Landscaping Small Yards.....
add value to your home by creating a beautiful small yard

Landscaping small yards are an interesting challenge and just as exciting as any other DIY project. I always want to use the same features as I would in a big garden, because you want to create the exact same effect with your design.

The one thing I never even consider to include in my design when I landscaping small yards, is a lawn. For me, there is just no place for a lawn when you have a small space to work with.

I much rather have raised beds, a compact water feature with some beautiful shrubs and one or two trees to give some height. Just look at how stunning the raised beds look in this setting.

Another idea is to incorporate a tiny rock garden. It all depends on the space you have and the effect you want to create.

Whatever you do, it is important to make every millimeter (inch) count. Take care that your raised bed(s), paved areas and water features flow nicely into each other and that the scale is correct. Don't overpower the small space with one a big feature.

It is much better to have different focal points to create a "bigger" effect. Draw the eyes from one feature to the other by using clever designs, colour and a layout that flows.

Take care with the plants you choose when landscaping your small yard. You must have an overall view of what you eventually want to create with your landscape design for your small space;

• think of shrubbery that can provide privacy;
• plants that grow low or act as ground cover;
• trees that will grow high, and when they are big, it will create a 3D effect of distance.

And that is what I love about landscaping; any landscaping project..... the possibilities are endless.

Now, just as with any other landscape design, you must remember to design this space with the views you want from inside the house in mind. That is an excellent way of creating a bigger space..... make the inside feel like it flows into the outside and vice versa......

The paving should follow the style of the house and almost signal for the visitor to come outside into the garden....it should "call" you to come and explore this beautiful, intimate and cozy outside space.

And also remember to plan for illumination. 

Outdoor landscape lighting forms a major part of the overall impact you want to create with your small yard.

• It will add the desired effects and create space at night, and
• you can accentuate the important features of your small yard.

Landscape lighting is such a useful tool and it adds such a huge amount of value for very little money. It is also something that with a little thinking and planning will give you much joy in implementing.

It is not difficult and nowadays with everyone going green, the cost of running low wattage landscape lighting is almost negligible and you don't contribute to global warming either.

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