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Outdoor landscaping ideas for small spaces


23 Landscaping Ideas for Small Backyards

Making the Most of a Petite Plot of Land

By

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 02/25/22

Reviewed by

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40 years' experience; writing for over 20 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Not everyone is blessed with a big backyard. For those who live in places with tighter outdoor spaces, it's just a matter of practicing smart design on a smaller scale. Whether you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse, loft, or a house that has more indoor than outdoor space, you can still carve out a yard with soil, trees, plants, patios, seating, and even water features. 

Once you start researching, you'll find that garden styles and solutions are limitless—there's a backyard for every petite plot of land. Among ideas to consider:

We've found 23 diverse designs and solutions for small backyards and outdoor spaces, from urban to suburban and everything else in between.

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Small backyard landscaping ideas: 15 designs for tiny spaces |

(Image credit: Kate Anne Designs / Jeffrey Brian Riemer)

These small back yard landscaping ideas cover our favorite approaches for landscaping your garden – no matter how tiny it may be.

Choosing backyard landscaping ideas can be a Herculean task. From finding the right contractor to budget breakdowns, there are so many items to consider to help make your outdoor space a great asset. But what happens if you have limited space?

For many Americans in major metropolitan areas – from San Francisco to New York City – a small yard is often the only option you have. With a mere 200 to 300 square feet to work with, how can you inject your personality and joy into the space, without feeling like you’ve jammed too many small backyard ideas in?  

Small backyard landscaping ideas

We spoke with landscape designers and horticulturists across the country for their best small backyard landscaping ideas and hot tips on how to make your compact yard gargantuan in its scope – from planning a small garden to the large tasks that will make it your favorite 'living room'.

(Image credit: Future / Ben Anders)

The best courtyard garden ideas are incredibly under-played and feature a minimum of varied materials, and you can take these tenets into your backyard landscaping ideas.

'Keep it simple – don’t get too carried away when planning,' says Dan Bowyer of garden designers Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer . 'A carefully chosen palette of materials and plants is often the most satisfying.'

Here, the deck materials create both vertical and horizontal lines which perform a neat visual trick, making the small space look both longer and wider.

2. Use visual tricks in small backyard landscaping

(Image credit: Kate Anne Designs / Jeffrey Brian Riemer)

'We mention visual tricks above, and you can see how successful they can be in the landscaping of the small backyard above, with inventive patio ideas,' says Lucy Searle, Homes & Gardens' Editor in Chief. 

'Just as they are used indoors to make small rooms feel bigger, tiles laid diagonally create a visual trick, drawing the eye to the corners of a space, as well as along its length and width, making it feel larger. Here, this trick is used in landscaping beautifully, while greenery is maximized, too. '

And, as you can see, there is room for pool ideas in small backyard landscaping, if you push the pool to the boundaries of the space.

3. Focus on outdoor living – but don't forget the shade

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

The purpose of small backyard landscaping ideas is to create a space that serves your needs and desires, so you need to focus hard on how, and how you want to, use your yard. This might mean creating a space packed with outdoor living room ideas so that your backyard is accessible and comfortable all year around. This means pergola shade ideas for summer and outdoor fireplace ideas for winter, all centered around a comfortable seating area furnished with chairs that can withstand at least mild weather conditions.

4. Create a view

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

'It's important to create a view that's really purposeful with small backyard landscaping ideas. This is because it's likely that if you have a small backyard, you'll have a small indoor space, too,' says Jennifer Ebert, Homes & Gardens' Deputy Editor (Digital). 'So, creating a focal point that's framed by the windows or doors overlooking your small backyard will help make it look attractive, feel well-designed, and make it feel like part of your living space indoors, too.'

5. Ensure lighting is top of your landscaping list

(Image credit: Detail Lighting)

Good outdoor lighting ideas are vital in small backyard landscaping. 'Lighting any backyard at night is important, but more so in a small backyard,' says Rachel Crow, Homes & Gardens' Gardens Editor. 'Having layered lighting will make the space feel larger, while accent lighting can be focussed on interesting architecture, landscaping or plants. All this can of course be enjoyed from indoors, as well as out.'

6. Create a small yard – surrounded by coastal plants

(Image credit: Julie Rootes / Paul Dyer)

A breath of fresh air, this project is located on the historic lagoon of Belvedere and boasts views of both Mt Tam and the surrounding lagoon, and it's packed with coastal garden ideas and coastal plants. As this home is located by the sea, it was important for the design team at Julie Rootes Interiors to devise a space that would be at one with nature. 

‘If you live close to the sea, it’s important to combine practicality with aesthetics,’ says interior designer, Julie Rootes. ‘Opt for sturdy wooden or stone patio ideas that will cope with sand, while exterior decking can also be a good option – teak wears well with age.'

The key to making a success of a garden on the coast is finding plants that will be happy whatever the wind, sea and sand throw at them. The windswept, salt-laden conditions that are typical in coastal locations, coupled with sandy, free-draining soil, mean plants that grow there have had to adapt to their harsh environment. 

Silvery foliage, often covered in tiny hairs, reflects heat from intense sunlight and protects against drying winds; fleshy leaves retain moisture, and long tap roots can penetrate deep down in search of water – or why not plant ornamental grasses for a classic beach feel?

To emulate a true seaside plot, plants look good emerging from a mulch of gravel and pebbles. Not only does this immediately say coastal garden, it will also mean less weeding. Embracing self-seeders such as California poppies is another easy way to replicate that wild, coastal feels. 

And remember that the best seaside gardens are never crammed with plants; instead there’s plenty of space in between, creating a more naturalistic look. 

7. Add interest to a long, narrow plot

(Image credit: Mary Jo Fiorella / Joy Coakley)

Are you looking for narrow garden or long garden ideas? Plenty of spatial awareness, spadefuls of inspiration and a good measure of design know-how will allow you to give a long and narrow plot a new lease of life. 

Firstly, stand at the window and look out onto the garden – what would you like to be looking at? A back fence or a beautiful pot surrounded by planting? Consider the views from each window; it’s so important.   

If you are struggling for planting inspiration, consider vertical garden ideas. Mary Jo Fiorella of Fiorella Design has used shrubs and climbers together like this – planted against an underused fence – to help add further interest to this small back yard and create the illusion of space.  

(Image credit: Vani Sayeed Studios / Nat Rea)

Small deck ideas provide a versatile and cost-effective way to extend your living area into the garden. You can create an attractive space for garden furniture, and an outdoor entertaining area, without the need for heavy-duty building work, which helps to keep your landscaping cost low. 

A deck creates the perfect focal point for low-maintenance small back yard landscaping ideas, and is cheaper and easier to use than paving. It’s not a surprise that decking is now used so widely. 

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. 

What's more, deck is a godsend for split-level areas, built up into a platform or stepped downwards to cope with a sloped backyard. Here, Vani Sayeed Studios designed an indoor-outdoor deck area that allows for separate 'rooms' – one for entertaining, and the other for lounging.

9. Install a water feature in a small yard

(Image credit: Kimberley Harrison / Kathryn MacDonald)

’No matter how small your outdoor space, water features can make a simple and effective addition to it,’ says interior designer Kimberley Harrison . 

Equip your outdoor space to be a place for relaxation and calm. For smaller gardens, choose a self-contained water feature, such as a bowl, bubbling sphere or a mini fountain, for a nod to Zen garden ideas that won’t overwhelm the space. Water is recirculated, so they’ll need minimum maintenance and they often come complete with a pump.  

For something more spectacular, consider a fountain, cascade or even a water wall. But remember, larger water features will require more planning, plus they need a circulation system to keep the water moving and a filtration system to keep the water clean, and will often require professional installation.  

When it comes to water features, placement is important, so think logistically. Avoid a too-sunny location that can encourage weed growth and site away from trees, as leaves could clog it. 

You’ll need electricity to power the pump, which must feature a Residual Current Device (RCD) to protect from electric shock. Keep pools and fountains covered if there are children around – a feature with no standing water is the safest option. 

10. Make your small yard an extension of your home

(Image credit: Alamy)

Mirrors are great for creating a more spacious feel, so they are a clever addition to any small back yard landscaping ideas. Hang it on a wall or prop it on a potting table, and don’t worry if the glass becomes mottled – it adds a rustic feel.   

If you want to make a small garden look bigger, try using a well-positioned mirror to make a never-ending path. Choose from lightweight acrylic or tough mirror glass and make sure it is well-sealed against moisture. 

11. Take it to the roof – or balcony

(Image credit: Elizabeth Cooper / Tom Grimes)

If your small yard consists of a balcony or small terrace, then it becomes all the more important that you get this outdoor space right, first time.  

'You need to begin by thinking about what you want to use the space for,' explains Isabelle Palmer, author of The Balcony Gardener. 'Quite often, balcony gardens are incredibly tiny, so they're usually a place where you would sit and relax. 

'You can also use a balcony purposely – to grow herbs or something to eat. Container gardening really comes into its own on a balcony or roof garden.'

In this instance, designer Elizabeth Cooper has opted to make the most of the views over Chestnut Hill – which is a beautiful old, residential neighborhood of Philadelphia. Here, a selection of outdoor chairs – laid out symmetrically – provide the perfect spot to enjoy a mid-morning coffee. Symmetry in interior design is often implemented by designers and architects alike to create smart-looking rooms – and it's perfect for small yard landscaping ideas too.

12. Use pavers to zone an area for entertaining

(Image credit: Elizabeth Cooper / Tom Grimes)

Don’t get too carried away when planning your small back yard landscaping ideas. A carefully chosen palette of colors, materials and outdoor furniture is often the most satisfying. 

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t be adventurous and experimental; just be mindful that trying to squeeze too much into a compact space will make it cluttered and decrease usability. 

In this compact garden, interior designer Elizabeth Cooper has used garden zoning to create a cozy seating area – centered around a table – perfect for intimate conversation. 

Earthy materials, such as clay pavers and timber, add warmth and charm, and age beautiful over time. For this garden 'room' she has used paving stones in a similar color palette as the property, to visually expand the space.

13. Embrace a sun-filled backyard

(Image credit: Arndt Design & Build / Hannah Wilson)

If you’re determined to use your garden for as long as possible during the warmer months, a patio cover – such as a retractable awning – will help you shelter from both the late summer sun and the odd rain shower.

In the heat of the day, it’s good to have a little shelter from the sun. Garden shade ideas can range from permanent structures, like pergolas, to more flexible solutions, such as a parasol or a shade sail, which can be fixed to walls, trees, fences or posts. 

To truly make the most of a south facing garden, plan seating in the shadier areas where you can look out over a tranquil scene during long, hazy summer days. 

14. Go for a wild garden aesthetic

(Image credit: Genna Margolis / Amy Bartlam)

Small yard landscaping doesn't have to mean paving or decking. In fact, planting up a wild garden could just be what your soul – and yard – craves. 

Here, Genna Margolis, owner of SHAPESIDE , has created a bold look with tropical garden ideas, including exotic evergreens, that provide low-effort drama and colorful interest all year round. Tree ferns of various sizes and glossy, informal mounds of pittosporum combine to form a stunning green tapestry.  

Unsurprisingly, gardens can start to look ragged by the end of summer as many perennials begin to fade. An easy way to inject life into your flower bed ideas is to go tropical. Buying garden-ready plants will give your yard an exotic vibe for the rest of summer. It’s an easy way to boost color and give your outdoor space another peak of interest that will last until the first frosts.

For an exotic look, don’t feel restricted in your plant choice – simply look for plants that have the characteristics of the tropics. In a border, aim for a mix of heights, with tall, towering plants like bamboo and bananas providing a protective canopy for lower-growing plants such as ferns and hostas. Dense planting will help create the feeling of a jungle, and flowers such as cannas, dahlias and crocosmia will give your border vibrancy.  

15. Combine planting with paving

(Image credit: Mary Jo Fiorella / Joy Coakley)

Olive trees will bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your yard, and they’re hardier than you think. Perfect for small spaces, mature olive tress – with gnarled trunks – will allow to eye to see beyond the immediate space. 

'The key to creating a successful garden of this type is to choose the two main elements – planting and paving – carefully,' says designer Mary Jo Fiorella . 'This space makes use of natural materials to create a calming oasis in a big city.'

Plant these drought-tolerant plants along a paved pathway to create a welcoming archway inspired by Mediterranean gardens, as Fiorella has done here. Then pour yourself a glass of wine, sit beside your olive trees, and bask in the sun while imagining that you’re holidaying on the shore of the Med.

'How you design small backyard landscaping is entirely dependent on what you need your space to do for you – not just physically but also emotionally,' says garden designer Laura Morton, of Laura Morton Design in West Hollywood, California.

The designer has been landscaping gardens since 2000, and believes that emphasizing horticulture in your yard – no matter the size – is vital for your happiness and longevity. 'Each garden is going to be a patch where I can improve the ecology, plant life and green space,' she says. 'I do a lot of what I think of as complete transformation.'

For her clientele in the Los Angeles area, Morton aims to encourage her clients with her horticulture knowledge, generating functional but beautiful green space. Through her work, she aims to support bird life and pollinators, incorporate native plants into the design, and add in fruit trees and even a small vegetable garden. 'No matter the size, the space is the connection, both to the people and to the environment,' she said.

How can I make my small yard look nice?

Making a small yard look nice is easier than you might think. Despite its small square footage, there are many elements to consider when planning how to landscape your backyard.

Isa Hendry Eaton, who launched Isa Bird Landscape Design in her hometown of Santa Barbara in 2013, released a book on designing small gardens in February 2020 with lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer, and has a 'special love' for small gardens, because the details matter so much.  

'There’s no space to waste,' she says. 'In big gardens, you can try and fail many times, but you really don’t have that luxury when designing small garden ideas.' 

Even with space constraints, however, Eaton believes back yards should be treated as an extension of the home. Much like the home’s interior, a small yard should focus on function over form, and you should have an idea of all the things you want to do in the space and how you want to feel there.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

With contributions from

Landscaping of a small area: techniques for expanding space

Arranging a suburban area with a very limited area is a very exciting experience. To create comfort in crowded conditions, designers have come up with many ways. How to successfully arrange the landscape design of a small area in detail in the text of the article.

To create a landscape design for a small area, there are certain rules for visually increasing the space

For any urban dweller, a country house is a rest from the hustle and bustle of cities, unity with nature, relaxation, peace. To create a “piece of paradise” for yourself and your family, you will have to try very hard. When the dacha is small, then it will take a little money and time to improve it. She will be able to please the owners anyway.

Individual elements can visually limit the area of ​​the garden, they will have to be hidden or removed

Content

Site zoning

When zoning a small area, you need to think carefully about where and which zones to place. Most of the space is usually allocated for a garden, a vegetable garden. Three times less will be needed for a recreation area, flower beds, and everything else - a house, outbuildings. This ratio allows you to harmoniously, functionally place everything. Instead of a garden, some make a small pond with green lawns around.

Outline of the zoning of the space of the site

What you need to consider when developing a plan with your own hands.

To divide the territory into zones, it is better to use low partitions made of natural stone

Japanese-style small garden design is very popular. In such a garden, trees, figurines, ponds, rock gardens, stones, etc. will be miniature, then the space of the site will seem large. An abundance of moss, ground cover plants, small flowers will produce the same effect.

A dwarf tree, a tiny arbor and stones - why not a "piece" of Japan in the center of a green lawn

See also Coniferous in the landscape design of a summer cottage

There are three rules to follow in landscaping a limited-sized dacha:

  1. Removing artificial walls. No "deaf" high fences - they will make the space very cramped. Instead of a large dense fence, you should choose a fence made of a low picket fence, a chain-link mesh, a wattle fence, along which climbing plants are planted.
  2. Release the center. Large buildings, tall decorations, trees should be placed at the edges. In the middle of the site, you can dig a pond, make a smooth green lawn.
  3. We create an accent point, a "highlight" of the site. It can be a luxurious flower bed, mostly with light flowers, a small illuminated fountain, a platform with a stone hearth, a bridge over a stream or the house itself.

A vertical support for a climbing plant covered with greenery or flowers creates perspective and space becomes more spacious

Illusion of scale - all the paths leading to the center of the garden pass through tall plants, leaving only a corner to relax

Visual increase in space can be achieved with multi-level platforms

Wrought iron fence is originally combined with the same benches, table, barbecue. If for some reason the fence has to be made concrete, it is decorated with convex mirrors - visually it will seem that there is twice as much space in the yard as it actually is. Hanging flower beds-pockets are placed on a high fence, in which purslane, begonia, alyssum, fuchsia or even strawberries, lettuce, parsley grow.

See alsoHow to design a summer cottage 6 acres

The limited space of the cottage is its disadvantage, which is difficult to hide. But you can emphasize the dignity of this place by adding bright details. A colorful playground, homemade benches, hand-painted wooden sculptures, an unusual garden.

It seems that behind the opening in the wall there is a garden immersed in greenery. This is actually a decorative poster that creates the illusion of deceit

Let's use the garden path. It should be made sinuous so that the distance between objects seems to be as large as possible. The paths can be made of stones, gravel, brick remnants, concrete tiles laid directly on the lawn grass. The location of the arch anywhere in the dacha will create the impression that there is another garden on the other side of it.

Winding paths help create the illusion of a large garden

Even a small pond will contribute to the optical effect. Calm water like a mirror reflects clouds and nearby objects - the garden seems much larger than it actually is

An artificial pond with clear water, a waterfall will give the territory "airiness". If several large mirrors are placed above the pond in the corner of the fence, they will not only emphasize the uniqueness of the space, but visually make the site much more spacious. The path leading "to the mirror" set at an angle creates the illusion that the garden is much larger than it seems.

The stream in the stones attracts the eye, diverting from the size of the garden

Mirrors should not be hung too high to prevent birds crashing into them. It should be taken into account how the sun's rays fall on it - the reflected light should not hurt the eyes. It is desirable that something beautiful is reflected in the mirror - when placed opposite the flower bed, the effect of an endless flower field will be created.

Garden furniture should not seem bulky, preferably portable, light colors. Proper lighting of the resting place will visually give it extra space. Buildings, statues, trellises are also recommended to be made white or silver.

Use mixed buildings. The glazed part of this hozblok is suitable for a mini-greenhouse, and in the house there is a place to store garden tools

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Landscaping practical advice

For landscaping a summer cottage of small size, vertical flower beds are suitable - in the form of a tower, a pyramid. Various plants can be planted in wooden barrels, hemp, floor vases can be decorated with car tires painted in different colors.

As a distracting accent, the standard rose is excellent, during the flowering period it is simply impossible to take your eyes off it

Original decorative elements perfectly distract from the modest size of the plot

To visually enlarge the summer cottage with their own hands, designers recommend:

  1. Remove all unnecessary. Buildings, if possible, should be placed in the corners, fences should be made low and transparent. Plant trees along the fence so that they cover the fence with their crowns, without cluttering up the interior space of the site.
  2. Use pond, mirror. A pond near one of the walls, a huge mirror above it will significantly expand the space, making it brighter.
  3. Various shades. Cold colors visually remove objects, warm colors bring them closer. During the day, the color solution is realized with the help of flowering plants, and at night - well-chosen lighting.
  4. Apply screens. They are created for zoning the territory, from small arches, trellises with ornamental and vegetable plants, which is especially convenient when the cottage is located on a hillside.
  5. Layered design. The garden, located on several levels, seems large and varied. You can create cascades by placing tall plants along the walls, low plants closer to the center of the site. Hanging flowerpots will decorate the resting place well. Arches and gazebos entwined with grapes look great.
  6. Enlargement of the garden "deeper". This effect is achieved with the help of volumetric painting of buildings, fences, and the arrangement of trees.

A mini birch alley will create a spatial perspective and add depth to the space

Pergola - one of the options for vertical gardening of the site

If the owner of the site has the skills of an artist, and the fence is concrete and gray, then a whole huge picture can be depicted on it. For example, a seashore, the edge of a forest, a sunset, a summer flowering field.

See also What should be the design of the veranda?

Planting a flower garden in a small summer cottage

Getting creative with your garden design will help a lot when it comes to choosing between vegetable plants and a flower bed. Well-fertilized and well-groomed beds in appearance are in no way inferior to decorative flower beds. Colored lettuce leaves, even rows of carrots, asparagus beans in the background along the fence. Onions and garlic are easy to pair with flowers that will bloom much later.

Beautiful flower bed with densely planted flowers

Bed-beds are best located in the warmest, sunniest place. You can ennoble them with improvised materials - colored plastic bottles, stones, bricks, remnants of construction waste. Many flowering plants are planted closer to autumn, when most of the crop has already been harvested. Ipomoea, marigolds, daisies, pansies are suitable. Gladiolus, alpine forget-me-not, petunia, asters, crocuses look good.

An island with flowers in the center of the lawn breaks up the space, blocking the view, and the garden is no longer visible through and through at a glance

The flower garden can be given any shape, but simple geometric shapes are preferred to save space. If the roof of the house or one of the buildings is flat, strong, then a flower bed can be made there. It is only important to choose drought-resistant, light-loving plants. A floating flower garden is a great idea. It is located on a "raft" made of foam, can be anchored to the bottom.

See alsoDesign of the courtyard of a private house. Choosing a stylistic direction

Taking care of the lawn and greenery

If the flower beds are made a little “raised” above the ground, surrounding them with plank or stone sides and adding soil, then they will be able to warm up more by the sun, it is better to bloom and bear fruit. Caring for them will be simplified - it will be possible to approach for watering and processing without dirt.
Lawn watering is carried out using a diffuser or an ordinary watering can. Timely mowing of the lawn and bushes must be done - an overgrown garden gives the impression of an abandoned one. Combing, aeration, pest control, lawn grass fertilization are also desirable.

Every garden plot needs a lawn, even the smallest one

Trees and garden beds need to be fertilized periodically and perennial flowers need to be replanted. Pruning trees, periodically cleaning fallen leaves and rotting fruits, allows them not to get sick.

If the beds, then only beautiful ones

If mirrors are installed in the yard, then it must be taken into account that the sunlight reflected from them, falling on especially delicate plants, can cause them to burn. For the winter, plants that are not frost-resistant should be covered with a spruce forest or special material.

See also How to use roses in landscape design

Feng Shui and home garden

Ancient Chinese culture believes that in order to create a harmonious atmosphere in a country house, it is necessary that the Qi energy flow freely. This is carried out when the balance of the five elements is achieved - fire, water, earth, wood, metal. The Feng Shui landscape radiates the purest energy that fills a person.

Place a couple of plants in a calm shade, such as purple, on opposite sides of the plot. Colored bushes echo each other and visually enlarge the space

Color plays an important role in the design of a small garden. Some shades give warmth, others create a feeling of coolness

The color scheme of the space is of great importance in such improvement. White and shades of purple soothe, heal people. Red and yellow enhance energy, increase efficiency. It is important not to overload the garden and flower beds with an abundance of colors.

Yin energy colors - blue, purple, black, white. Yang colors include yellow, red and orange. If the balance of Yin and Yang is maintained, then in such a wonderful space a person truly relaxes.

There should be few shrubs, but their colors should be chosen so that the composition will delight with beauty all summer

All plantings and buildings are also made on the basis of a harmonious combination of the five elements. High-quality furniture, ponds, beautiful plants, sculptures, mirror mosaics on fences, proper care of the garden will help maintain a balance of energy and well-being in a country house.

Garden design should look like a single composition, not a collection of random elements

In the design of a small area, it is important to observe moderation without cluttering it excessively, keeping all the elements in the same style. If you can’t ennoble the space with your own hands, you can turn to professional designers for help.

Expert opinion

Alina Kvileva

Landscape designer

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Hello, my name is Alina and I am a landscape designer, if you have any questions regarding landscape design, ask with pleasure I will answer them.

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Photo: 50 ideas for designing a small plot

Unusual landscape design ideas - examples, photos, description

Do you dream that the guests, once in your garden, froze with delight or were speechless with amazement? In that case, this article is for you. We have collected the most creative landscape design ideas that are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

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Green sofa

On the green sofa, smelling of meadows and the sun, it is pleasant not only to dream alone, but also to sit with friends over a cup of coffee, drink a glass of good wine.

Despite the apparent complexity of the design, the idea is quite feasible. The basis of the grass sofa is made of bricks, all the voids are filled with earth, the brickwork is “coated” with viscous soil and strips of rolled lawn are laid on top. After the sod is laid and straightened, it is generously watered with water. You can use such garden furniture in a few days.

The main thing is not to forget to water and mow such a sofa in time

A lawn with fantasy

An impeccable green lawn is, of course, beautiful, but… boring. Whether it's a lawn that resembles a chessboard, as in the photo below.

This effect can be achieved in several ways. Initially, by sowing different varieties of grass in squares, for example, red fescue of the Nimba variety of dark green color and golden green of the Areta variety. The pattern can also be obtained by cutting the grass at different angles.

The zest of the "checkerboard" lawn is given by the "path" of multi-colored ground cover plants - red coleus and yellow loosestrife.

Who said that a lawn can't have a trendy haircut?

Over the mountains, over the valleys

The author of the landscape design project presented below is fluent in hardscape technology - creating an artificial relief using solid materials.

It would seem that only a few retaining walls were built across the lawn. But thanks to their wavy design and different heights, an ordinary lawn has turned into an unusual art object.

Another creative lawn option

Outdoor living room

A smartly terraced slope and Corten steel fence transform the ordinary backyard of a private home in Berkeley, California into a stylish and cozy "green" living room. The combination of a granite platform and wood in the patio paving looks creative. An original touch of design - maple, as if growing through the floors, and ground cover plants, smoothly flowing from terrace to terrace.

Unusual recreation area - view from different angles

Garden path in the form of a zipper

The highlight of this project is the garden path, made in the form of a zipper. On the way to a small lake, it diverges into two parts and beautifully frames the coastline. The choice of contrasting materials - terracotta tiles and massive paving stones - only enhances the overall impression.

Zip path in the garden of the Tao Hotel (Taiwan)

"Nest" in the garden

Nests in the garden are not uncommon. But not so big. Wicker fencing frames a green seating area and creates a cozy, sheltered space. A spacious lounger with birch trees growing through it looks like a landscape sculpture.

“The Nest” is how the Australian designer Jamie Dury called his project

Landscaping project
from Sad-dizain

More

Instead of a swimming pool – an aquarium

Today you will not surprise anyone with a swimming pool or a picturesque pond. But a large outdoor aquarium in the garden is still a rarity.

The frame of such a reservoir is made of concrete and glass, the bottom is laid out with decorative pebbles. Next, freshwater algae are planted, if there is a desire - floating plants. And that's all - you can launch "goldfish" and make a wish.

If it’s cold here in winter, the fish will have to move indoors until spring

Violin-shaped pool

Continuing the theme of water bodies, you can’t go past the unusual violin-shaped pool that American designers from the landscape bureau Cipriano Landscape Design built for the owner of a country house. at home - a fan of classical music.

You do not have to repeat the shape of the pool in your garden, the main thing is to be inspired by the idea and come up with something no less original.

During the day, the pool impresses with its shape, following the contour of a Stradivarius violin

And at night, with its original lighting

A flower bed in front of which you want to take off your hat

Unusual - not always difficult. To implement the idea presented in the photo below, you will need a large wire frame, fertile soil, geotextiles and a lot of patience.

Geotextile, which is cut for plants, holds the soil and does not allow weeds to germinate. It is not forbidden to experiment with the shape of the hat, as well as the assortment of planting material.

For a good view of the composition, use low-growing plants for planting

"Living" living room

The art of curly haircut is the highest aerobatics of garden skill. Topiary in the form of a living room with "live" sofas, armchairs, a coffee table will be the pride of any garden owner.

Topiary garden not only looks beautiful, but also requires constant care

Clubfoot watchman

But if you are just mastering the art of topiary, and you want to impress your guests, you can get an original landscape figure, for example, a bear. The clubfoot is made of fiberglass, and its coat is perfectly imitated using a rolled lawn.

A clumsy watchman will decorate the garden and protect it from night thieves☺

“The lady lay down and beg”

A soft green bed is a great place to lie down, enjoying the silence, or sunbathe in the sun in a secluded corner of the garden.

The design is so realistic that you really want to lie down. Particularly impressive are the “folds” of the blanket, which have found a continuation in the rest of the lawn space. Emerald grass is skillfully shaded by bushes of flowering rhododendrons.

Roll-up turf provides unlimited possibilities for imagination

Green islands

Two bowl and hemisphere islands have become the highlight of one of the many British garden shows, but keeping their shape in real life is quite difficult. But as an idea, it's a great project. For example, if you replace water with porcelain stoneware with a glossy finish, you get a spectacular recreation area.

Lawn like a green island? Why not

Hobbit mink cellar

How to turn an ordinary cellar into a stylish landscape object? Very simple! Disguise it as a hobbit mink - a representative of the fabulous people of Middle-earth.

Learn more