Outdoor Living ideas and tips by Outdoor Living Expert Paul Sayer

Your front yard can be a valuable extra living space. It also creates a lasting first impression on anyone who sees your home.

My Garden from above
Originally uploaded by jo-h.

Having a small yard should not to prevent you from making it attractive and enjoyable. These tips will help you to make a small space into your ideal front yard.

1. Planning is the key to success when landscaping a small space. Sketch a rough layout on paper. Include plants at the size they will grow to, not the size they are when you buy them. Don’t forget to include walkways so you can get to your front door.
2. Once you have a layout that you are happy with, take it to your front door and imagine how it will look. Think about what colors you have put in each area and which plants or other features are higher than others. For example, if you have chosen a large shrub it may overwhelm other elements of your design. Also, think about how your layout fits with the fences and the front of the house.
3. Curves, rather than straight lines, can make a garden appear bigger than it is.
4. Consider going up by using raised flowerbeds. This increases your design options by giving you layers of color and foliage. Your choices of the color and type of building material will contribute to the look and feel of the yard. For example, timber can have a natural or rustic feel, blending with the surrounding garden.

garden
Originally uploaded by sindesign.

5. Have more than half of your plants in pots and planters. This will give you flexibility to rearrange your garden based on whatever is in flower. Pots raise the plants, giving your garden an appealing sense of depth.
6. Choose colors that you like, but keep in mind that cool colors like blue and green will create a perception of a larger garden. Evergreens, pines and conifers offer a nice range of foliage to choose from.
7. A focal point will add to the appeal of any small space. A sculpture, water feature or small rock garden could be positioned in the centre or off to one side. Possibilities include a birdbath, a small fishpond, a water garden in a large bowl or an iron sculpture.
8. Go without the lawn. Rather, mulch the yard with bark, pebbles or gravel. This will be easier to maintain and is water saving.
9. If you don’t like gardening, pave the whole yard. Have a few shrubs or flowers in containers to break it up and install a small water feature.
10. Stick to one theme or style. Some ideas include:
• Natural/woodland - bark mulch ground covering, native shrubs and flowers, wooden steps for a path.
• Japanese garden - pebble ground covering, stone monoliths, azaleas, maples and bamboo, irregular stone path, waterfall or small pond. With a Japanese garden, you are trying to make a “large garden” in the smallest of spaces.

Alley Garden
Originally uploaded by Paul Davidson.

• Conifers - gravel ground covering, selection of small to medium conifers and ground covers, pavers for a path. The color of the foliage of conifers varies widely, including blues, greens, reds and yellows.
• Cottage garden - no ground covering, mainly garden beds with some lawn, scented and self-seeding plants, climbers, lattice, small statues, an arbor or arch, old bricks for a path.

These tips show the wide range of choices you have, even with the tiniest front yard.

Share This

If you want to be notified the next time I write something, sign up by email or subscribe in a reader. Thanks for visiting!