Ideas for townhouse gardens – 20 of the best

Make the eye wander back with a raised garden path and strategically placed rose arches and low walls to break up its length and add interest.

Link the spaces to avoid a disjointed design. A water feature, running from one level to the next, is a popular ploy. Use repetition: the same materials and similarly-shaped elements of hard landscaping (paths, paving, decking) can be echoed throughout the garden; planting with similar flora can also connect split levels.

Planning permission is needed to erect permanent structures to screen your space. Use trees such as beech and hornbeam that will let light in and make you feel secluded. These need not take up too much space in a confined plot – the trunks can be trimmed of branches up to head height.

Select plants tolerant to wind (these tend to have smaller leaves). Steer clear of a muddle of small plants. Focus on fewer, larger planters, and choose trees or shrubs with sculptural silhouettes. Rubber is quiet, soft and hardwearing – tile your roof terrace or balcony garden with these tiles for easy cleaning and comfort.

Incorporate some fixed seating into your design to save wrestling with numerous chairs, and add shelter, if you want year-round use. Invest in ‘party’ lighting: spots at ground level that allow guests to find their way around in the dark; dramatic uplights under trees and shrubs, and in waterfalls and ponds.

White render garden walls will make the most of any sun. Good outdoor lighting on walls and at foot level can then supplement the daylight. 

Tomatoes grow anywhere there is a sunny ledge and herbs are happy in small pots. Raised beds will take the backache out of more serious vegetable gardening to raise a range of edibles including salad leaves, asparagus and rhubarb, onions and carrots.

Low-maintenance gardens are best for busy urbanites; how low you go is up to you. Automated watering systems are popular. Lawns can be swapped for decking; climbers, which need pruning, for a screen of evergreen bamboo; conifers can be substituted for deciduous trees.

Screen off a secluded space large enough for a single lounger, add soothing scented plants such as jasmine, lavender and chamomile; the trickle of a courtyard fountain is the final touch.

Take advantage of the shade and structural support offered by a dividing garden wall to create a corner seating area with an overhead canopy – great for making a private space that is hidden from neighbours’ view.

Amalfi sofa and ottoman

Indian Ocean

Being short on space doesn’t have to mean being short on style. Use a large folding screen to act as a dramatic divide between your inside and outside spaces, creating a distinguished dining area for entertaining friends. A graphic design makes a bold style statement. 

Table and bench

Jennifer Newman Studio

Screen in Racing Stripe

Ralph Lauren Home

Vases

The Conran Shop.

Build up foliage and planting around a small patio area to create the illusion of a bountiful, blossoming garden. This small courtyard is screened by a laurel hedge, foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa), New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), diamond grass, heliopsis and Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’.