Landscaping a small yard

Landscaping a small yard in no way limits the options that are available to you. What you need to do is to keep scale in mind when choosing how to landscape.

Take stock of your yard. Where is the outdoor space that you do have? Is it to the front, to the back or to the side? Do you have a porch or a deck? Don’t forget that even though the yard may be small if you have a porch or a deck you have an additional area that you can add your personal touch to.

How much maintenance do you want? If you are the type who loves to spend hours in the yard planting, weeding and enjoying your garden then that will be a determining factor in what you chose to plant in your yard. If you want a low or no maintenance yard, don’t despair you can still have a warm and welcoming space.

You need to access the space and decide what you want your main feature to be. Even the smallest yard can have a water feature. You may choose a small fountain or a birdbath, either one will add a lot of visual interest.

If you want low maintenance, consider putting down paving stones and use tall grasses to decorate the area near your house or in the beds. Low lying plants like heather require very little care and give nice color for a good part of the year.

In a small yard container-gardening may be the optimal choice. It takes up very little space and allows you to grow annuals, perennials, and even vegetables. Remember, even though you don’t have a lot of ground space you can always go up. You can use hanging plants or bird feeders that attach to your house and let you still use the ground space for other more practical things like a table and chairs or a bench.

The most important thing to keep in mind no matter what you chose for your design is to plan it to scale. There is nothing that is out of the question but it must fit the scope of your yard. You don’t want to choose plants or trees that will overwhelm your space.

Choose colors that will enlarge your space. Cool colors such as blues and lavenders are the perfect way to add color and make your yard seem less claustrophobic or overcrowded.

If your yard space is on the front of your house always keep the curb appeal in mind. You don’t want to take away from the overall appearance of your home. Whatever you choose, make sure that your house looks balanced, don’t put all the features on one side.

Just because your yard is small doesn’t mean that you can’t have gorgeous landscaping. Think of it as a positive, less grass to mow.