Landscaping Ideas to Make Your Small Yard Feel Larger

Owning property is great, but depending on where you live, your home’s yard might not be very large. While this could be considered an intractable problem to some, there are steps you can take to make your yard look and feel bigger than it is.

Some of these ideas might require a hardscape contractor or patio landscaping, but others are quite simple. How you use the space you have can sometimes be more important than the amount of square footage itself. This article will demonstrate this concept with some landscaping ideas to give your yard a bigger feel.

Color match patio pavers to your home exterior

In patio landscaping, pavers are quite popular. Pavers are construction units used in exterior flooring that are made of natural stone, brick or concrete. They’re also usually uniform and square. You can consult with a hardscape contractor to find a color that matches the exterior of your house. The color matching strategy gives your patio a bigger feel because the house and the patio seem to flow together and blend into each other.

Try tiers or levels

This is another patio landscaping solution that would likely require the aid of a hardscape contractor, but separating your home’s exterior landscaping into levels using stones and stairs can put a new spin on the space you do have. This is especially useful if your home’s backyard has any type of incline, as this would make it easier to create descending or ascending levels. As for what to put on the levels, many people opt for plantings, but you could use the lowest level as a bench if you wish.

Make use of your side yard

Many people neglect their side yard, or don’t put anything there at all. But if you have the space, it doesn’t hurt to use it. You could lay stepping stones to form a path on your side yard or put a gate, arch or pergola there that serves as a forerunner to entering your backyard. Other options include adding shrubs or flowers along the side of your house, or putting a long, narrow table against the wall that could be used for entertaining.

Incorporate curves

The way the eye works, curved lines can at times change the perception of space. So, instead of a straight stoned path in your garden, try a curved or winding one. Instead of forming your patio into a standard rectangle, try on oval, a series of circles or some other type of curved shape. When your goal is to make a small space feel big, it helps to think outside the box.

Define and divide the space

This might seem counterintuitive, but if you create separate “rooms” in your outdoor space using walls, planters or a different surface underfoot, it can actually make your backyard feel bigger. There’s also a utilitarian benefit to doing this because you can create multiple areas for lounging, cooking, eating or playing without needing a giant yard to do so.

Call to transform your backyard today

When you’re trying to decide what to do with your backyard, give RainforestLA, Inc. a call. We have the skills, knowledge and experience to help you turn your backyard into the place to be this fall.