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10 Landscaping Ideas for Small Yards


Did you just make your first home purchase and need ideas for landscaping because your yard is small? Or are you a real estate investor looking to make your place more attractive to buyers? Look no further for here are a few designs you can use to boost the exterior appeal of your property. These ideas work well for cold and dry climates.

1. Zen garden

If you want your small yard to have a simplistic yet luxurious look, a Zen garden would be one of your best choices. The main decorations would include logs, sand, pebbles, rocks, a few bonsai trees, small plants, and one or two stone lanterns. At the end of your day, you can spend your free time meditating for inner peace or adore art by drawing on the sand.

2. Spanish bungalow

For those with homes in dry areas, the Spanish bungalow brings beauty to your backyard through its main attraction - the hardy fescue lawn. Add a small patio umbrella, flagstone pathway, two string chairs, and a few fiber optic grass pots.

3. Hot tub and barbecue

Image source: Style motivation

This landscaping idea is good for those who regularly invite friends to their homes for weekend relaxations. There’s not much green a visitor sees here but only built-in concrete benches on wooden decks. Homeowners can choose to put a planter on the back post for beautiful flowers to grow on.

4. Vertical pots

With the vertical pot idea, you need not worry about little space to grow plenty of plants. Buy vertical pot hangers and you’re able to showcase your well-treasured flowers and succulents. The feature of this design is that your plants are easily adored because they are always at eye level.

5. Potted trees

Another space-saving yet beautiful landscape design is to plant dwarf trees on concrete pots and have the entire ground covered in cement. You can really show the beauty of your yard this way due to the simplistic color of concrete and the uniform geometric shapes of the pots.

6. Low-maintenance with turf

Image source: Extra Space

As a real estate investor, a low-maintenance yard with artificial turf is a good way to capture the interest of buyers. It’s because this landscaping design allows buyers to easily imagine what they can do to the yard when it comes to designing. The real magic, however, is that this design makes your yard look incredibly spacious.

7. No grass

Having lawn grass in the yard isn’t everyone’s taste. If you share the sentiment, why not replace it with pebbles and have a small stone pathway? The upkeep is less this way and the feet of the outdoor tables and chairs don’t easily rot. This design also works best for areas that don’t get plenty of rain.

8. Varied textures

Making your lawn full of grass or rocks can be boring. That’s why you should combine them. Have a section of your hard that’s all rocks, grass, plants, and mulch. It will create visual depth and make your yard appear bigger.

9. Sunken patio

Here’s another design to make your yard look big - a sunken patio. In the sunken portion, add a low table and metal benches around it. It’s perfect for you, your family, friends, and colleagues to enjoy the occasional bottle of wine without feeling suffocated. If you want, add plants and shrubs on the elevated areas for a more private feel.

10. Fish ponds

Looking at fishes is one good way to relieve stress after a hectic day. However, choose fish types that match your area’s climate. Cichlids like Oscars, Mollies, High-Fin Banded Sharks, and Guppies are best for tropical temperatures. For homes with colder climates, choose Koi fishes. Koi fishes can survive during winter and also matches well with zen gardens.

Once you’ve found and decided on a landscaping idea, quickly search various designs online so you can draw your draft before buying the materials you need.

Check out these articles for more home improvement ideas!