Small Space Garden Design Ideas

 backyard design  4 Responses »
Apr 192009
 

Gardening and backyard trends and design have been changing in the few years. For quite some time pastel colors were in but this year bright fiery colors and garden art made of recycled items are making a statement in many yards. Bold and exciting is in this year, along with Small Backyard Designs . Mexico City Downtown: Vertical Garden
Creative Commons License photo credit: SanGatiche

The downward turn in the economy has also made people reevaluate their backyards and design their space making the most use of every available inch of space. This is particularly important for those who rent or live in a city. It is possible to have a garden or mini retreat even on a porch, deck or balcony.

One way to do make more use of you space and make it look larger by extending the home living space into the backyard and making better use of whatever outdoor space is available. Vertical gardening and container gardening are also increasingly popular, even in the bigger backyard.

Larger backyards are being broken up into outdoor rooms with each area having its own use or activity. These open rooms are then designed to flow together to create an overall backyard. This technique helps to create a backyard that is functional to all family members. The entertaining area is one of the more important area followed by a recreational area that could be a child’s pay area, a pool or even a min golf putting area.

Bold and flashy are in and Gardeners are focusing more on foliage and less on flowers. The use of ornamental grasses has doubled in landscape design. They make a wonderful backdrop for flowers with vibrant colors such as reds, oranges and yellows. And for the small space garden layering your flowers and plants make better use of space and creates depth, thus creating the feeling of more space. Red Camelia
Creative Commons License photo credit: tomsaint11

Green gardening methods using fewer chemicals, better use of space and water conservation is setting the design for all backyard spaces. And the addition of many vegetable gardens, with the emphasis being compact and easy to care for, has made home gardening increase by 20%. This summer you will notice many windowsill, curbside, container and vertical gardens.

This trend in home gardening has lead to creating gardens with less work and the return of Victory gardens and Recession gardens. The most successful small space gardens are combining ornamental plants with vegetables and fruits. Commercial growers have been stocking petite annuals, perennials, shrubs and garden vegetable that require less space to grow. So buy your garden supplies as early as possible as many places are experiencing shortages this year with the increase in gardening.

This is “Small Backyard Designs Week” at the Backyard Oasis. Ideas for garden rooms, small space gardening, garden art and many more useful backyard design ideas will be covered.

Posted by Denise at 7:48 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Small Backyard Design

 backyard design  No Responses »
Mar 012009
 

Backyards are a place to relax and spend time with family and friends. It’s your escape from the world and your backyard oasis should be a haven for the entire family. If you live in town or a city your backyard may be very small so you will need to plan to get the most use out of your limited small space. The garden one year on
Creative Commons License photo credit: tristanf

Small Backyard Design

In a backyard that is small you need to make each area count. First decide what is important to you.

  • Entertaining?
  • Small space children’s play area?
  • Work Area?
  • Gardens?

Depending on the size of you backyard you could select 3 to 6 different areas and make them work together.

After you have decided what is important to make your backyard fit your families needs, its time to look at your space available. For a backyard plan to work well you need to choose sections of the yard for different uses. This makes the backyard flow and gives you a feeling of more space. I have found that combining the uses of different areas of the yard will give you more options.

A small patio table and chairs will make a quick entertainment center for one person or more. You can add a few plants and night-lights and you have an instant place to relax. This could be a focal point in a small backyard that the rest of your design revolves around. And you can move the tables and chairs to the side if you need a workspace or want to bring out toys for small children to play with. I have seen these areas use an indoor or outdoor rug to set them apart or patio rock has been installed.

Your entertainment area can serve as a breakfast nook, outdoor work area, crafting area or potting area.I will starve to death if this doesn't end soon.
Creative Commons License photo credit: Cyproject

If you have additional space to the side or on a patio you can add a small fishpond or barrel pond: they look great tucked in corners and take very little space but add atmosphere. Another  idea that adds to the look of a backyard is combining the patio area or deck area in a way that makes them look like one. If the house flows from a deck or patio to the backyard you get a larger feel to your outdoor space. 

Small outdoor furniture will add to the artistic feel of the backyard and create another area to relax. Chairs tucked under tree on in a small garden create a feeling of a secret garden or hideaway retreat. Add a trellis or portable screen and you have a small outdoor room that would great for reading or listening to music.

Add a garden by making use of unused space available by the house or a fence. With small space gardening it’s important to make use of your vertical space. You can easily do this by using trellises and raised beds. It’s amazing what will grow in a one-foot by one-foot area. Also, add hanging baskets to your patio, porch or even your fence will give you more room for plants and create a feeling of a larger yard.

You could even use an area of the backyard for camping or as a mini gym area. And a basketball hoop could easily be attached to a garage or tree. With planning the possibilities are endless.

There is only one concern you need to be aware of. Its great to combine space and use it for several uses, but you need to keep furniture small and not crowd your backyard space or you may get a cluttered look.

With small backyard design techniques you can turn your backyard into a backyard oasis that fits everyone’s needs. And with a few tweaks you can easily update your yard when needed.

Posted by Denise at 1:07 pm  Tagged with: , ,
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