As urban and suburban living spaces become more compact, the charm and practicality of small gardens are winning the hearts of homeowners. With the right small garden ideas, you can create a stunning landscape that maximizes space while maintaining both functionality and visual appeal.
From vertical gardens and container plants to cleverly designed pathways and focal points, small gardens offer endless opportunities for creativity. For those looking to transform their limited outdoor spaces, Mile High Lifescape is the go-to expert in custom landscaping solutions. Their team specializes in crafting beautiful, space-efficient gardens that bring your vision to life.
Ready to explore how small garden ideas can turn even the tiniest space into a lush haven? Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Small Gardens
Having a big backyard can be nice, but taking care of a large yard can be a lot of work. A smaller outdoor space has its perks, and here are a few reasons why you’ll love it:
Spend Less Time on Yard Work
The biggest benefit of a smaller yard is that it’s easier to take care of. You won’t have to spend hours mowing, trimming, and clipping the grass. With less work to do, you’ll have more time to enjoy your weekends.
If you’re new to yard work, a small space is the perfect way to learn some basic gardening skills that you can use for larger spaces in the future.
Save Money
Maintaining a yard can get expensive. For example, watering your garden can add up. A typical irrigation system uses about 16 gallons of water per minute, which can add up to thousands of gallons a month. With a smaller yard, you can save water and lower your water bill.
You’ll also spend less on pest control and landscaping. Plus, having a smaller yard might even lower your property taxes since the size of your yard can affect your home’s assessed value.
Free Up Extra Garage Space
A smaller yard means you don’t need a big lawnmower or lots of garden tools. This gives you more space in your garage to park your car or store other things. If you want to make the most of your garage, check out our blog for tips on maximizing space.
Still Plenty of Room for Entertaining
You can still have a fun and relaxing space, even with a smaller yard! Just because you have less outdoor space doesn’t mean you can’t create a spot you love. You can fit a small patio or deck, a grill, a hammock, and even toys for the kids. Smaller yards are a great chance to design a cozy, personal outdoor area. Add a little seating, a water feature, a small garden, or some privacy trees to make the space feel peaceful and inviting.
Stay Connected with the Neighborhood
Small backyards also give you the chance to enjoy the bigger community spaces around you. You’ll have more time to meet neighbors and make new friends, helping create a close-knit community.
You can plan fun activities like games at the neighborhood park, or even a movie night at the clubhouse. Living in a neighborhood with shared spaces is a great way to feel connected and part of something special!
5 Best Plants for Small Gardens Ideas
Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood)
Kousa dogwood trees come in regular and dwarf sizes. The dwarf types, like ‘Little Poncho’ and ‘Dwarf Pink,’ only grow about 8-10 feet tall and wide, making them perfect for small spaces.
These trees have beautiful white or pink flowers in the spring and summer, followed by berry-like fruits that stay attractive through fall. Their leaves turn bright red and purple in autumn, and the tree has a lovely shape and peeling bark that looks great even in winter. It’s a wonderful choice for small garden ideas!
Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (Coral Bark Japanese Maple)
Japanese maples are a favorite for gardens because of their stunning colors. The ‘Sango Kaku’ variety has pale green leaves that turn bright yellow and orange in the fall, and its unique coral-pink bark really stands out, especially in winter when it gets even brighter. This tree’s upright shape makes it a great fit for smaller gardens, adding beautiful color year-round.
Buxus sempervirens (English Boxwood)
Boxwoods are evergreen plants that keep their shape all year round. They’re great for small gardens because they can help define different garden spaces. You can use boxwood to line pathways, as a focal point in containers, or just to create a neat, tidy look in your yard. They’re easy to shape and work with any style of garden, making them perfect for small garden ideas.
Clematis x ‘Nelly Moser’
To make the most of a small garden, consider growing vines like Clematis on a wall or trellis. Clematis are known for their beautiful flowers and long-lasting interest. The ‘Nelly Moser’ variety has large, striking flowers with pink stripes that bloom in the spring and late summer.
Its seed heads are also eye-catching and last until the frost, adding beauty to your garden even as the seasons change.
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (Japanese Forest Grass)
Japanese forest grass is a small ornamental grass that adds lovely texture and color to your garden. Its bright golden leaves shine in the shade, making it perfect for darker areas. This grass is low-maintenance and can be used to create borders or repeat patterns in your garden. It pairs well with other colors like purple or brown, making it a versatile option for small garden ideas.
10 Steps To Create Small Garden Ideas
Step 1: Measure
Start by measuring the space you have and take note of anything that should stay, like important structures, or anything you want to hide, like unsightly fences or walls. Pay attention to your boundaries, because in a small garden, things like fences can really shape the look and feel of your space.
Step 2: Design
Think about how to make the most of your space. In a small garden, it’s important to find the longest line (from one corner to the other) to help make the space feel bigger. Decide where you want to sit and where key features will go. Also, check if your fences are working or if they need some improvements. Get inspired by our small garden ideas to help spark your creativity.
Step 3: Theme
It’s a good idea to pick a theme for your garden, like a cozy cottage garden, a peaceful Japanese garden, or a vibrant tropical space. A theme helps tie everything together and shows off your personal style. Without a clear theme, your garden might feel mismatched.
Step 4: Use
Consider what you want to do with your garden. With a small space, it’s easy to overcrowd it. You probably won’t fit a big seating area, a greenhouse, and a vegetable patch all in one place. It’s better to focus on one main idea, like creating a space for relaxing and entertaining. This way, you can add a nice seating area and a focal point to make the most of your space.
Step 5: Verticals
Make sure to use all the space available in your small garden, including vertical space. Raised beds can be used for planting and even as seating. Install a trellis for climbing plants, or hang baskets and pots on walls or fences.
Planting in layers helps save space, and using containers adds more spots for plants. Adding arches or a mini pergola can bring height and style to your garden, making it feel bigger and more inviting.
Step 6: Mark out
Start by using some rope or spray paint to outline key parts of your garden design on the ground. This helps you see if the design works before you actually build it. If anything needs to be changed, this is the time to do it!
Step 7: Build
Next, start building the hard landscaping features like paths, seating areas, and any other structures. This step is important because it gives your garden its basic shape, like putting together the framework of a house, leaving room for plants to add softness and color.
Step 8: Soil
Make sure to check your soil before planting. If needed, improve it with compost or other organic materials. Understanding and improving your soil is really important for a healthy garden. No matter the size, good soil is the key to success!
Step 9: Plant
Now comes the fun part—planting! This is where your garden truly comes to life. Add plants to fill the space, softening the hard landscaping you created earlier. This is the moment when all your hard work starts to show.
Step 10: Feed
Finally, remember to water your plants well and keep them fed so they can grow strong. Regular watering helps plants develop deep, healthy roots, so they can thrive in your small garden.
6 Small Garden Design Ideas To Try
Find the Perfect Balance Between Plants and Landscaping
When planning your small patio garden, it’s important to find the right mix of plants and outdoor features. Aim for about 50% plants and furniture, and 50% paving or decking. This will create a balanced, beautiful space without making it feel too crowded.
Mix Seating with Handy Storage
To save space in your small garden, consider building seating that also works as storage, or integrate seating into your design. You can use a corner bench or place seating along a boundary to leave more room in the center for other features like a table.
Pick Durable Plants
In a small space, you don’t want plants that only look good for a short time. Look for plants that bloom for a long period. For example, roses like Rosa ‘Flower Carpet Amber’ can bloom for eight months, while Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’ flowers from June to October. Other great options are long-blooming perennials like Erigeron karvinskianus, Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’, and hardy geraniums, which flower all summer long.
Hang Planters
Hanging planters are a cheap and easy way to add greenery to your garden, especially on walls or fences. Fill them with bedding plants, ferns (for shaded spots), trailing plants, or herbs. You can even use them to grow vegetables with shallow roots, like salad leaves or spinach. It’s a smart way to maximize your space!
Use Staging
To fit in more plants, use a plant stand with different levels. This saves ground space and allows you to add extra pots. In small gardens, narrow, ladder-style staging works even better as it takes up less room and gives you more tiers to work with.
Go Green with a Living Roof
You don’t need a big garden to have a green roof! You can use a shed or bin store roof to grow extra plants. This adds more greenery to your space and helps hide or soften any functional features. It’s a practical way to make the most of every inch of your garden.
Let Mile High Lifescape Create Your Best Garden in Denver
Mile High Lifescape stands as Denver’s premier landscaping service, dedicated to transforming your garden into a beautiful and healthy sanctuary. With over two decades of experience, our team offers a comprehensive range of services, including landscaping, hardscaping, and xeriscaping, tailored to meet your unique needs.
We specialize in creating functional and aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces that reflect your personality and bring happiness.
Our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction has established us as the go-to landscape company in the Denver Metro area.
FAQs about Small Garden Ideas
What is the most low-maintenance landscaping for a front yard?
Incorporating drought-tolerant plants, native species, and hardscaping elements like gravel or mulch can create a low-maintenance front yard that conserves water and reduces upkeep.
How can I make a small front yard appear larger?
Utilizing vertical space with trellises, incorporating mirrors to reflect light, and selecting a cohesive color palette can create an illusion of a larger, more open area.
Conclusion
Small garden ideas bring charm and practicality to compact spaces. By using vertical gardens, layered planting, and smart layouts, even the tiniest yards can feel vibrant and welcoming. These creative solutions save time, money, and effort, while adding personality to your outdoor space. For expert help, Mile High Lifescape crafts stunning, space-efficient gardens tailored to your needs. Let them transform your yard into a cozy, green oasis you’ll love. Make every square foot count!
