Even if you don’t have the luxury of tending a sprawling flower garden, you can still appreciate the vibrant colors and textures of blooming flowers and lush greenery on your lawn. A small garden island is a great way to bring a touch of elegance and charm to your outdoor space, whether it’s situated in the front yard or backyard.
Our collection of ideas for creating an amazing island in the garden features over 16 charming inspirations that will help you turn a small patch of land into a haven of beauty and serenity.
Masonry Work Spiral Garden
As you approach this unique island, its spiral shape commands attention, crafted from an intricate arrangement of large and small rocks that resemble masonry work. The natural bonding properties of the soil eliminate the need for grout, allowing the structure to seamlessly blend with the surrounding terrain.
This deliberate design enables the creation of a layered garden bed, where the careful selection of plants can yield breathtaking results – either a vibrant, colorful cascade or a lush, verdant flow.
Centerpiece Of The Yard With A Wheelbarrow
Transform your garden island into a charming focal point by repurposing unique items like old suitcases, chairs, or wheelbarrows. These vintage pieces will add character and visual interest to your small but vibrant garden oasis. One creative way to achieve this is by placing a wheelbarrow at the center of a flower bed, where it can serve as a natural tiered display for a stunning array of lilac petunias.
To create a visually appealing arrangement, surround the wheelbarrow with a variety of flowers, carefully selecting the lowest varieties to be planted closest to the front and the tallest ones towards the back.
Pea Gravel Island With A Log Fence
To draw attention and guide the eye, this island is cleverly designed around a tree. The focal point is intentionally placed near the fence, allowing for a seamless transition from one visual plane to another. The use of river rocks and pea gravel effectively defines the zone surrounding the raised garden bed, which is meticulously crafted in a square shape using dark-stained wood logs. This thoughtful design ensures that the vibrant red geranium flowers take center stage.
Island Around A Vintage Bird Feeder
This enchanting circular garden bed harmoniously blends evergreen and blooming flowers, boasting a symmetrical arrangement of shrubs. Boxwood hedges flank the perimeter, while rose bushes take center stage. Two spiral-shaped evergreen shrubs flank the focal point – a charming vintage bird feeder – to create visual balance. The island’s edge is defined by river rocks, seamlessly merging with the surrounding lawn and creating a natural transition between the two spaces.
An Island With Reused Wine Barrel
Transform your garden into a picturesque island oasis by repurposing an old wine barrel as a focal point. Fill it with vibrant red geraniums that harmonize perfectly with the surrounding petunias, featuring a striking red flower band on the ground. To add a touch of elegance and contrast to the bold red hue, incorporate delicate white petunias into your landscape design. This unique combination creates a breathtaking visual display that will surely be the envy of all who lay eyes on it.
Island With A Bird Bath Centerpiece
Incorporating a small island into your backyard landscape offers a unique opportunity to not only add vibrant color, but also to attract local wildlife. One effective way to achieve this is by installing a pedestal-mounted bird bath at the center of a raised garden bed. The stone pavers used to create the perimeter of the bed add a touch of vintage charm, complementing the overall aesthetic of your landscape design.
When selecting plants for your small island, consider using dahlias or other medium-high flowering varieties. Alternatively, you could opt for a mix of shorter and taller flowers to create visual interest. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to tailor the look to suit your personal style.
Irregularly Shaped Island With A Wagon Wheel
Imagine an enchanting island that defies conventional shapes, where rustic charm meets whimsical touches. A vintage wagon wheel, an earthen jug, and a wooden butter maker adorn this unique landscape, evoking a sense of farmhouse nostalgia. The foundation is set with a natural rock bed and stone pavers, where the gaps are thoughtfully filled with a climbing plant on one side and seasonal mums in pots on the other.
This harmonious blend of elements masterfully recreates a charming countryside ambiance, inviting you to step into a serene and picturesque world.
Island With A Fountain
While the edge of an island is often overlooked, it plays a significant role in its overall aesthetic appeal. For a farmhouse-inspired look, flagstones or pavers are excellent choices, evoking a rustic charm that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Conversely, river rocks and pea gravel can be used to create a more modern, sleek appearance.
In this captivating garden island concept, the border is defined by carefully selected shaped stones, forming a harmonious semi-circle that cradles the lush garden bed. The pièce de résistance is a charming fountain, comprising four tiers arranged in descending order to mimic the flowing effect of water. Amidst the serenity, evergreen shrubs and seasonal blooms are artfully planted around the focal point, creating a visually striking display that harmonizes with nature.
Island With A Combined Fountain And Bird Bath
A seemingly small oasis, this garden bed makes a big impact with its charming setup. The focal point is a vintage fountain that doubles as a bird bath, surrounded by two rows of petunias in vibrant bloom. This pop of color draws the eye and creates visual interest, while the addition of small tortoise figurines crawling along the paver edge adds a playful touch, tying the whole arrangement together.
Round Flower Bed Gathering Plenty of Plant Varieties
Transform your tiny island garden into a stunning showcase of gardening prowess. A beautifully rounded bed design featuring a harmonious blend of rocks and an array of vibrant flora is sure to impress. The arrangement is elevated by the lush, varied plantings of lavender, mums, daisies, dahlias, and other seasonal blooms that cascade over the edges, creating a visually striking landscape.
Layered Island With Rock Edging
Elevate your outdoor space with an innovative ‘island-in-the-garden’ concept that boasts a distinctive charm. This visually appealing design features three raised garden beds of varying heights, where plants are thoughtfully grouped to create a lush tapestry of foliage and blooms. The unifying element is the paver edging, which adds a touch of sophistication to this unique feature.
Strategically situated next to a lamp that doubles as a trellis, this ‘garden within a garden’ design offers an intriguing blend of functionality and aesthetics.
Rock Garden With Potted Plants
To create a hassle-free and practical faux rock garden, start by selecting stones of various shapes – round, kidney, square or irregular – and arrange them according to your desired design. Ensure that no gaps are left uncovered, as this type of arrangement won’t require planting in the ground. Instead, you’ll be adding potted plants to bring your unique rock garden to life.
An Island With A Visual Appeal For All Seasons
When envisioning an island in the garden, you may choose to incorporate seasonal flowers for a vibrant display during warm months or opt for evergreen varieties that provide year-round visual interest. A clever combination of both can also be effective, as seasonal blooms are complemented by evergreens’ lush foliage when they eventually fade. This harmonious blend ensures a visually appealing island throughout the seasons.
Garden Island Around A Tree With Seasonal Flowers
When it comes to designing islands in the gardens, strategically placing them near trees can be an effective way to draw attention to these natural focal points. One of the main reasons for doing so is that these areas are often challenging to maintain due to their proximity to tree roots and other obstacles, making a garden island a practical solution.
To define the shape of the island around a tree, consider using materials like liners, pavers, old tire stones, bricks, or even roof clay tiles to create a circular or square design.
Kidney-shaped Island
Sitting pretty in the garden, this charming island draws the eye with its unique silhouette and vibrant floral displays. The kidney-shaped design is cleverly accentuated by a border of large river stones, creating a visually appealing focal point. The beauty is further amplified by strategically placed gravel areas that alternate with dahlias and other seasonal blooms, adding depth and texture to the arrangement.
Round Flower Bed With Lining
To ensure the round shape of your island garden remains intact and allows for unobstructed plant growth, consider installing a liner within the bed. This will prevent weeds from encroaching on your carefully tended flora. To conceal the liner’s edges, use large flagstones arranged vertically or stacked as a decorative band. The visual focal point of this charming island is the ornamental grass, its leaves elegantly draping down to meet the vibrant petunias.
