Garden Design Styles

Fifteen distinct garden styles with real example galleries, signature palettes, the materials that define each look, plant lists, and step-by-step tips for recreating the look in your own space.

Modern garden design example

Modern

192 designs

Clean lines, restrained planting, and a strong horizontal geometry define the modern garden. Concrete, steel, basalt, and large-format pavers carry most of the visual weight, with plants used as accents rather than the main event. Negative space is treated as a feature.

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Luxury garden design example

Luxury

34 designs

Luxury gardens prioritise materials, lighting, and scale over plant variety. Expect travertine or limestone underfoot, custom water features, integrated kitchens, fire bowls, and resort-grade lounge furniture. The planting is lush but intentional, never busy.

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Japanese garden design example

Japanese

27 designs

Japanese garden design is rooted in centuries of practice: balance, asymmetry, borrowed scenery, and the deliberate use of stone, water, and pruned plants. Every element has a purpose. Empty space (ma) carries as much weight as the things in it.

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Mediterranean garden design example

Mediterranean

73 designs

Mediterranean gardens are built for sun and drought. Whitewashed walls bounce light, terracotta pots hold drought-tolerant plants, and pergolas wrapped in vines provide shade. The look is relaxed but unmistakably structured, with olive trees and gravel doing most of the work.

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Tropical garden design example

Tropical

18 designs

Tropical gardens trade in lushness, bold leaf shapes, and vivid colour. The goal is a dense, layered canopy that feels grown-in rather than planted. Water, foliage variety, and warm wood tones do the heavy lifting.

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Cozy garden design example

Cozy

49 designs

Cozy gardens prioritise feeling over style. Soft textiles, warm string lights, low seating around a fire, and plants chosen for fragrance and texture make the space feel like an outdoor living room rather than a showpiece.

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Farmhouse garden design example

Farmhouse

13 designs

Farmhouse gardens blend productive growing with relaxed beauty. Raised beds, picket fences, gravel paths, and a mix of edibles, herbs, and cottage flowers create a space that earns its keep while looking the part.

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Rustic garden design example

Rustic

12 designs

Rustic gardens lean on raw materials and naturalistic planting. Stacked stone walls, weathered timber, native ornamental grasses, and a deliberate lack of polish make the space feel like it has always been there.

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Minimalist garden design example

Minimalist

12 designs

Minimalist gardens strip every element back to its purpose. A single material, a tight plant palette, and large areas of negative space create a calm, almost meditative outdoor room.

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Contemporary garden design example

Contemporary

17 designs

Contemporary gardens borrow from current architectural trends, mixed materials, bold geometry, and statement lighting, while keeping the planting loose and naturalistic. The result feels designed but never sterile.

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Zen garden design example

Zen

11 designs

Zen gardens (karesansui) reduce the landscape to its essentials: gravel raked into patterns, stones placed with intent, and very few plants. The space is designed for contemplation, not entertaining.

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Cottage garden design example

Cottage

158 designs

Cottage gardens are the original maximalist style: overflowing borders, winding paths, fragrant roses, and a planting plan that looks like happy accident. The romance is the point.

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Scandinavian garden design example

Scandinavian

5 designs

Scandinavian gardens take the hygge principle outside: pale wood, simple shapes, hardy plants, and a strong focus on functional outdoor living through every season. Less is more, but warmer than minimalism.

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Bohemian garden design example

Bohemian

16 designs

Bohemian gardens are unapologetically layered: mosaic tiles, mixed seating, climbing flowers, hanging textiles, and plants from everywhere. The look is curated, not random, every element has a story.

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Traditional garden design example

Traditional

29 designs

Traditional gardens follow centuries-old principles: symmetry, formal hedges, structured planting beds, and a clear hierarchy of spaces. Boxwood parterres, manicured lawns, and classical statuary anchor the look.

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