Modern Garden Design Ideas For All Landscapes
Modern garden design is one of the most popular trends for outdoor spaces and continues to be a leading choice for homeowners. Its simple layouts and low-maintenance focus make it the ideal solution for any landscape, no matter the size or shape.
There is also a focus on durability and sustainability, which is highly advantageous for modern clients. Creating an outdoor space that not only looks great but also aligns with your values and will remain an asset to your home is easily done with modern garden design, making it an ideal choice for your next project.
At Green Acorn Landscape Design, we specialise in creating dream gardens and have a wealth of experience with modern garden design. In this post, we are sharing some of the best modern garden design ideas to get you inspired and ready to bring your dream garden to life.
Key Features Of Modern Garden Design
Modern garden design is defined by several key features, which will be present in every design idea we offer. Modern garden design is centred on minimalism and simplicity, allowing structural elements to shine through. This is a sustainable, long-lasting and simple form of garden design that aligns well with modern homeowner needs.
The foundations of contemporary outdoor spaces include:
- Clean lines and geometric shapes
- An emphasis on structure and simplicity
- Minimal decor and colour
- Monochromatic colour schemes and neutral shades
By understanding the key features of modern garden design, you can know what to expect from the following ideas and begin to develop your own plan for your upcoming renovation.
Modern Garden Design Ideas To Suit Any Landscape
It can be quite hard to visualise modern garden design simply through theme descriptions or key elements, which is why we are taking things a step further with these ideas. To create your own contemporary landscape, you can rely on these ideas as inspiration and adjust them to suit your specific needs.
1) Modern Colour Palette
To ensure your garden gets a modern makeover, you need to focus on simple, neutral colours. These allow the surrounding landscape and the architectural features of your space to shine through. Minimal colours are also easy to maintain, create a cohesive appearance, and are ideal for small spaces.
The often light tones of modern gardens make this an ideal style for small outdoor spaces, as it opens up the area and introduces a lot of natural light to give the illusion of more space.
Key colours for modern garden design include:
- Greys
- Whites
- Blacks
- Natural wood tones
Natural wood tones can be used to add some warmth to the modern garden design, as they are primarily focused on monochromatic cool colours. For depth and interest, contrasting colours such as black and white can be used.
2) Contemporary Materials For Any Landscape
Popular materials for modern gardens are durable, long-lasting, and often sustainable to align with contemporary values. These materials are used across garden design, with a specific focus on hardscaping such as garden pathways and patios. Modern gardens are also designed to be easy or low maintenance, which is why hardscaping plays such a prominent role.
The most popular materials for modern garden design include:
- Porcelain Paving: To offer an elegant, sleek appearance to the garden
- Smooth Concrete: A sleek, simple material for pathways, patios and even driveways
- Corten Steel: This can offer additional colour as it rusts organically, adding some brightness to the monochromatic space
- Hardwood Decking: Traditional timber in natural shades is a great solution for decking and fencing, offering some warmth to the modern garden design
Much like with the modern colour palette, contrasting materials are very popular in contemporary outdoor spaces as they provide depth and interest without overwhelm. For example, using smooth concrete with rough corten steel features can create a sleek, simple display that withstands the test of time while also being interesting.
3) Garden Layout And Organisation
Modern garden design is simple and minimalist, but this does not mean that all spaces have to look the same. In terms of garden layout, it can be tailored to suit your specific landscape and surroundings.
For example, while there is a focus on simplicity and symmetry, this does not apply to all outdoor spaces. Those with odd-shaped gardens or uneven terrains cannot have symmetrical designs but should therefore lean into asymmetry as much as possible.
The layout of your garden is done through zoning, which is a key feature of modern garden design. These outdoor spaces are designed to be functional and beautiful, and the creation of unique zones allows the whole family to enjoy the environment.
Zones such as a dining area, play space for the children, and planting beds create a cohesive appearance that is easy to maintain and keep clear. These are made through a combination of hardscaping, such as paving and patios, as well as turfing and soft landscaping. The size and shape of each zone should vary based on your landscape, which is where you can choose between symmetry or asymmetry.
Regardless of what shapes and sizes you create in each zone, each one must be clearly defined. Contrasting borders are a staple of modern garden design and are used to create clear boundaries between each area of the garden.
4) Planting A Modern Garden
While modern garden design has a heavy focus on hardscaping, planting is still an important part and required for a cohesive appearance to the space. No landscape is complete without natural elements such as plants, shrubs and even flowers, but in modern gardens, less is more.
When planting your modern garden, it is recommended to use a small number of plant varieties. A smaller number of plants should be repeated throughout the garden to create a sense of cohesion, without overwhelming the space. Consider the following:
- Ornamental Grasses: Plants such as miscanthus or pampas can add texture and movement to the garden
- Evergreen Shrubs: Options such as clipped box or yew hedges can be used to define boundaries and maintain structure across the garden, as well as offering year-round greenery
- Architectural Plants: For additional appeal, consider using plants such as phormium, yucca, and agave as focal points in specific zones
5) Illuminate Modern Gardens
Garden lighting is a great way to enhance the appeal and functionality of your outdoor space. Modern garden design is focused on being practical and stylish, which is why garden lighting is one of the main decor tools to use. Garden lighting not only allows you to use your garden during the evening and keeps the landscape safe, but can also be used to highlight specific features and decorate the garden at all hours of the day.
Sustainable solutions such as LED lights or solar-powered garden lights are a great option for modern gardens. These are hard-wearing and easy to maintain, as they can often have automatic processes, which means your garden will be illuminated when needed.
Add lighting strips or spotlights to illuminate pathways, decking, and steps to ensure your modern landscape is safe during the evening.
Spotlights and uplights can be used to highlight specific features in the garden, such as architectural plants and trees, as well as decor items that align with your theme. The contrast of light and shadow perfectly aligns with modern garden design and ensures your landscape is appealing at all hours.
6) Contemporary Garden Features
You can adorn your modern garden design with decorative items and functional features to make the space more unique, such as:
- Fire Pits: Continue entertaining well into the evening with a sleek, metallic fire pit in the centre of your seating areas
- Water Features: Simple water bowls or modern waterfalls can offer visual appeal through light tricks as well as create a calming ambience in the garden
- Outdoor Kitchens: Get your garden kitted out with all the mod cons to make al fresco dining easier than ever before
Features like this are used to personalise your garden and create a functional space for the family to enjoy. When choosing decor items or garden furniture, rely on the staple modern materials such as steel and hardwood to create a cohesive appearance.
7) Low-Maintenance Garden Ideas
Modern gardens are designed to be low-maintenance so they remain uniform throughout the year and fit in with contemporary routines. Many of us do not have the time to dedicate to maintaining an outdoor space, which is why the following features are so important:
- Artificial Lawns or Hardscaping: The main source of maintenance in the garden is the lawn, which is why many gardens replace this area. Artificial lawns can offer the green appeal without the requirement for maintenance, or the lawn area can be transformed into a beautiful patio with modern paving.
- Automatic Lighting And Irrigation: Smart garden technology can make maintaining your garden easier, whether this is water irrigation systems to keep the lawn or flower beds hydrated or lighting so the garden is always illuminated when needed
- Native or Drought-Resistant Plants: Plants that organically thrive in local conditions or those which do not require much watering throughout the year are ideal for modern gardens because they can reduce your gardening tasks significantly.
Conclusion
Modern garden design is a great solution for all kinds of landscapes because of its focus on simplicity, low-maintenance and timeless style. While there are some key features of this garden design, there is room for personalisation by incorporating a range of ideas.
Green Acorn Landscape Design are a leading team of landscaping professionals who can help bring your vision to life. We have transformed many gardens into contemporary havens and can do the same for you.
Contact Us Today
To bring your dream garden to life or to learn more about our services, please reach out to the team today. We can offer a consultation and personalised quote.
