Landscaping: 10 Classic Townhouse Garden Layouts for City Living

Small space, infinite possibilities. Behind every city townhouse lies a garden—some long and narrow, others short and squat. No matter the dimensions, a well-designed garden becomes an urban oasis (especially in August). Here are ten classic layouts for dining, lounging, and play.

1. Three-Part Harmony

Above: Photograph by Marcus Harpur.

A typically long, narrow London garden split into three zones creates spaciousness. Painted concrete steps with brick lead from the back door to the garden proper, supporting salad and tomato tubs. A tree fern anchors the lower area. More: Designer Visit: The Black and Green Garden of Chris Moss.

2. Clean, Simple, Low-Maintenance

Above: Photograph by Douglas Lyle Thompson for Gardenista.

Bedford-Stuyvesant backyard by New Eco Landscapes: local bluestone pavers need only occasional sweeping. Drought-tolerant junipers, ajuga ground cover, pine-bark mulch suppress weeds. Long cedar bench with spring-loaded lids stores cushions. More: Designer Visit: A Low-Maintenance Brooklyn Backyard by New Eco Landscapes.

3. A Stairway to Heaven

Above: Photograph via Brook Landscape.

Steel staircase with ipe decking links a second-floor deck to ground-level garden in Flatbush. Concrete pillar supports four stories—city required engineer supervision during foundation dig. More: Garden Designer Visit: Brook Klausing Elevates a Brooklyn Backyard.

4. Double-Duty Retaining Walls

Above: Photograph by Pia Ulin via Bangia Agostinho Architecture.

Garden designer Lindsey Taylor (Gardenista contributor) specified retaining walls at perching height for dining/lounging in a Brooklyn garden. More: Before & After: A Modern Townhouse Garden in Brooklyn.

5. A Study in Symmetry

Above: Photograph via Foras Studio.

Susan Welti of Foras Studio credits symmetry for this low-maintenance 20'×36' Brooklyn rectangle. More: Steal This Look: Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget.

6. A Shady Story

Above: Photograph by Niya Bascom Photography.

Ishka Designs (Anishka Clarke, Niya Bascom) worked with a dense-shade Japanese maple in Crown Heights: organic tree shape contrasts uniform paver/stone patio. More: Before & After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget.

7. Two-Family Privacy

Above: Photograph by Pia Ulin via Bangia Agostinho Architecture.

Ground-floor rental apartment needed privacy for both tenants and landlords. Lindsey Taylor used lightweight fiberglass boxes planted with Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' for soft screening. More: Before & After: A Modern Townhouse Garden in Brooklyn.

8. Mini Woodlands

Above: Photograph by Maria Robledo.

Quiet Brooklyn brownstone: entire back wall opens to yard on parlor and ground floors. More: Garden Visit: At Home in Brooklyn Heights with Artists Maria Robledo and Holton Rower.

9. Backyard Play

Above: Photograph by Douglas Lyle Thompson for Gardenista.

West Village: Alison Cayne eliminated a grade change for a garden hosting son's basketball games, 45-person dinners, and a boules court. More: Before & After: A 1-Month Makeover for a Manhattan Backyard.

10. Slatted Shade Pergola

Above: Photograph by Douglas Lyle Thompson for Gardenista.

New Eco Landscapes (Sean Lewis, Jesse Terzi) designed a cantilevered wooden pergola to shade the dining table and define space in Clinton Hill. More: Landscape Designer Visit: A "Showstopper" Garden in Brooklyn.