potted Garden.
This beautiful flower garden was created using terracotta pots that appear to be vintage. Garden Lime was used to create a distressed finish on these DIY terracotta pots, which were sourced from the Home Depot. Be sure to use a clear sealer on the pots. A vintage wooden pot holder holds twenty-one pots, creating a beautiful flower display. Various flowers fill the pots, such as poppies. This is the perfect small space solution, especially for those with a small garden or limited space. Get the full DIY how-to tutorial at the provided link. (via My 100 Year Old Home)
12. Draw The Eye Upwards.
If you have a small garden, consider going vertical with tall flowers that will provide height while maximizing your space. The purple is a Cone Flower, the pink on the right is a Daylily. At the same time, the tall yellow-orange flowers in the center are Helenium mardi gras, and the short yellow flowers appear to be a variety of Black Eyed Susans. (via American Beauty Landscaping Inc.)
13. Corner Flower Beds.
Create a small flower bed in the corner of your house, maximizing every inch. This bed features beautiful hostas, a popular shade-loving perennial. They come in various sizes, shapes, and colors and thrive in rich, well-drained soil. These low-maintenance plants produce lovely white to lavender flowers in the summer. (via gardenUP®)
14. Add A Small Water Feature.
Surround a bird bath or mini water feature to create a focal point that attracts birds and pollinators, while adding gentle sound to your outdoor space. A low-maintenance, pollinator garden surrounds this water feature. This includes Helleborus, Hepatica, Muscari, Snow Drops, Daffodils, Pasque Flower, and Winter Aconite. These perennials are early spring flowers that are also squirrel/bunny resistant, and hardy in zones 5 or colder.
(via @ladylandscape / Instagram)
15. Raised Brick Beds.
Add structure and charm with a low brick border filled with vibrant seasonal flowers. The window pane lattice top fence frames the backyard for added privacy. The lattice spacing on this fence is 1″. (via Dakota Unlimited)
16. Water Management Habitat Rain Garden.
A detail of some of the blooming plants in the rain garden of a home in Philadelphia, mainly showing different purple blooming asters and yellow goldenrod that feed later-season pollinators. (via Stephen Coan Garden Design)
17. Tulip Garden.
Create a small garden bed in front of your house filled with fresh spring flowers like tulips, which bloom from mid-March to mid-May in most regions. They come in a wide array of colors, shapes, and sizes, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your garden. (via The Garden Concierge, Inc.)
18. Cottage Casual Garden.
The side yard of a century-old farmhouse in Northern California. The owner wanted something natural, extremely easy to care for, and most of all…colorful. This little garden has it all…it’s simple palette of plants, variegated irises, California poppies, French lavender, creeping morning glory, and of course, David Austin roses all combine to create a carnival of color! (via Casa Smith Designs)
19. Stacked Stone Garden Border.
Define your flower beds with a decorative stone border for a clean, polished finish. This cottage garden features an assortment of vibrant flowers, including Verbena, Gomphrena, Russian Sage, and Mums. (via The Inspired Garden)
20. Colorful Flower Garden.
Colorful spring bulbs sweep across the front yard of this Mequon, Wisconsin home, adding inviting curb appeal. The Tulip Mix ‘Lava’ adds a deep, bright focal point. ‘Marieke’ Daffodils stand behind grape hyacinth for a complementary color show. ”Jetfire’ and ‘Fortissimo’ daffodils underneath a flowering Serviceberry tree. (via Ginkgo Leaf Studio)
21. Potager Garden.
Flowers and vegetables make great companions, both aesthetically and functionally. Flowers add splashes of color to the sea of green and attract beneficial pollinators, ensuring your garden will be successful and productive. The flowers of some of the annuals are edible as well: the nasturtiums have a peppery flavor, the marigold petals taste citrusy and although best used as a garnish, the purple pansies are edible too. Pink zinnias and the spent flowers of garlic chives are seen in the foreground.
These beds are raised using stone tread stock set on edge and then back filled with an amended soil mix. Raising the beds makes turning the soil and working in the beds easier. The soil of the raised beds also warms up faster in early spring, allowing the beds to be planted a little earlier in the year. Seen in these beds are tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli. (via Dear Garden Associates)
22. Charming Entry Bloom.
Nestled beside the front steps, this compact flower bed showcases white begonias and delicate purple angelonia that enhance the entryway. Both plants are ideal for a garden edging border, offering long-lasting color with minimal maintenance. A neatly trimmed boxwood provides structure and greenery, while a classic urn planter finishes off the look. (via Winston Fayer Landscape Design)
23. Garden Trellis.
If you lack ground space in your garden, then growing vertically is an excellent option. The Mira Garden Trellis (comes pre-assembled) by TerraTrellis is a summer edible and ornamental garden that supports a Trumpet Vine, along with Artichoke and Rosemary plants. The plant in the foreground is an artichoke (edible). Distictus (Trumpet Vine) is on the trellis, and Rosemary is growing in the background. (via TerraTrellis)
24. Vertical Flower Walls.
A wall-mounted planter system is the perfect solution if you have limited outdoor space. These custom Ina Wall Trellises by Terra Trellis hang on a garden wall in Sausalito, California. Interwoven purple Clematis vines create a natural tapestry. Garden design by Shades of Green Landscape Architecture. (via TerraTrellis)
25. Summer Container Planting.
Containers can be used to decorate anywhere in your garden, on the patio, front porch, or balcony. These containers feature a classic combination of Potato Vine, Homestead Purple Verbena, and Calliope Geraniums. Cannas, Phormium, and Annual Hibiscus create height and fill the middle of the container. (via Lush Custom Gardening Company)
26. Add A Birdhouse.
A birdhouse is the focal point of this backyard garden. The post height ensures plenty of room for tall perennials. Delphiniums can be found in this beautiful birdhouse garden. The birdhouse is by Walpole Outdoors. There are several benefits to having a birdhouse in your backyard. This includes helping to control pests, keep weeds at bay, flower pollination, conservation (they help to support a local ecosystem), and they provide a safe haven for birds to build their nests. (via Garden Tech Horticultural Services)
27. Insect-Friendly Garden.
A small garden path leads one through this insect-friendly garden that combines the silvery softness of Lamb’s Ears and Cotton Lavender with the delicate foliage of Woolly Yam, creating a low-maintenance space that attracts bees and butterflies. The muted tones and tactile textures provide both visual calm and create a healthy ecosystem. (via Dendron Exterior Design)
28. Charming Cottage-Style Garden.
Cottage gardens are characterized by their abundance of flowers. Here, plants are allowed to grow freely where they have been sown. Often, there is no clear distinction between the vegetable and ornamental gardens. Leafy vegetables and herbs, in particular, have a positive design effect. This planting was planned in the color triad of blue, white, and red in cool tones. It creates a harmonious image. Other colors usually appear too bright and overly exciting. (via Dagmar Stucke Gartengestaltung)
29. Containers Add Color.
Whimsical garden art and accessories are scattered throughout this stunning home garden in San Diego, California. Containers are the perfect small garden accessory, as they can be placed anywhere and can be easily moved to accommodate changing weather conditions, providing more shade and less sun when needed. (via Jackie and the Beanstalk)
30. Dreamy Wildflower Meadow.
The boundaries of this garden had been left to grow. After some failed attempts at seeding, the homeowner asked to install wildflower earth from Wildflower Turf Ltd. Despite a tricky winter for establishment and some rye grass ingress, the landscape architect managed to achieve good wildflower representation after only 7 months. (via Wild by Design Landscapes)
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