Small backyards are just as great as huge backyards. While you might not have as much space for grilling, lounging, or playing as you would in a big backyard, you can still make the most out of your postage-stamp-space by using it wisely. You can transform your space by using clever landscaping ideas for small backyards, per Bob Vila, which will help you use every inch of grass and pavement that you own.
hese small backyard landscaping ideas will prove that you can have everything from rock gardens to Buckingham-Palace-worthy rose beds to charming lounging areas in your yard if only you plan it out appropriately. You can make your small backyard feel bigger by incorporating certain plants and trees, and you can make it feel more organized by sectioning off space with hedges or iron arches. If you have a small plot of land and have been itching to give it a makeover, then you have come to the right place. Ahead are 30 of the most clever landscaping ideas for small backyards.
1. Surround yourself with lavender
It’s possible to create a welcoming atmosphere in your backyard, even if you have very little space to work with. Choose plants that are known for their scent, like lavender, to make the small yard feel cozy and delightful.
2. Add short hedges
Make your small backyard feel bigger by dividing it into different spaces using small hedges. The hedges will act like fences and allow you to carve out a garden area that is separate from a lounging area.
3. Surround the space with shrubs
If you don’t want to commit to watering flowers in your backyard weekly, then swap out the flowers for leafy bushes. Layer different heights of shrubs together to create a bushy, overgrown garden that is as inviting as it is green.
4. Create a focal point
Ben Make your small backyard feel like a palace courtyard by swapping out your grass for pebbles and creating a floral focal point in the middle of the yard. Add flowers in stone planters in the center, and add stepping stones that ring out from the centerpiece.
5. Create designated quarters
Make the most of your small backyard landscaping by segregating your backyard into designated quarters using fences. One section can be your garden, another can be your flowers, and a third can be the lounge area.
6. Add statement flowers
If you like to keep things simple in your backyard, then focus on choosing one statement floral shrub, like a blooming rhododendron. It will instantly attract the eye and bring something special to the space.
7. Layered landscaping
Outline your backyard in layered landscaping, which includes tall bushes in the back, a line of colorful flowers towards the rear, and colorful foliage plants.
8. Add cobblestone pathways
Make your small backyard feel like an English garden by adding cobblestone pathways flanked with blooming flowers.
9. Create a small blooming garden
While it might sound counterintuitive, filling a small space with oversized items helps make the area feel bigger. Try planting tall firs and large rose bushes into your small garden to create a statement backyard.
10. Avoid straight lines
Make your small backyard look more attractive by carving out rounded edges and bowed corners to plant in. This will make the space feel more natural and look more appealing than planting flowers in straight lines along the fence.
11. Create a relaxing vegetable garden
Turn your backyard vegetable garden into a charming focal point by adding a wire arch. Your vegetables’ foliage will envelop the arch, creating a relaxing spot to sit in.
12. Create a Japanese garden
If you don’t have a lot of grass or soil to work with, transform your backyard into a Japanese garden by incorporating bamboo, stone, and lanterns.
13. Fire pit garden
Everyone loves gathering by a fire pit, so make that the focal point of your small backyard. Add landscaping around the lounge area by planting leafy bushes, blooming rose bushes, and metal arches covered in vines.
14. Create an organized vegetable garden
If you want an elegant vegetable garden, try building vegetable beds out of brick rather than wood. You can also swap out the grass for beautifully paved sidewalks.
15. Colorful backyards
If you love lots of color, then create a backyard filled with annuals and perennials in rioting hues.
16. Plant blooming rhododendron
Add lots of drama to your backyard by planting a large bush of blooming rhododendron. It will add a huge pop of color and make you feel like you’re in a botanical garden.