How To Create A European-Inspired Outdoor Oasis This Fall
We recently partnered with content creator and home décor enthusiast @Ourforeverrhome to elevate her outdoor entertaining space for the fall season. Kelly, the owner of the growing social media account, has a cozy yet timeless style that flows seamlessly throughout her home, both indoors and out.
For this project, we expanded upon her outdoor patio and garden with a design inspired by classic European landscapes. The goal was to create a European-inspired outdoor oasis that felt elegant, structured, and welcoming. In this blog, we’ll explore the key elements of European garden design and highlight the plants Kelly chose to bring her backyard space to life.
Key Elements of European Garden Design
Symmetry & Structure
European gardens, especially French formal styles, are often built on balance, geometry, and symmetry. You can bring this structured look to your own backyard by lining pathways with plants, framing entrances with evergreens, or balancing focal points such as statues, fountains, or statement containers.
Evergreen Foundation
One hallmark of European garden design is the use of evergreens. Whether it’s a boxwood hedge that defines pathways or lush evergreen shrubs in decorative planters, these plants add year-round color and structure. They ensure your outdoor space remains polished and inviting, even when other plants fade in the fall and winter.
Pathways & Architectural Interest
European-style outdoor spaces come to life with pathways, focal points, and architectural details. Pea gravel walkways, wrought-iron benches, stone fountains, and statuary add charm and character, tying the garden design together while enhancing functionality.
A European Garden With a Twist: Our Collaboration With @Ourforeverrhome
We’ve been proud partners of Kelly, the creator behind @Ourforeverrhome, for years. When she reached out to collaborate on her outdoor living space this fall, we were excited to help bring her vision to life. Kelly wanted a backyard that felt elegant yet cozy, drawing from European-inspired design while still keeping it practical for family lounging and entertaining.
With a curated plant selection and her signature flair for design, she transformed her yard into a stunning fall outdoor oasis. Here’s a closer look at the plants she chose and why they’re perfect for a European-inspired garden.
Get the Look: Plants for a European-Style Outdoor Space
Little Lime Hydrangea
The obvious star of her landscape and a longtime favorite of Kelly’s that she uses in a range of different areas throughout her property is the Little Lime Hydrangea. Hydrangeas are a classic choice for a European-style garden because they combine structure with soft, romantic blooms that align perfectly with the elegance and timelessness of European design. The lush green foliage paired with the summer shrub’s breathtaking panicles of green to white blooms really lights up her space and brings such an elegant feel to the space.
The shrubs are quick growers and will only get bigger, better, and fuller of blooms each year! As an added bonus, these gorgeous panicle hydrangeas transition into sweet shades of pink come fall and make for gorgeous additions to cut flower arrangements and dried bouquets. Great pick, Kelly!
Skip Cherry Laurel
As mentioned above, no European landscape, or any landscape for that matter, is complete without evergreens! While hydrangeas are beautiful and magical, they lose their leaves and blooms come late fall, and you will need some staple evergreens to pick up the slack. Kelly opted for a lush row of our fast-growing Skip Cherry Laurel shrubs!
These plants are hardy to the elements and grow 2-3 feet per year in optimal conditions. The glossy evergreen leaves provide a dense wall of privacy that makes your yard feel upscale and private. These all-star plants also produce fragrant white blooms in early spring if left unpruned.
Spartan Juniper Spiral Topiary
To tie it all together, Kelly added a pair of Blue Point Juniper Spiral Topiaries. By placing these on either side of her canopied relaxation zone, she established structure, symmetry, and evergreen sophistication all in one fell swoop. It really is incredible how impactful a few plants can be in transforming an outdoor space, and these spiral topiaries are doing just that!
Shop European Garden Essentials
You can turn your backyard into a European-style outdoor oasis with just a few intentional choices. Think symmetry, evergreen foundation plants, and timeless blooms like hydrangeas. Whether you’re designing for entertaining, relaxing, or simply enjoying the view, the right plants make all the difference.
Kelly’s European-inspired outdoor oasis shows how easy it is to combine structure, charm, and seasonal color to create a timeless backyard retreat. By incorporating hydrangeas, evergreens, and architectural details, you can elevate your outdoor space into something inviting and elegant. Ready to design your own European-style garden? Explore our collection of evergreens, hydrangeas, and landscape essentials to bring the look home this fall.