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Organize comfortable chairs and decorative throws to create a cozy spot for conversing around the fire. With just a few steps and some firewood (and some safety precautions!), you'll have a cozy backyard sanctuary. Ditch the grass and build a deck on a bed of stone or gravel that utilizes the backyard space. Decks are versatile additions to homes, where you can add furniture, a fire pit, a grill, and more. If you can't quite commit, like moving things around, or you have a bunch of pots sitting in the garage, let this be all the small backyard inspiration you need.
Build Your Own Living Wall
This small backyard idea is perfect if you're cooking for friends on the weekend or whipping up a simple dinner like grilled chicken for your family. Dedicate a corner of your backyard to a grill and side table in an L-shaped layout. Although it only sits two, it makes a cozy spot to have coffee with a friend, read a book, or enjoy some sunshine. Whether perched on a tiny patio or an apartment balcony, any space can be elevated with this seating arrangement. If desired, you can add some intrigue to your backyard layout with a piece of funky accent furniture, a water fountain, or a fire feature. Your backyard might be small in size, but it can still be big in style.
Elevate Your Small Backyard with Thoughtful Outdoor Lighting
The result is a breezy "roof" that guards against afternoon heat, while leaving the floor open for entertaining. We've seen our design team add hanging plants to a second story wood deck, add a kid's playroom below a set of stairs or turn a swampy corner into a fantastic raised bed garden. Just because your backyard’s footprint is small does not mean that your design has to be contained to that square footage. Incorporating a vertical garden can help it feel immersive and even cozy. Try something practical like growing tomatoes up a vine, or create a small herb garden in pots on the side of your home.
#2 // Create a Functional Layout
The days may grow shorter in the winter, but that's just more time for stargazing! Imagine yourself curled up on your back porch with a cozy blanket, a heater, and a nice cup of cocoa as you enjoy the beauty of a crisp evening. Perhaps you love your yard, but you're stuck being surrounded by an ugly fence.
Additional Features for Small Backyards
It may seem counterintuitive, but several large trees or potted shrubs look much better in a small backyard than lots of smaller plants. This is because the more height you add to a small outdoor space the bigger it looks. It also helps to space out the plants a little to prevent a crammed feel. If your backyard is all paved, just go for a few large terracotta pots – lots of trees, including lemons and acers, will happily grow in containers for many years. You can still enjoy a meal outdoors, even if you don't have space for a full dining set.
Think about how your house and yard work together and decide how to divvy up the landscape to best suit your family's needs. Here, a play area away from the entertaining space prevents accidents (and headaches), and designated seating areas keep the patio from looking cluttered. Keep in mind the area's traffic patterns—if it's hard to navigate, people will probably use it less. Whether it's a warm July night or a chilly October evening, entertaining by a fire is a big or small backyard idea that always works.
How to prepare a small backyard for summer hosting - Homes & Gardens
How to prepare a small backyard for summer hosting .
Posted: Sun, 02 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Flooring is a really effective way to zone an outdoor space – see how the paving, grass and decking are used here. But if you can't change your flooring, look to screens, outdoor rugs or living walls, to create distinct 'rooms' within your backyard. 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.
Add a Fountain

Trellises make great living dividers when planted with fast-growing vines. A water feature or above-ground fire pit are a couple of good ideas if your backyard doesn’t already have something. You can add shade with a vine-covered trellis, umbrella, or shade sail. Surround your seating area with plants that help repel pesky bugs like flies and mosquitoes. Citronella, lemon balm, and marigolds grow well in containers or landscaping beds.
Otherwise, let it become your catch-all spot for gardening tools, empty pots and watering cans. So when you have slaved away creating a lovely outdoor space, make sure you take time to enjoy it. And to us, enjoying an outdoor space means plenty of al fresco eating and drinking in an outdoor kitchen space.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all appreciate zinnias, hyssop, and coneflowers. Choose a selection of wildflowers appropriate for your region to attract the most pollinators and make sure you have a variety of plants that bloom from spring through fall. While this option will require some upkeep to keep it clean, it will add some quiet elegance to your yard. Bring a touch of whimsy and romance to your backyard by creating a floral arch that will welcome you as it sits at your gate or patio entrance. You can use flowers like clematis, climbing hydrangeas, wisteria, or ivy to adorn your garden archway.
For this garden 'room' she has used paving stones in a similar color palette as the property, to visually expand the space. It can be widened into platforms or narrowed into paths to link different areas, binding together a garden’s design. In small backyards, deck may even be used to replace lawn and paving, flowing in an unbroken series of paths, terraces and seating.
There is something special about a backyard with trees, even small ones, so if your own backyard doesn't have a tree, consider planting one. You can then set up a table and chairs underneath it for a charming dinner spot or plant some shade-loving plants around the base. If you want an elegant yet organized vegetable garden, try building vegetable beds out of brick rather than wood. The brick will add interesting visual appeal and will also help ensure your plants remain safe from foot traffic. You can also swap out the grass for beautifully paved sidewalks, stones, or gravel.
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