Small Garden Ideas

SMALL GARDEN IDEAS INCLUDING LAYOUT, PRIVACY TIPS, AND HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR SMALL OUTDOOR SPACES TO CREATE YOUR OWN LITTLE OASIS!

If you love gardening but have limited space, take heart. There are so many ways to create beautiful small space gardens.

As with decorating a smaller home, you have to approach smaller yards with restraint. Figuring out how you want to use your outdoor space to function is a good place to start.

Small Backyard Privacy Ideas

In our neighborhood, there are a lot of homes close together. The first thing I wanted to do in our backyard was to create privacy from the neighbors. The best way I found to do that is by planting emerald green arborvitae trees.

They are evergreen which affords privacy year round. They also grow very tall (but not wide) which gives privacy even from the upstairs windows of neighbors. These were honestly the best things we ever did in our small backyard.

Small yard space planning

After we had our side yard lined with evergreen trees for privacy, we had to decide what else to do in our yard. We built a paver patio outside our backdoor for outdoor seating and dining. Additionally, we added a shed for storage.

Other than that, I wanted to leave as much grass and open space as possible. Trying to cram in too much more would only make the yard feel cluttered and smaller.

Leaving open space not only looks better but we when do host parties, we have the room to put out an extra table or cornhole boards.

Having a lush, well-manicured lawn is a must to make your backyard look pretty. Fortunately getting your grass full is easy, check out my how-to on lawn care for beginners. One or two hours of work will give you an amazing return all season long.

I also highly recommend creating neat landscape edging around the border of your yard. Neatness counts in small spaces.

Once you have your backyard layout and lawn care taken care of, you can then find creative ways to add flowers, plants, and fun details!

Small garden ideas

One thing I try to do in our yard is fit in as many flowers as I can without it looking cluttered. I love to be able to go outside and cut enough flowers and greens to create a floral arrangement.

One fun way I did that was by adding a wheelbarrow planter along my arborvitae border. Using slate stones to bump that area out allowed me to nestle that into the landscape without impeding much on the open yard space.

Container planters are your best friend in a smaller yard. I lined our patio with four large planters that are multifunctional. First, those function as a place to plant flowers for cutting. Second, I added poles for string lights that create an arbor over our patio.

Additionally, I keep several containers on the patio outside our back door for flowers. My backyard is full sun, so all our plants out there have to be heat tolerant.

I get a lot of my outdoor furniture and decor (that isn’t vintage) from Wayfair because they have so much to pick from. They are having big sales this week as part of their Wayday promotion.

Going vertical in small spaces is the best trick for maximizing space both indoors and out. For that reason, I have several climbing vines, such as climbing hydrangeas planted. It’s a way to squeeze in more plants without looking cluttered.

And on my patio, I have a metal bakers rack I found for $6 (not pictured) that’s perfect for smaller pots and garden tools.

Anything that is multifunctional is ideal in small spaces.

Small Front Garden Ideas

Our front porch is also small. For that reason, the first thing I did out here was to add a trellis on the side. It’s a way to add in more flowers (again, climbing vines come in handy in small spaces) as well as add a bit of privacy.

I edit what outdoor furniture and decor I put on our small front porch and I pick multifunctional pieces.

I enjoy making the most of our small front porch and I like to switch it up seasonally.

Maintaining small outdoor spaces

In small spaces keeping them maintained is ultra important.

One product I love for outdoor cleaning is this 30-second outdoor cleaner. It makes my white patio umbrella look brand new each year and also works for cleaning the siding on the house. No power washer is required, it hooks right to your garden hose.

If you have outdoor wooden furniture, often that will look weathered quickly. I used to have an outdoor wooden table and it’s easy enough to restore but eventually, I got tired of that and swapped it out for this wicker and glass top table.

Additionally, I repainted our shed a few years back which made a tremendous difference! It takes up so much space in a small yard that it needs to be a focal point rather than an eyesore.

If you have issues with critters such as cats or deer ruining your gardens, I have a solution for that as well.

We have many stray cats in our neighborhood and they were using my garden beds as litter boxes. After trying many things to keep them out, I finally tried a motion-activated sprinkler. It worked well!

It doesn’t hurt the animals but after they get hit with the cold water a few times, they don’t return. It’s a great way to keep animals out of your garden.

Small Yard Garden TIPS

Another thing I like to do in our yard is to add vintage and antique elements. It adds interest and older items paired with fresh flowers are a match made in Heaven.

An old garden bench nestled in the corner and a vintage plant stand are a couple of ways I did that in our yard.

Lastly here are a few more creative small garden ideas:

• DIY Patio Fountain
• Full Sun Container Garden
• Best Flowers To Attract Butterflies & Hummingbirds
• Homemade Hummingbird Food
• How To Paint A Concrete Porch Floor
• How To Sprout Flower Seeds Overnight
• The Best Shade Garden Plants
• Garden Trellis Ideas

Creating a peaceful and pretty backyard in a small space requires a little work and planning but the rewards are so worth it when you have your own little outdoor oasis!

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