Urban gardens
Amazing gardens from towns and cities
A green corridor in the heart of Sheffield | What is Grey to Green? The initiative bringing colour to Sheffield city centre
The city of Sheffield's green makeover is all thanks to a groundbreaking environmental strategy. Words Jodie Jones, photographs Richard Bloom
Inspiring spaces | A wildlife-friendly garden for lovers of mid-century design
Designer Barbara Samitier has transformed an urban orchard into a stylish, wildlife-friendly garden for a couple who love mid-century design as much as they love nature. Photographs Annaïck Guitteny
Exotic planting brings Californian style to Adam Sykes's London garden
Exotic evergreens provide structure for diverse planting in soft greens and whites, taking a London garden to West Coast America. Words Matt Collins, photographs Jason Ingram
How to create a pocket park
Revitalising a residential street, guerilla gardener Richard Reynolds has made his mark on a pocket park in Devon. Word Lia Leendertz. Photographs Jason Ingram.
Inspiring natural ponds and swimming pools for your garden dip
Ideas for adding a natural pond or swimming pool to your garden, whatever its size and inspiration for hard landscaping materials
Lush, Japanese-style planting in a small garden in Bristol
In Bristol Artisan Landscapes have created a calming tranquil space that invites the owners to immerse themselves in its cool, textural greens. Words Juliet Giles, photographs Jason Ingram
Modern small garden ideas
Whether you want minimalist design, Japanese elegance or an intimate green retreat, you’ll find lots of inspiration for modern small gardens in our expert guides below. Photograph Alister Thorpe
Cool, calm and connected - a small garden in Kent
Designers Harriet Farlam and Ben Chandler have squeezed much into this serene town garden on the north Kent coast. Words Jodie Jones. Photographs Richard Bloom.
A small modern meadow garden by Jenny Bloom
For this garden in north London, designer Jenny Bloom drew inspiration from the unusually wild landscape on its fringes. Words Kate Jacobs. Photographs Richard Bloom.
Inside Andy Sturgeon's modern coastal garden
We take a tour around Andy Sturgeon’s small coastal garden in Brighton, where hard landscaping is minimised to allow for plentiful planting. Words Annie Gatti, photographs by Jason Ingram.
Gardens Illustrated's photographers' favourite gardens
To mark the 30th anniversary of Gardens Illustrated, we asked some of our longstanding photographers to pick the image they took that they loved the most that we've featured in the magazine
How to create a luminous oasis in a small modern garden
Designer Sheila Jack’s sparing use of colour in her own city garden transforms a partially shaded space into a luminous oasis of calm, just when she needs it at the end of a busy day. Words Belinda Cooper, Photographs Britt Willoughby Dyer
How to create a wildlife-friendly modern garden in the city
Prolific design duo Harris Bugg have created an exquisite slice of urban meadow in a wildlife-friendly garden in north London. Words Kendra Wilson. Photography Jason Ingram.
How James Hitchmough used his Sheffield garden to trial South African summer perennials
From our archives: Professor James Hitchmough’s Sheffield garden is a test bed for his scholarly work and a masterclass in planting combinations. Words Caroline Beck, photographs Richard Bloom
How a trip to the desert inspired my garden
Garden designer Martha Krempel found the mesmerising landscape of the American desert solved the conundrum of how to design her small courtyard garden in London. Pictures Clive Nichols
Modernist hard landscaping in a suburban garden
Designer Tom Massey has contrasted modernist hard landscaping with shaggy and shimmering grasses in this small suburban garden in Twickenham. Words Kate Jacobs, Photographs Alister Thorpe.
Transforming a small London garden into an autumnal woodland
With a careful choice of just a few key plants and clever landscaping, this tiny garden transforms into a woodland with a fiery autumn peak. Words Kate Jacobs, photographs Clive Nichols
How designer Erik Funneman created a roof terrace on top of a concrete garage
Designer Erik Funneman has created a natural oasis on an urban roof terrace in Utrecht – here's how he did it. Words by Rae Spencer-Jones, images by Sietske de Vries
Privacy and garden screening in an urban garden by Studio Cullis
Disguising a neighbouring block of flats was the key requirement in this south London garden, designed by Studio Cullis. Words Natasha Goodfellow, Photographs Rachel Warne and Alister Thorpe
Colm Joseph's small city courtyard garden design in Cambridge
In this small city courtyard, designer Colm Joseph has used clean lines, a pared-back palette of materials and lush, woodland planting to create a sense of space and calm. Words Chris Young, photographs Richard Bloom
Inspiring gardens | Lush planting in a hidden small garden
Lush planting and a meandering path give this city garden by Stefano Marinaz a magical, otherworldly feel. Words Natasha Goodfellow, photographs Alister Thorpe
A deceptively simple small garden designed by Sheila Jack
Designer Sheila Jack has transformed this small city garden from artificial lawned-anonymity to a charming woodland-inspired plot that’s a peaceful social space for a family with grown-up children. Words Kate Jacobs, Photographs Lisa Linder
Memories of Kerala in a London garden
In this Islington garden, designer Declan Buckley has used lush, jungle-style planting to remind his clients of their childhoods in Kerala. Words Natasha Goodfellow Photographs Rachel Warne
Stunning small coastal garden in Suffolk designed by Sue Townsend
A bright and airy seaside garden, shimmering with light and jewel-like colour, is guaranteed to lift the spirits. Words Clare Coulson, photographs Richard Bloom