Small patio with water feature in Phoenixville, PA
Not all of us are blessed with the perfect size yard. Do you ever feel your smaller size yard restricts how you entertain or do you just wish you had a bigger yard for your family? With a little bit of planning, a good landscape plan can maximize the beauty and utility of a smaller yard.
Don’t think you’re limited with options! Small lots are a challenge that we frequently encounter with clients, so we thought it would be helpful to come up with a few of our go-to tips and suggestions for making the most of a small yard.
Small Yard Landscaping Tip #1 – Identify Your Yard’s Function
Do you simply want a quiet retreat or do you lean towards providing a gathering place for family and friends? Do you want a patio to fit a large dining table or perhaps room for comfortable seating for relaxation? Depending on your yard, you might also think about two separate areas to accommodate two different functions.
Small boulder fountain in Schwenksville, PA
Small Yard Landscaping Tip #2 – Utilize Enhancements Wisely
There are some landscape enhancements that take up very little room such as lighting and water features. Every yard, no matter the size, can benefit from lighting. Use lighting to draw attention to the best feature of your yard and illuminate the usable space. Water features come in many sizes and a small splash of water becomes a great focal point while giving you a tranquil place for relaxation. Sitting walls around a patio help to conserve space by supplying extra seating.
Planter in Schwenksville gives a pop of color.
Small Yard Landscaping Tip #3 – Use Containers for Color
Selectively place pots near doors, patios or entrances. Plant larger pots with lots of blooming annuals that will invite everyone to admire because of their close proximity to where the action is. Don’t go too crazy with lots of colors, rather choose one or two dominate colors so it doesn’t make the space seem too busy.
Small Yard Landscaping Tip #4 – Think Small Size When Planting
Small shrubs reach approximately 5 feet or less in maturity. True dwarf varieties grow no more than 3 feet and have a particularly slow-growth habit. The selection of dwarf shrubs in nurseries has greatly increased in recent years. Conifers stay green all year and to learn more, read Dwarf Conifers for the Garden. Take time to choose the right plant for the right place. Also consider the attractiveness of vertical plants. Horizontal space is precious in a small yard which makes it smart to invest in plants that grow up and not out.
Small Yard Landscaping Tip #5 – Include Your Side Yard
Your side yard could become a newly discovered and frequently used part of your yard. Often underutilized, your side yard has a lot of potential if you let your imagination run. Install an attractive paver or stone path that disappears around the side of your house where you might find a flower garden, another small sitting area or a little fountain. Instead of traveling through the house to get to the back yard, install a welcoming gate or path leading to the back. There’s no doubt that a path integrates the front yard and backyard. Read more on our blog Side Yard Landscaping and Pathways.
Smaller yards do have their advantages especially when your lifestyle is on-the-go and you have minimum time to maintain it. But don’t let the challenge of your small yard stop you from imagining your yard’s potential. Whitehouse Landscaping can offer landscape ideas, solutions and design expertise for your small yard so you can make the most of your yard. We’ll work with the space you have and make it feel bigger.
Whitehouse Landscaping offers expert landscape design/build, maintenance and lighting services to enhance your property. We have clients in Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties. Call us at 484-300-4290 or fill out our contact form to schedule a no-obligation meeting to discuss your yard’s potential.