Gardens, by the problem they have

A garden is not a style before it is a set of conditions. These six start from the condition — the shade, the size, the time you have — and the planting follows from it, chosen by species so it survives the winter where you actually live.

• small gardenSmall garden ideasA small garden rewards restraint: fewer, better plants, clean structure, and every surface earning its place. These are compact, well-behaved species that keep a small plot calm instead of cluttered.
• north-facing gardenNorth-facing garden ideasNorth-facing doesn't mean nothing grows — it means the sun-lovers are the wrong list. Shade planting leans on foliage, texture, and a handful of shade-flowering shrubs that actually prefer the cool side of the house.
• low-maintenance gardenLow-maintenance garden ideasLow-maintenance is a design decision, not a compromise: drought-tolerant perennials, ornamental grasses, and tough evergreens that look composed on one tidy-up a year and no irrigation system.
• family gardenFamily garden ideasA family garden has to survive being used. That means a robust open lawn, borders that bounce back, and planting that gives kids something to do — fruit to pick, pollinators to watch, nothing fragile or unfriendly at hand height.
• balcony gardenBalcony garden ideasA balcony is a garden in pots with a wind problem. The species that thrive are the ones that take containers, exposure, and the occasional missed watering — plus herbs and strawberries close enough to the kitchen to get used.
• patio gardenPatio garden ideasA patio garden is outdoor furniture plus planting that behaves like furniture: sculptural evergreens in pots, scent where people sit, and Mediterranean standards that turn paving into a courtyard.