5 Outdated Garden Layouts You Should Avoid If You're Planning Your Outdoor Space Right Now

First impressions count, and since our outdoor spaces are often the fist place guests lay their eyes upon, they're far more important than you think. Shabby yards and wilted lawns are guaranteed ways to reduce the aesthetic appeal of your garden, but what you might not realise is that a dated landscape design can also downgrade your space.

We often fail to give our backyard ideas the same attention as we do the inside of our homes. This seems intuitive when you consider the fact that we spend far less time in our gardens than we do our homes, and that an entire redesign of your backyard is costly business. And while it's also true that garden trends move slower than interior ones, there are certain garden layouts that are hugely outdated in 2025, and there's a good chance yours could be too.

Keeping your landscape idea up-to-date will help ensure you stay up to date. After all, an outdated garden layout can pull down the whole look of your outdoor space. The positioning of your borders, the shape of your lawn, a lack of depth and variation — there are so many factors that play into the look and feel of your garden. If you're looking for something more fresh and contemporary, then you'll need to know what to avoid, so we spoke to some experts to find out.

1. Narrow Planting Beds Lining the Fencing Line

Why It’s Dated

Many of us have rectangular-shaped gardens with fencing on either side. For decades, a large lawn with flower beds or borders running around the perimeter of the fence was the default landscaping idea. These days, however, gardeners say this backyard layout will instantly date a space.

"Straight, narrow planting beds lining the fencing line limit the ability to add much layer and dimension to the planting beds," explains Katherine Aul Cervoni, professional landscaper and founder of Staghorn NYC. "It can also have a narrowing visual effect on the backyard space and is generally a bit boring."

The Fix

Fortunately, there are a few easy fixes for this common garden layout. "If you’re able to amend the shape of your garden beds, do so by adding in some gentle curvature," says Katherine. "This adds movement and dimension to the garden bed, and draws your eye out into the space."

Another, more budget-friendly solution is to add some asymmetry to the plantings with, say, large shrubs on one side and flower bed ideas on the other. "Don’t be scared to add some larger items to help obscure and soften the edge of the hardscape," adds Katherine.

2. Symmetrical Garden Layouts

Why It’s Dated

In a similar vein, perfectly symmetrical garden designs are a surefire way to date your space, reversing the clock by decades. Symmetry is a common motif in traditional, old-fashioned backyard layouts (think English rose gardens, for example) and while charming, they certainly don't offer a visual statement.

"These formal layouts can make outdoor spaces feel rigid and uninspired, especially in small gardens," explains Tony O'Neill of Simplify Gardening. By contrast, contemporary landscape designers will always incorporate asymmetrical layouts and organic shapes into their modern garden ideas (such as wavy borders or meandering paths), ensuring there's visual interest at every turn.

The Fix

Embracing asymmetry is the best way to counterbalance this dated landscape design. As Katherine suggests, use variation in your planting techniques from one side of your garden to the other. "If you're using a backyard makeover, go for relaxed, asymmetrical planting with naturalistic curves and layered borders," says Tony. "It creates a more organic flow and feels more immersive."

Katherine Aul Cervoni

Katherine 'Kat' Aul Cervoni is the founder and principal of the landscape design firm, Staghorn NYC, as well as the home-gardening blog The Cultivation. With a passion for helping people reconnect with nature in their everyday lives, Kat designs outdoor spaces that function as natural extensions of the home. Her work emphasizes low-maintenance, sustainable plantings —especially native species — that offer long-term beauty and ecological value. Kat’s design approach balances seasonal interest with practical, livable spaces that invite daily use and year-round enjoyment.

3. Lawn Dominated Layouts

Why It’s Dated

A large, sweeping lawn can be a great garden component, especially if you have kids, but you should never rely on endless grass alone if you want your outdoor space to look current and contemporary. Large lawns make for an unloved outdoor space devoid of beautiful garden trends that make a statement.

Besides the lack of aesthetic interest, lawn-dominated layouts are really impractical, too. In 2025, sustainability should be at the forefront of your garden plans. "Huge central lawns with narrow planting strips waste space and aren’t eco-friendly," Tony explains. It's a sentiment shared by Katherine as well. "Lawns are thirsty, high-maintenance, and offer little for pollinators and other beneficial species," she says.

The Fix

The simple solution? Make your lawn smaller and build new landscaping ideas around it. "Think multifunctional and low-maintenance," says Tony.

"I personally just removed 1,140 square feet of lawn from my backyard to make a new garden and couldn’t be happier about how much more interactive and dynamic it looks," says Katherine. "Break up lawn areas with garden rooms, native plantings, or paths to create more interest and purpose. Even inserting a border within the lawn, like a sort of island, with one or two small flowering trees, can drastically change and improve the look and feel of a garden."

4. Concrete Patios With No Greenery

Why It's Dated

Patio ideas allow you to harness even the smallest of outdoor spaces, but don't overwhelm your space with too many paving stones. "All-hardscape patios can feel sterile and create too much heat in summer," says Tony. Besides impracticality, a garden layout that's devoid of greenery will also look dull and dated, so be sure to incorporate containers and shrubbery into the mix.

The Fix

To ensure your patio layout feels fresh, modern, and inviting, include pockets of plants by layering in landscaping ideas. "Introduce container gardens, green walls, or integrated planters," says Tony. "Even a small pergola with climbers softens the space beautifully." Visually varying the space with the likes of a decking area will also bring your patio up-to-date and increase visual appeal.

Tony O'Neill

I'm Tony O'Neill, a gardening expert and best-selling author. I am an educator with a thriving YouTube channel that has 442,000 subscribers and receives over 1.4 million monthly views. Through my award-winning website, Simplify Gardening, I share my passion for gardening and sustainability. I've authored books including "Simplify Vegetable Gardening," "Composting Masterclass," and "Your First Vegetable Garden," empowering individuals to cultivate their own green spaces.

5. Single-Level Gardens With No Zoning

Why It's Dated

Finally, flat garden layouts that lack depth and dimension are one of the outdated backyard designs to avoid. Modern outdoor spaces incorporate height and levels that create a clear focal point for a more visually arresting space. "Meanwhile, one flat, open space often lacks functionality or interest," says Tony.

The same goes for garden border ideas without structural plants or shrubs to add depth. "Endless mulch without layered planting feels barren — and, news flash, weeds still move in, perhaps even more so because there are no other plants to block them," notes Katherine.

The Fix

Instead, aesthetically appealing modern gardens typically embrace varying heights, be it through hardscaping ideas or planting. Just like you would in your living room, make sure there's enough variation for the eyes. "Create zones using level changes, outdoor rugs, or strategic planting," says Tony. "It makes the garden feel bigger and better used."

In your flower beds, use taller trees or shrubs at the back, mid-height flowers or grasses in the middle, and smaller, low-growing flowers at the very front. "Fill beds with dense, layered plantings of groundcovers, grasses, and perennials to shade out weeds naturally," instructs Katherine. "I like using tiarella and carex as fast-growing ground covers to help fill around other perennials and shrubs to keep weeds out."

The wrong garden layout won't be impractical or visually boring, but it can date your outdoor space by decades. If you want a backyard that's as beautifully designed and the interior of your home, be sure to stay up to date with the latest garden trends and steer clear of the outdated designs above.