Modern Gardens With Raised Planters for Small Urban Yards

Small courtyards waste floor on seating and beds that sit side by side. Here, the two share one wall.

• Pale rendered raised beds run down both sides, so the big paving slabs stay clear in the middle.
• A timber bench juts out from the corner bed and looks like it hangs in the air, with no legs eating floor space.
• One olive tree gives height, and clipped round shrubs keep the lower edges tidy.
• Rust toned cut metal screens add pattern to the white wall without adding clutter.

Warm wood against cool white does most of the work.

A flat patio against a plain fence can look blank. Stacking two thick timber beds in steps gives the edge some height and gives each plant its own level.

In this yard the beams sit right against the pale paving. Red brick, grey slabs and warm wood get along well, so nothing needs to match exactly. The plants are still in their pots on top of the soil, which is a smart way to test the layout before you dig. A short run of timber steps on the right links the beds to the shed side of the garden.

A low white wall can carry more than most people expect. This one holds a full olive tree, a mound of lime green shrubs and a spill of tiny white daisy flowers, all in one long bed.

The smooth rendered sides and flat stone cap keep the lines crisp, so the planting can stay loose and soft on top. Small round lights sit in the steps beside it, which makes the whole corner glow after dark.

Watch the depth. A tree needs plenty of soil under it, and a shallow bed dries out fast in summer.

Two kinds of planters share this terrace, and each one has its own job.

The long grey stone bed runs beside the steps and holds a thick band of dark green leaves and clipped shrubs. It marks the edge between the patio and the lawn without a fence. The round bowls sit lower and hold one plant with purple foliage, so they read like small sculptures. Tall allium heads on thin stems drift through both, which ties the two shapes together.

A slatted timber bench is built into the bed, so there is somewhere to sit without adding another piece of furniture.

Match the planter to the paving and a plain rectangle of yard starts to feel bigger.

Two boxy planters here wear the same pale tile as the patio and steps. They frame the way up to the lawn like gate posts. Each holds a clump of grasses with soft, feathery tops, which is just enough green against all that clean stone. Behind them, a timber pergola shades the back door and gives the bistro chairs a place to sit.

The small square of black, white and pink pattern tile is the only loud thing in the picture, so it stands out without taking over.

One bold patch is plenty.

Low evening sun makes this corner glow, and the shapes stand out.

A white L shaped bed hugs two sides of the lawn and turns an empty corner into the best spot in the yard. The dark painted fence behind it is the clever part. It makes the pale wall and the green leaves pop, and a fence is one of the cheapest things to repaint. Spiky leaves, grassy clumps and tall bamboo give three different leaf shapes in one small space, so the planting feels full without needing flowers.

A timber seat runs along the front of the wall, so the bed does two jobs at once.

Black looks sharp against pale wood. This long planter is built from big flat panels and sits right on the deck, close to the pool.

Colour: it copies the dark cabin and the slatted screen behind it.

Planting: pale blue flower spikes rise out of slim grasses, so the top stays light while the sides stay solid.

Job: it works like a wall, steering people along the deck without any fence.

Dark metal can warm up in strong sun, so water deeply rather than often.