If you are looking for inspiration in garden designs, you have come to the right place. This post gathers quite a few landscaping ideas that can get you started in planning the garden you’ve always dreamed about. You will find a variety of garden styles in the photos below, all you have to do is pick your favorite and begin further research. The right garden accessories and plant species can set the tone for an incredible outdoor atmosphere, an invigorating place of retreat. You can embark on a memorable gardening adventure yourself, or you can hire a landscape architect to help with advice. Either way, designing your garden should be a fun, relaxing experience. Green labyrinths, cobblestone pathways, small ponds, water fountains, colorful flowers and small round trees flanking your way around the yard- these are all elements that can induce a wonderful state. After all, there is nothing like enjoying a fresh morning surrounded by your own green refuge, or taking some well deserved time off in the afternoon, after a long day’s work.

Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. Most professional garden designers have some training in horticulture and the principles of design, and some are also landscape architects, a more formal level of training that usually requires an advanced degree and often a state license. Amateur gardeners may also attain a high level of experience from extensive hours working in their own gardens, through casual study, serious study in Master Gardener Programs , or by joining gardening clubs.

Garden design is the foundation of any great landscape. What does your dream garden look like? Make that dream a reality with garden design secrets, ideas, and inspiration for front yards and backyards. That includes stunning color, foliage, and plant combinations, including the best red and yellow flowers to pair together, as well as tips for decor, landscaping, and curb appeal. We've made it easy to include more plants in your favorite hues, with guides to blue, lavender, orange, pink, and purple blooms -- and more. If you love a landscape filled with wildlife, such as birds and butterflies, you'll learn ways to attract them to your garden, including building your own birdhouses or creating birdbaths. 

Tips for Designing a Garden

Make sure your pathways are wide enough for comfortable passage. Nobody enjoys squeezing through narrow spaces, in­­doors or out. Main thoroughfares should be wide enough for at least two people to walk side by side, no less than 5 feet. For secondary paths where people walk single file, the width should be at least 3 feet. Keep in mind that the taller the plantings or structures that flank your walkway, the wider the path needs to be. Tall boundaries make any space feel more restricted.

Outdoor steps and stairways should ascend gently; otherwise, they are liable to seem daunting. Steps with a rise of 6 inches or less are the most comfortable. The run (or depth) of each step plus twice the rise (or height) should equal 26 inches. So steps with a 6-inch rise would require a run of 14 inches. If your garden stairways include more than 10 steps, consider landings after every fourth or fifth step to ease progress. Landings should be at least as deep as the stairs are wide. A generous landing is an absolute necessity wherever a stairway changes direction.