You don’t have to have an expansive backyard to enjoy all of the benefits of having a garden. Even those with limited outdoor space can make use of these garden plans that utilize container plants and a variety of materials underfoot. Patio improvements make your house more welcoming to guests and more appealing to potential buyers—a win-win!
Here are some great ideas for small gardens that will fit into a petite backyard or on a patio.
Create an outdoor room
Turn a tiny patio into a gorgeous outdoor room by adding a freestanding pergola. Here, a small wooden pergola was constructed over a gravel patio and enhanced with a teak seating arrangement. The pergola creates a sense of enclosure and makes the patio seem a lot larger than it actually is.
Go gravel
Crushed brick or gravel is a beautiful and low-maintenance paving option for small gardens. It’s also easier to use and less expensive than brick or flagstone. Just be sure to spread a layer of landscape fabric underneath the gravel to keep weeds from popping through. On this California hillside, the gravel also allows rainfall to percolate through to the soil instead of running off down the hillside.
Capitalize on trees
If you have large trees with bare spots underneath them, why not put the barren ground to use by creating an outdoor living space? In this small garden, several trees made growing a lawn or flower border impossible. So, the homeowners paved part of the area with flagstone and added a table and chairs. Just remember: when you are working under a large tree, be sure to leave any exposed roots alone and never raise the grade around the base of the tree.
Add a pond
You don’t need a huge backyard to have a water garden. In fact, installing a water garden is a great way to handle low or wet spots in your garden. Just dig out the area, add a pond liner and pump, and you’re on your way. Even a tiny oasis will attract a wide range of colorful butterflies and birds. In this garden, Water Snowflake (Nymphoides humboldtiana), a small relative of water lily, provides color in tight quarters.
Double your pleasure
Get twice the flowers and vegetables in your small garden by adding a trellis or low fence behind every planting bed. That way, you can grow vine crops vertically so they don’t sprawl over their plant neighbors. In this narrow garden bed, a trio of rustic wooden trellises support flowering vines at the back of the perennial border.
Welcome wildlife
Even a small garden can become a haven for birds and butterflies when you choose flowers they prefer. For example, this square bed is packed with bird and butterfly favorites, such as black-eyed Susan and phlox. A bird feeder and birdhouse add to the garden’s wildlife-friendly features.
Add drama
Give small gardens a big boost of style by adding an oversized gate or arbor at one end to act as a focal point. It will draw the eye in and make space seem larger. Here, a large-scale ornamental entry arbor gives this tiny side yard some visual heft. Plus, it supports a crown of climbing roses. White lilies in the center bed mirror the white roses and arbor.
Rely on pots
Enjoy your own corner of paradise by packing your small garden with pots and planters overflowing with flowers and fragrant herbs. In this luxurious backyard, pots of geranium (scented and standard) and marguerite daisy provide the bulk of color surrounding a welcoming teak bench. A large terra-cotta bowl acts as a reflecting pool and birdbath.
Color your world
Shady backyards are great places to spend a hot summer afternoon, but too often, they can be a bit dark and dull. Brighten the view with colorful pillows, fabrics, outdoor rugs and pots in a variety of colors and patterns. This shady deck is now a colorful spot for family fun.
Camouflage trash
Nothing ruins the view in a small backyard faster than a set of garbage cans blown over in the wind. Instead of having your garbage in plain sight, build a wooden surround to keep the cans contained. Here, a set of stylish wooden panels camouflages the homeowners’ garbage, with a little space left over for bags of potting soil and extra garden tools. When the gate panel is closed, everything is completely hidden.
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