Creative Small Backyard Landscaping Ideas

January 5th, 2011 · No Comments

The right small backyard landscaping ideas can help you squeeze a lot of use out of a little land. Those expansive, perfectly manicured, fancifully landscaped backyards you see in gardening magazines may be beautiful, but most of us don’t have acres of land to use as our canvas. Instead, today’s urban homeowner is more likely to be working with just 100 square feet or even less. That small size may rule out hedge mazes and topiary menageries, but it still leaves you with plenty of room for creativity.

Going Up!

If your small backyard doesn’t provide the space to expand outward, try going up. Vertical landscaping lets you make use of your yards vertical space, giving you a way to fit in your favorite flowers, ornamentals and even vegetables. Placing your plants on the vertical plane is also handy if you dislike bending or kneeling to tend low-growing plants.

Tiered potted plant stands and hangers make it easy to get started gardening upward. For more vertical options, try installing a trellis against a sunny wall, an arch or arbor over your entryway, or a pergola over your seating area. A bench with a trellis on each side or arch acing over the seat does double duty to provide a rest stop and space for more plants. These benches works especially well for aromatic plants, bringing the plant close to nose level, where it’s easier to enjoy.

Backyard Multitasking

One of the problems with a small backyard is that you can see the whole thing at a glance and then the experience is over, leaving you thinking “Is that all?” A solution is to divide the area into distinct outdoor rooms. This not only multiplies the uses you can get out of the area, it also breaks up the view and gives you the feeling of having more places in the yard to go and explore.

Use trellises or plant screens to section off one part of the yard from the rest, then design each section for a particular use. In one “room” you might create a partially paved dining area with a table and chairs, pots of aromatic herbs and efficient outdoor lighting for evening meals, while another other room might serve as a reading nook with a chaise lounge or hammock, rustling bamboo and small waterfall to create a relaxing ambiance.

So Inclined?

Planting grass isn’t the only way to deal with a hill. If a hard-to-landscape hill or incline has been crowding your small backyard, reclaim your territory by terracing the hill to create level planting areas. Build retaining walls for each terrace with stones, bricks, wood or other sturdy material. Even on a terraced hill, water still flows downhill, but drip irrigation and soak hoses can help you water the area evenly.

For a less labor-intensive method of landscaping a small backyard hill, consider creating a rock garden. Ornamental stones and low-growing plants–Alpines, in particular–combine well make an attractive, low-maintenance hillside garden.

Looking at other successful landscaping designs can also provide you with inspiration for your own small backyard landscaping ideas. To get clear, professional photos of creative landscaping ideas to help you design a landscape that’s idea for you, check out this collection.