13 Small Backyard Landscaping Ideas That Will Make A Big Difference!
Feeling squeezed when you walk out your back door? Sometimes, the owners of small plots of land feel they are hampered by their lack of room in their backyard. After all, how do you mow a plot of land roughly the size of a large deck? Actually, it does not require much research to find some innovative, not to mention beautiful and carefree, Small Backyard Landscaping Tips for smaller spaces. Successful Small Backyard Landscaping Ideas depend on planning for who will use the space and how.
Small Yards Can Be Beautiful Yards
1. No Grass, No Worry
Backyard Landscaping does not necessarily demand bluegrass. Ground greenery using Mondo grass, sometimes known as monkey grass, can work wonderfully. This grassy groundcover is practically carefree year-round. Plant them around trees or in interesting patterns.
2. Plant Over, Up and Around
A great small Backyard Landscaping Ideas is to use trellises to support vines. One of the most lovely and romantic ways to use trellis planting is to frame a bench or other intimate seating area. Trellis sides on each slope of the seating meet with a top length of trellis, the “roof” of the structure. Use one of the many varieties of clematis, which produces lovely and long-lasting blooms for weeks at a time. Planting one or two grape varieties will pay off handsomely in just a few years.
3. Water Features for Soul Soothing
There is nothing like the sound, look and feel of water. Water can be used in many ways and many dimensions in the small backyard. Fountains are perfect for a small space. Some of the more interesting uses are moving water displays that run vertically, such as a vertical fountain hung on a fence. Hiring a local sculptor to create a one-of-a-kind piece can make a real statement.
4. Raised Beds Are Great Everywhere
Raised beds have been used by gardeners for a long time. The ground is double-spaded that is, dug twice to a depth of 2 to 3 feet. The garden bed is framed above ground level, usually with treated lumber or redwood. When planted with vegetables, these beds can easily provide a season of fresh food for a small family. Since the plants grow so close together, weeds are seldom a problem. Raised beds can even be made to be portable.
5. Pots and Pots of Plants
Plants do not have to go directly into the ground. Browsing a local garden center will surely turn up many examples of lovely and unique pots in many sizes, shapes and colors. Best of all, this Backyard Landscaping Idea can be accomplished over several years, until the space is filled with a wonderful collection. By using complementary colors and varieties of plants, and placing of the pots with an artistic eye, the result can be stunning.
6. Takeout with Taste
Foodies will love this tip for their small backyards. Planting an old-fashioned kitchen garden takes little space and produces superb kitchen products. Imagine stepping just outside the back door to harvest basil, chives, mint and a few cherry tomatoes for supper. There are many varieties of herbs, many flowering and beautiful as well as tasty.
7. Stage the Backyard with Furniture
When we think of outdoor furniture, we see lawn chairs, benches and picnic tables. How about this Small Backyard Landscaping idea? Try placing a bed in your yard, preferably under a shady dwarf tree. A comfy bed made up in pretty bedclothes will create a unique retreat for reading a book or taking a snooze in the afternoon. Simply cover the bed when not in use. Do not forget to include one of many fire pit designs, a must-have for cool evenings.
8. Rock and Gravel Planting
Not every space in your small yard needs to be planted. Sometimes, the majesty of large rocks placed strategically adds depth to a landscaping design. Differing sizes and colors of gravel can produce a work of art, a painting directly on the earth. Keep in mind the ancient art of the Japanese Zen garden. It is not too difficult to learn and produce, and working within its borders is guaranteed to be relaxing.
9. A Place for the Children
If youngsters live in the house, their needs should of course be included in the planning of the backyard. Raise a platform of soil around the edges of the backyard and cover the soil with rubberized playground mulch for safety. The area can be a base for playground sets, a tree house or a sandbox. Want to keep the outside outside? Install a screened outdoor shower in the yard.
10. From a Tuscan Villa
Many of us long for a Tuscan villa with a long, sloping lawn where a farmer’s table is set with linens and fine china, ready to receive the extended family. Have the next best thing in your small backyard by utilizing a narrow space and fitting it with the longest narrow table you can fit into the space. Go wild with the table setting, from the tablecloth to a candelabrum. Use Backyard Landscaping Ideas for lighting, such as hanging fairy lights over the table and in the trees. Whether you seat a large family or a newlywed couple, the space will be magic.
11. Shade is Possible for the Small Space
Merely because a backyard space is small, does not mean trees are out. There are many varieties of dwarf trees such as evergreen Mugo pines or Japanese White Pines. Deciduous trees such as Bloodgood Japanese maple trees are also popular choices. Be careful. If larger trees are planted, they will eventually need to be removed.
12. Bring the Backyard Into the Front Yard
With the imaginative use of screens and borders, front yards can be joined to the backyard. Seating areas that cannot be fitted into a backyard space can perhaps be accommodated in a side yard or behind a screen in front. When thinking about Backyard Landscaping Ideas, it is useful to consider the entire property for inclusion into the landscape design.
13. Landscaping Steep Hillsides
Many small backyards have a tiny space behind the house that is level and the rest of the backyard property slopes down steeply. Smart Backyard Landscaping Tips include ways to prevent erosion, an important consideration for the homeowner if they wish to avoid watching their home slide downhill. A landscaping contractor can terrace the hill, making several wider spaces down the hill that can be used for seating or planting areas.