How to Design a Small Yard

A small yard presents challenges, but good design makes it possible to use the area for multiple purposes. Flower and vegetable gardens, a water feature, plants that attract birds and butterflies and a small patio are all possible in small yards. Choose a few design elements and focus on them to avoid a cluttered look. Too many elements will make the yard seem smaller. Start your design process by deciding how you will use the yard.

Things You'll Need

• Trees Bamboo Fence Climbing vines Railroad ties Hanging pots Water feature Natural stone pavers

Instructions

1. Consider design features that draw the eye upward. A few tall trees or a screen of bamboo to separate your yard from your neighbor's remove the focus from the small yard area.

2. Install tall, open fences made of latticework if the yard is so small that planting trees would take up too much space. Train climbing plants like trumpet vine to grow up the fence. Flowering vines add color and attract hummingbirds.

3. Build terraces with railroad ties along one or two edges. They provide enough space for a small vegetable patch or a colorful flower garden.

4. Use hanging pots filled with vegetable plants that thrive in small spaces, like patio tomatoes, or plants with striking foliage like coleus and caladium in yards that are too small to accommodate terracing.

5. Introduce a water feature. A birdbath, a bubbler in a terra cotta pot or a simple stone vessel set in the ground like a pond and filled with aquatic plants adds visual and auditory interest.

6. Build a small patio out of natural stone that is just large enough for a garden table and chairs. Stone is less intrusive than brick, and more attractive than concrete. Create curving pathways rather than straight lines to reduce the appearance of a small, regimented yard.

Tips & Warnings

• Railroad ties are available at home improvement and lumber stores. Add a sculpture or paint a mural on a tall fence that evokes the outdoors.

References

• Colorful Foliage Plants
• Small Yard Ideas
• Growing Vegetables in a Small Plot

Resources

• Tips for Growing Vines
• Landscaping Tips