Having a small yard has its benefits. You have less lawn to mow, fewer leaves to rake, and hopefully, lower taxes. The problem is, it’s challenging to design a truly beautiful landscape with a small yard. There are no grand views, no long walks through beautiful gardens, and no room for water. While smaller yards require less maintenance, they can be more challenging to design. Since the classic landscaping scene is a large yard, it takes more creativity to develop good small yard landscaping. Not sure what to do with limited space? Here are some small yard ideas which will help the overall appeal of your landscape.
Use Quality Materials
Use simple ideas, shapes, and materials to keep from overwhelming the space. However, this doesn’t mean go cheap. A smaller space will require less materials and the entire project will cost less. This may allow you to purchase high quality materials. What you lose in quantity can be at least partially made up for through quality. Another benefit of quality, is that it will take attention away from the limited space and by drawing attention to the luxurious materials.
Create the Illusion of Depth
Certain colors and color combinations create depth of the illusion of depth which will make your yard seem vaster. Darker colors tend to fade to the background, while brighter colors pop to the forefront of our attention. There are other visual tricks which will help you build the illusion of a larger yard. Using different sized objects and overlapping objects also tricks the eye into seeing more than is really there.
Other Small Yard Landscaping Ideas
Here are some things to keep in mind while designing your small yard landscaping.
- Place objects below surface (partially sunk) into the ground
- Make each space count. Eliminate redundant objects to make more room for unique fixtures. Don’t try to save space by skimping out of walkways. Walkways can add an interesting look and give your space depth.
- Create privacy. Install a fixture (like a brick wall or fence) to help mute traffic noise. Gardens and bushes can add not only beauty, but privacy.
- Plant lavender – Colorful plants are always a good idea. But plants like lavender that are known for their calming scent are an excellent idea. Why? Lavender creates a welcoming atmosphere for anyone entering your backyard space.
- Divide the space – When you divide small space into sections, it provides the illusion that your space is actually bigger than it is. And a great way to divide the space is by using small shrubs. The hedges will serve as a fence and provide opportunities for you to carve out different spaces in your small yard for relaxing, gardening, and entertaining.
- Add vertical garden beds – Since you lack ground space, add some vertically tiered gardening beds. That way you can add beautiful flowers and plants without wasting any of your yard! You can either purchase these types of beds or make one yourself.
Keep in mind exactly what you want your lawn to provide.
Organize and reduce clutter
It is always best to keep your backyard organized and free of clutter. When you clutter a room, it appears smaller and overwhelming. The same can be said about your outdoor space. Put away lawn equipment, garden tools and place an outdoor storage bin for toys and other small items. If you have room, get one of those outdoor ottomans that include storage space under the nice foot rest.
For Extremely Small Yards
If you have very limited space, think carefully about what functions you want your yard to be capable of. If you plan on entertaining, albeit a small scale, you can’t fill up your limited space with plants. Instead, consider installing a patio as the central feature of your lawn. You can look at this as a drawback or as an easy (and very functional) way to fill up your space. If you wish to entertain, a patio is a must. Place plants and decorations around the border of the patio. If you don’t plan to entertain, low maintenance, visually appealing features are key.
Just because you have a small backyard doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate some cool, landscaping ideas. But designing, installing, and maintaining an attractive landscape can be a challenge, no matter the size. If you would like to improve your landscape, contact New England Enterprises of Marlborough, MA for an estimate. In addition to general landscape design and installation, we also provide grading and draining services, which will enhance the beauty and health of your lawn. We have the expertise, equipment, and years of experience to fully meet your landscaping needs.