BACKYARD BLOG

5 Outdoor Landscaping Ideas For Small Yards

Nov.29.2016

Whether you’re seeking to sell your house, preparing for a party, or just vying for a nicer view, landscaping is never a bad idea. Many assume that elaborate landscaping projects will only work with lots of space, but even the smallest yards can accommodate beautiful creative designs. Make your home a place of beauty with these outdoor landscaping ideas small yards!

5 Outdooor Landscaping Ideas For Small Yards

1. Break It Up

The first step in any landscaping project should be to break your yard up into different sections, each with a different look and function. Not only will this give you and your guests more things to do, but by incorporating a wider range of appearances and activities, it will make your yard look larger. Terrain plays an important role in this process. Cover with sand the place where you’ll put your barbecue pit while planting grass or shrubs in aesthetic areas. If you plan to build a swing set in one part of the yard, put rubber mulch or other safe turf there. Then build separate paths to each area, completing the separation.

2. Play With Perspective

Besides dividing the yard into separate spaces, you can further open it up by taking full advantage of perspective. This involves carefully placing items of different sizes and shapes to make the yard look larger than it is. Consider planting a large bed of flowers at the yard’s entrance and a smaller arrangement of the same flowers at the other end. You can do the same with yard equipment, decorations, and structures of different sizes. Keep paths and other lines long and straight, reinforcing the image of a large, sprawling yard.

3. Pick Plants Precisely

If you don’t have a lot of yard space but still want a variety of plants, the key is to grow them upward instead of outward. Put a variety of plants in the same spot, each of which will grow to a different height and will thus be visible on a different level. Start with one or two tall trees, possibly magnolias or pines, spreading them out as much as possible so that light can reach lower levels. Below those trees, plant some dwarf conifers to occupy the middle level, and then cover the bottom with a layer of purple hearts or other low-lying plants. You will thus be able to enjoy a variety of shapes and colors within a small section of your garden.

4. Work With Walls

Vertical spaces are just as valuable as horizontal ones, and with a little creativity, you can easily add life and color to an otherwise blank feature. Consider growing a line of ivy along some of your walls; you can trim and rearrange this whenever you wish, giving your yard an ever-changing aesthetic. Alternatively, or in addition, paint a mural on your walls or use them to hang bird houses or other elements. Walls are space, and space can always be put to good use in landscaping.

5. Let Go Of Grass

Grass can be useful for certain purposes and aesthetics, but if you prefer other kinds of plants, there’s no need to include it. Plant whatever you want on a bed of soil, mulch, or pine straw, and then build a path out of brick and ceramic tiles. The result will be just as beautiful and functional as a grass yard, but with more freedom to include the plants you love the most.

Your yard is an expression of your home, and there’s no better way to highlight beauty and variety than through diligent landscaping. For more information on outdoor landscaping ideas small yards, contact us today.

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