Beautiful Design Ideas for Tiny Yards

Not everyone who loves gardening and relaxing outdoors is blessed with a yard the size of a soccer field. But, that shouldn’t stop you from getting the most out of your tiny yard and enjoying it with all your heart. Here’s how you can maximize the space and effect of your yard with only a few beautiful and practical design ideas.

Remove Clutter

First things first, start from the clutter. Clutter has a horrible ability to make small spaces look even smaller and uglier, so make sure to create order in your backyard. Of course, store your gardening supplies and tools away, but also pay attention to how you plant and maintain your landscaping. Opting for a few different plants or a one-color palette might help achieve a coherent look.

Create Zones

Even though it might seem contradictory, breaking a small space into different zones might make it look and feel larger. Use pathways, seating and plants to create divisions and turn it into a space full of little cozy nooks. Additionally, placing one part of your seating off the patio and near the yard border will create an illusion of space.

Go Up

If you lack square footage, utilize your vertical spaces! Plant trees and shrubs that grow upwards (dwarf varieties are recommended) and use columnar evergreens. Blooming vines are also a great way to add more greenery that takes up minimal space. These vines will grow on anything from fences to containers and even other shrubs and trees! Plus, they boost privacy and create a super romantic atmosphere!

Bring in the Accent Plants

Small yards often lack life and color, so make sure to bring your outdoor space to life with big planters. Place these containers full of blooming flowers around entrances, seating and other features to liven up the space and bring softness. Impatiens, fuchsias and begonias will all achieve a beautiful effect. However, plan well in advance. Containers require careful placement to be effective. Group them in threes or harmonize the colors of flowers (choose your main color and complement it with a secondary and even tertiary). But, too many colors will completely ruin the point of accents and nothing will dominate—there will only be a mess! If this sounds too complicated to you, it might be best to hire a landscaping expert to help you with this stage. They know just what to do to achieve an elegant and coherent look, even in your tiny space!

Skip the Lawn

If you have a green thumb and really like plants, you can skip the lawn and turn your entire yard into a garden! Divide the space with paths, layer the greenery and voila! You might have a small yard, but you’ll have a big garden!

Add a Small Water or Fire Feature

Many people think water features have to be big pools with waterfalls, but you can actually get a very small feature and achieve just the same effect. For instance, get a small reflecting pool or a Japanese trough that will shower you with relaxing sounds. Fire pits can warm up the space and give it a romantic vibe during the chilly evenings. And if you pick the right design, these fire features can easily also double as little coffee tables in the summer!

Mix It Up

If you want to achieve a dramatic visual effect, you can add interest to your yard by mixing interesting elements. For instance, mix regular stepping stones with mosaic ones, mix contemporary planters with vintage ones or mix exotic succulents with local wildflowers. This way, no one will even notice the size of your space!

As you can see, size is not everything. With these ingenious landscaping ideas, your small yard will be super functional, cozy and beautiful. 

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith