Minimalist architecture and furnishings have been very popular among homeowners and architects for years. In the outdoor area, even lovers of minimalism often prefer a lavish design. Away from the cliché, a minimalist garden does not mean a deserted emptiness, but rather a clear design language and reduction to the essentials. In today's article we will show you what such a garden design can look like. A large number of example gardens will clearly show you how a design in a minimalist style can be achieved.
Minimalist garden and lush greenery
Minimalist gardens are characterized by a minority of materials used. Depending on the available space, both stone and greenery can be accommodated there. A fine sense of proportion is required because less is more in the garden. More lush plantings are achieved particularly with ornamental grasses, as this example above shows.
Minimalist garden with large green space
Minimalist style landscaping has influenced different eras. Essentially, modernism and the Bauhaus era convey an aesthetic of clear shapes - straight proportions, simple cuts and a fundamental reduction of plants and decorative elements to the essentials. These design principles are the focus of everything from fashion to furnishings.
With infinity pool and other design ideas
Looking at it another way, reduced does not mean simplified. Good landscaping is directly related to the architecture that surrounds it. If there is enough scope, an originally traditionally designed garden can be converted into a minimalist one. In this example, the hillside location was practically taken advantage of by designing lawns in straight shapes and integrating an infinity pool. This creates a great interplay of Mediterranean designs with stone and minimalist accents.
Garden design on a hillside
Brick field stones fit the aesthetics of a modernized old building. If they are only used in one area, they do not appear overwhelming because their powerful effect is tempered by the surrounding lawns. A natural stone wall in the hillside garden also has a supporting function. Since the stones themselves create a lot of structure and pattern, the rest of the garden can be designed more simply with lots of lawn.
Minimalist garden – lawn steps
Although the minimalist garden does not have a symmetrical structure, this is not completely excluded. Particularly when modernizing formal garden designs, an axis can be drawn so that symmetry occurs. The individual elements in this garden are usually connected by a right angle. The rectangular sections, which were designed parallel to each other, also have a round eye-catcher as an accent, namely a pond, which gives the geometric garden design the finishing touch.
Minimalist garden on the slope - hillside garden
A key feature of a minimalist style garden is the right angle. It is everywhere - from the building to the borders of the plant beds to the landscaped garden edge. This achieves the straight proportions of the garden design elements. The result is a clear and straight distribution of garden elements such as paths, walls, terraces and others.
Ground cover instead of lawn
The straight cut does not have to cover all elements to create a reduced overall picture. Here, the architecture and the shape of the inner courtyard are characterized by the rectangular aesthetic. The uneven concrete slabs of the garden path appear as an accent and in contrast to the geometric design, but also as a gentle transition to the lawn. Although lawn is a main element in minimalist gardens, it can also be replaced with other types of plants to achieve the same effect. Ground cover plants, for example, are such species.
Small outdoor area with wooden privacy screen
The straight cut and geometric proportions create a sense of space. When used in the right places and once the balance has been found between greenery and the garden border, the perfect minimalist garden is created to relax from the strenuous city life. White surfaces as an alternative to gray concrete are very popular for walls, walls and even stepping stones and make outdoor areas look more elegant.
Clean lines and few plants
If we can say something clearly about the floor covering in the minimalist outdoor area, it is the fact that an evenly and perfectly mown lawn, as well as slabs made of concrete or natural stone, play a major role here. Although these elements do not necessarily have to be combined with each other, they are typical features in minimalist gardens. Whether the stepping stones are separated from each other by joints made of grass or whether they are designed as uninterrupted paths as here is a question of taste.
Easy-care ornamental grasses
In the minimalist garden, the areas are clearly divided and therefore properly staged. Interesting contrasts can be achieved through the thoughtful use of different materials. Natural stone, concrete and lawn border each other and, with their clear lines, convey a calm and balanced atmosphere. The light stone and the lush green lawn form the contrast already mentioned and in this way emphasize each other.
A garden path with clear lines
By using a lawn edge or a garden edge, every material, including pebbles, remains in the intended area without attracting any attention in terms of design or visual design. This elegant bed border is the perfect solution for a minimalist garden design. Simple models are preferred for this garden style. Thin bed borders that are almost completely buried in the ground and where only the edge is discreetly visible are typical. Corten steel in particular can be used to create a further color accent between the green lawn and the gravel path in any color.
Garden path and gravel
You can also imagine a minimalist garden like a gravel garden. If plants are still being planted, it is recommended to use plain-colored gravel. Otherwise, different types of pebbles can be laid in individual areas or the same type of stone can be mixed in different grain sizes. With gravel designs, a garden path is on the one hand rather unnecessary, but if you still want to create an interesting decoration, simply lay loose stone slabs. These can also be incorporated into the gravel to prevent them from slipping.
Mix of different materials
The color palette in the minimalist garden, as well as the design, is reduced, but not boring. The materials used are high-quality and modern: concrete, steel, stone and wood. However, plants are not a must. Nevertheless, these can of course be used for garden design. You should limit yourself to 2-3 varieties. Here too, little means anything but boring. You can combine these three varieties as you like and create interesting beds. Green plants and grasses are particularly popular, but some flowering specimens such as lavender are also not uncommon. It is important that you act sparingly. Trees and bushes are further variants.
Minimalist outdoor lighting
In the minimalist garden, surfaces and structures come to the fore. Therefore, planting is just one of many elements. Apart from the uniform lawn, other plants rarely come into question. But if they are used, then it's worth putting them in the spotlight and the best way to do this is with harmonious outdoor lighting. So highlight certain planted areas. So you can enjoy your plants not only in the dark. It also casts interesting shadows on facades and walls, making the garden area look more interesting and lively.
Minimalist garden made of stone - gabions
As a modern and varied design element in the gravel garden, gabions can be used in a variety of ways. As a border, garden edge or as a demarcation between the different areas, they adapt perfectly to the minimalist overall picture. For a property on a slope, gabions can be used as retaining walls and at the same time transform into a beautiful decorative element.
Drought-loving plants
A minimalist garden can also be designed as a rock garden with selected drought-loving plants. Just a few selected varieties of easy-care thick-leaved plants and winter-hardy perennial plants, grown not too close together, enliven the outdoor area and bring a breath of fresh air into it. Above all, they need light, so no location next to deciduous trees or in the shade is suitable for them.
Less is more, even outdoors
Many homeowners want an easy-care garden with a reduced design concept that looks tidy and has enough space for the family's leisure activities. A lawn area and an adjacent terrace with large-format concrete slabs are usually sufficient. If the outdoor area has more than just one seating area, connect them all with minimalist garden paths.
Minimalist garden design is part of contemporary architecture
Even those who have a spacious property can strive for peace and simplicity. Of course there would be more scope and space for everything here. In the immediate vicinity of the living area of the kitchen, an exposed concrete terrace made of large-format concrete slabs extends outside. Next to it, on a wooden platform, there is an outdoor dining area favored by the shade of a treetop. Lavender bushes thrive not far away and not only exude a seductive aroma, but also provide visual freshness.
Japanese style with pine tree or bonsai
An unobtrusive open space design can arouse enthusiasm with its special, calm nature. This totally applies to themJapanese gardens. Also known as Zen gardens, they have influenced the aesthetics of the minimalist garden. A few but carefully selected elements characterize the garden design and set important accents. So feel free to use Asian elements such as bonsai to complement your garden design.
Minimalist garden in white – dry garden
Selected individual plants generally suit the minimalist character and therefore the selection is all the more important. Small topiary trees, boxwood, Japanese pine, as well as tree species with characteristically beautiful foliage or varieties that are not very demanding, set accents. An olive tree and an earth surface covered with white gravel are reflected across the long side of the window front.
Minimalist garden eliminates the boundary between outdoor and indoor spaces
Special leaf colors and shapes really come into their own here due to the minimalist landscape. Conventional ornamental grasses and perennial plants can be effectively staged to create accents indoors and outdoors. Excellent example of a minimalist small garden, although only one slot square. For such a location with light falling from above, there is no other plant that is better suited than bamboo.
Minimalist garden inside – Small, undemanding plants
Bamboo generally spreads rapidly, but there are also smaller cultivated forms. It is a good alternative that is also suitable for the indoor garden in a minimalist style. Small evergreen plants, such as conifers and topiaries, go well with this. Whether indoors or outdoors, the plants create beautiful spaces and, when used sparingly, enhance the simple feel of your indoor or outdoor space to make it the perfect place to relax.
Water has an invigorating effect
A water basin brings liveliness to the otherwise calm atmosphere of the minimalist garden. This is especially true if it is provided with an additional element such as a waterfall or fountain. In keeping with the style, a geometric shape makes sense and a version made of metal, or stainless steel or aluminum for outdoor use, or made of stone, preferably concrete. A watercourse can also be used creatively. Even then, straight shapes are to be preferred.
Concrete, gravel and easy-care ornamental grasses
All the ornamental grasses and the movement in the landscape appear in contrast to the strictly geometric character of the minimalist garden. Most commonly used and well-suited species for cultivation in a rock garden depending on available space and conditions are: pampas grass, pennaceous grass, bearskin grass, bluegrass, blue fescue grasses, Japanese bloodgrass, sedge and others.
Wooden floorboards and gravel
In order to create a minimalist garden with a high quality of living, something more than a clear structure is required. A balanced atmosphere is achieved primarily through the correct use of materials and the precisely chosen proportions of each. This is reflected in the modern material mix of concrete, wood, slate chips and plants.
Design with concrete
The selection of gravel, in this sense different colored stones and optional shapes, plays a defining role in minimalist garden design. The prerequisite for good and undemanding preservation is a sunny to full sun location and sandy, nutrient-poor, dry soil. Use gravel for larger areas or, as here, to fill joints between larger stone slabs.
Create an atmospheric atmosphere
Minimalist gardens naturally have minimalist furnishings. A few but select elements that are modern but at the same time functional are required here. You can see a beautiful example of modern one-unit garden equipment here, where seating, plants in a raised bed, a privacy screen and light gray decking are combined with modern furniture to create an elegant outdoor setting.
Modern concrete garden furniture
Garden furniture made of concrete conveys a modest elegance and a stylish design, which is becoming increasingly popular and fits tone-on-tone design ideas with minimalist outdoor areas with cement floors. They complement the calm atmosphere with their simple and clear design and are also extremely easy to care for. You can also complement the furniture with some concrete decorations.
