7 Alternative Ways to Make Use of an Outside Space
With a little planning, even a modest garden could become anything from a wildlife haven to a spa
A garden filled with trees and flowers is, of course, the main aim, but have you considered that your plot, however small, could work even harder and offer the opportunity to pursue a hobby or enhance your lifestyle? Take a look at these gardens designed by Houzz pros for ideas on how you could enhance your space.
If you’re thinking your garden isn’t big enough for a kitchen garden, be inspired by the late Esiah Levy, who proved it’s possible to grow masses of produce in a small urban plot.
He cultivated everything from kale to turnips, beetroot, carrots, soft fruit, including raspberries and blackcurrants, and all kinds of apples, pears and more unusual orchard fruits. And he did it with very little effort thanks to a ‘no dig’ approach, which involves building up layers of organic material. As Esiah said, “The best thing is, anyone can do this.”
Read more about how Esiah created his urban produce garden.
A project called Lend and Tend aims to continue Esiah’s work, “greening and feeding the world around us”. Check it out.
He cultivated everything from kale to turnips, beetroot, carrots, soft fruit, including raspberries and blackcurrants, and all kinds of apples, pears and more unusual orchard fruits. And he did it with very little effort thanks to a ‘no dig’ approach, which involves building up layers of organic material. As Esiah said, “The best thing is, anyone can do this.”
Read more about how Esiah created his urban produce garden.
A project called Lend and Tend aims to continue Esiah’s work, “greening and feeding the world around us”. Check it out.
Create an exercise area
If joining a gym isn’t for you, creating an exercise area right outside your house could be an attractive idea.
This extensive patio, covered in porcelain tiles and designed by IMBY3 Architecture & Design, offers homeowner Eva and her family a large, flat surface where they can work out. There’s even a bar attached to the RSJ for chin-ups, should they be feeling extra energetic. “[Last year,] we did our Joe Wicks and yoga out there all summer long,” Eva says.
You could take it up a notch and add a cycle trainer, into which you can clip an ordinary bike, a punch bag or an exercise roller, or just keep a skipping rope, hand weights and a yoga mat to hand.
Take a tour of the whole of this clever broken-plan renovation.
If joining a gym isn’t for you, creating an exercise area right outside your house could be an attractive idea.
This extensive patio, covered in porcelain tiles and designed by IMBY3 Architecture & Design, offers homeowner Eva and her family a large, flat surface where they can work out. There’s even a bar attached to the RSJ for chin-ups, should they be feeling extra energetic. “[Last year,] we did our Joe Wicks and yoga out there all summer long,” Eva says.
You could take it up a notch and add a cycle trainer, into which you can clip an ordinary bike, a punch bag or an exercise roller, or just keep a skipping rope, hand weights and a yoga mat to hand.
Take a tour of the whole of this clever broken-plan renovation.
Soup up a cooking zone
Many of us have a barbecue or perhaps a pizza oven, but if you love cooking, why not dedicate a large area, or even your whole garden, to entertaining?
This design by Yoko Kloeden has everything the owner could want in an outdoor entertaining space, including a Green Egg barbecue that can grill, bake and roast, plenty of shelving and worktop space, plus a freestanding sink.
The decking is flush with the kitchen floor, so an island on wheels can be rolled out for extra prep and serving space. Bench seating, meanwhile, provides somewhere to relax while the cook’s busy.
The larch wood of the decking and bench and the lush wall of greenery ensure there’s still a natural feel to the design while leaving maximum space for friends and family.
Take a look around the whole of this house and outdoor kitchen.
Many of us have a barbecue or perhaps a pizza oven, but if you love cooking, why not dedicate a large area, or even your whole garden, to entertaining?
This design by Yoko Kloeden has everything the owner could want in an outdoor entertaining space, including a Green Egg barbecue that can grill, bake and roast, plenty of shelving and worktop space, plus a freestanding sink.
The decking is flush with the kitchen floor, so an island on wheels can be rolled out for extra prep and serving space. Bench seating, meanwhile, provides somewhere to relax while the cook’s busy.
The larch wood of the decking and bench and the lush wall of greenery ensure there’s still a natural feel to the design while leaving maximum space for friends and family.
Take a look around the whole of this house and outdoor kitchen.
Contemplate your own spa retreat
Ever feel you could benefit from a trip to a spa after a hectic week? Then be inspired by this garden in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, carved out of a very tricky plot. The owner has a busy job, so creating a pampering retreat at home was the brief for designer Abigail Hazell.
The garden is very steep, so terracing was essential, but that happily created useful zones. At the top is the lounge, with classic Adirondack recliners and an ornamental stone fireplace to add to a sense of romantic ruins, aided by the ‘Etoile de Hollande’ roses that will grow around it.
At the bottom of the garden, out of shot, is a circular swing where the owner can be lulled into relaxation. The centrepiece, though, is the hot tub, which is a soothing 1.4m deep. From the recliners, smooth paving and decking make it easy to nip there and back in bare feet.
Even if you don’t have space for three zones, a hot tub with seating around it could give your garden a new dimension.
Check out the before shots of this sloping garden to appreciate the incredible transformation.
Ever feel you could benefit from a trip to a spa after a hectic week? Then be inspired by this garden in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, carved out of a very tricky plot. The owner has a busy job, so creating a pampering retreat at home was the brief for designer Abigail Hazell.
The garden is very steep, so terracing was essential, but that happily created useful zones. At the top is the lounge, with classic Adirondack recliners and an ornamental stone fireplace to add to a sense of romantic ruins, aided by the ‘Etoile de Hollande’ roses that will grow around it.
At the bottom of the garden, out of shot, is a circular swing where the owner can be lulled into relaxation. The centrepiece, though, is the hot tub, which is a soothing 1.4m deep. From the recliners, smooth paving and decking make it easy to nip there and back in bare feet.
Even if you don’t have space for three zones, a hot tub with seating around it could give your garden a new dimension.
Check out the before shots of this sloping garden to appreciate the incredible transformation.
Slot in a second living room
For anyone with a basement courtyard that’s currently underused, this idea could work a treat. Cover the concrete or tiles with an outdoor rug, then introduce comfy seating and lighting. You could even install outdoor speakers and an infrared heater. If you have a teenager, it could prove the perfect spot for them to hang out with friends.
In this inviting space by Helen Green Design, beams have been fitted, so plants can grow overhead for a leafy outlook. The space is open to the elements, offering fresh air and direct light, while the surrounding walls make it sheltered and cosy.
Browse homeowner reviews in the Houzz Professionals Directory to find a landscape architect or garden designer in your area.
For anyone with a basement courtyard that’s currently underused, this idea could work a treat. Cover the concrete or tiles with an outdoor rug, then introduce comfy seating and lighting. You could even install outdoor speakers and an infrared heater. If you have a teenager, it could prove the perfect spot for them to hang out with friends.
In this inviting space by Helen Green Design, beams have been fitted, so plants can grow overhead for a leafy outlook. The space is open to the elements, offering fresh air and direct light, while the surrounding walls make it sheltered and cosy.
Browse homeowner reviews in the Houzz Professionals Directory to find a landscape architect or garden designer in your area.
Establish a mini nature reserve
If you enjoy watching wildlife and listening to the sounds of the natural world, from rustling grasses to frogs and bees, why not turn your whole garden into a wildlife haven?
Designer Paul Richards removed the scrappy lawn in this relatively modest urban space and created a journey through different planting and seating zones. Key to the design is a winding pathway, so the garden is gradually revealed as you wander along, which helps it to feel much bigger than it is. “You have to walk through it to find out what’s there, creating lots of interest,” Paul says.
There’s a wildlife pond and planting that attracts insects, and, as Paul says, “If you bring in insects, then you also bring in birds, which the owners are quite keen on – there are several feeders throughout the garden as well.”
Discover how this garden was created.
If you enjoy watching wildlife and listening to the sounds of the natural world, from rustling grasses to frogs and bees, why not turn your whole garden into a wildlife haven?
Designer Paul Richards removed the scrappy lawn in this relatively modest urban space and created a journey through different planting and seating zones. Key to the design is a winding pathway, so the garden is gradually revealed as you wander along, which helps it to feel much bigger than it is. “You have to walk through it to find out what’s there, creating lots of interest,” Paul says.
There’s a wildlife pond and planting that attracts insects, and, as Paul says, “If you bring in insects, then you also bring in birds, which the owners are quite keen on – there are several feeders throughout the garden as well.”
Discover how this garden was created.
Splash out on a swimming pool
Hands up who hasn’t, on a hot day, looked at their garden and thought, I’m sure we could fit a swimming pool in there…
This inviting turquoise pool in the garden of a home in Somerset is an inspiring example. Although the garden is large, the pool area is relatively modest, and includes a comfy swing seat and space to enjoy a snack.
The pool itself is an off-the-shelf fibreglass model edged in stone and, along with the house, is heated by a wood-burning system. This garden is fairly secluded, but for more exposed sites, you could plant a dense row of trees or hedges for privacy.
Learn more about this idyllic garden.
Hands up who hasn’t, on a hot day, looked at their garden and thought, I’m sure we could fit a swimming pool in there…
This inviting turquoise pool in the garden of a home in Somerset is an inspiring example. Although the garden is large, the pool area is relatively modest, and includes a comfy swing seat and space to enjoy a snack.
The pool itself is an off-the-shelf fibreglass model edged in stone and, along with the house, is heated by a wood-burning system. This garden is fairly secluded, but for more exposed sites, you could plant a dense row of trees or hedges for privacy.
Learn more about this idyllic garden.
If you prefer a more natural look, consider a swimming pond. This one by Jane Brockbank is used by the whole family all summer long and has attracted lots of wildlife into the garden.
Even if you wouldn’t swim as frequently as these owners, it would still bring the spirit-lifting glint and ripple of water closer to home.
Just a word of warning, though: if you have small children, either at home or visiting frequently, any pool or pond will need to be fenced off.
Tell us…
Have you done anything different with your outside space? Do any of these ideas appeal? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
Even if you wouldn’t swim as frequently as these owners, it would still bring the spirit-lifting glint and ripple of water closer to home.
Just a word of warning, though: if you have small children, either at home or visiting frequently, any pool or pond will need to be fenced off.
Tell us…
Have you done anything different with your outside space? Do any of these ideas appeal? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
Exercise, fresh air and home-grown produce… What’s not to like about turning your outside space into a fruit and vegetable garden?
The owners of this house in Derbyshire inherited an empty plot with patchy grass, which turned out to be the perfect blank canvas for them to create their dream – a kitchen garden. “We agreed it would include vegetables, soft fruit trees, herbs and cut flowers, and that it would be attractive to walk around and sit in, as well as being practical,” designer Sue Hayward says.
Proving produce can also be pretty, French beans (left) and runner beans are making their way over this arch. The garden also demonstrates that it doesn’t have to be a choice between veg and flowers – you can easily combine the two.
See more of this traditional kitchen garden.