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Even if you don’t have a sprawling backyard, there’s a lot you can do to maximize every inch of outdoor space. It all starts with making a plan, says landscape architect Ioana Teodorescu from Les Services Prime.
“A designer can help you figure out: Do I want a modern, clean look with defined spaces or a very natural looking yard? Do I want curves, vegetation or a waterfall?” she says.
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From there, several elements can be drawn in to add depth and visual interest. One is levels, says Matthew Bertrand, director of sales and design at Groupe Northstone. “Levels help to define your outdoor spaces and allow them to serve different purposes, which makes your outdoor space feel larger,” he explains.
Mixing materials like pavers, turf and wood or composite give each area its own unique feel, he adds.
Small gardens also need a focal point. “You want to open your door and look at something special in your yard – a nice statue with river rocks and lights, for example,” says Teodorescu.
“We always suggest outdoor lighting because as beautiful as your yard is during the day, at night everything goes dark unless you have the right lights, and that’s very important in small yards, too.”
No room for a pool or a koi pond? There are lots of other ways to add a dramatic accent to your outdoor space, including a water wall or rain fountain, suggests Bertrand.
“These vertical features can be installed flush against a wall or fence and are great options if you have limited space,” he says, adding that if you have noisy neighbours or live on a busy street, the sound of water flowing can provide a peaceful environment.
“We did a very nice yin and yang installation with black and white rocks with a waterfall. The water ran into an integrated underground basin covered by the rocks and the pump recirculated the water into the waterfall,” adds Teodorescu.
A hot tub or sauna can also make a small yard more inviting, says Bertrand.
“If you’d like to be able to swim some laps in your small backyard, a swim spa that has high pressure jets can allow you to swim against the current without the required space of a lap pool,” he notes.
It’s also important to leverage vertical space when you have a small footprint. There’s likely plenty of useable vertical space to install a pergola structure with climbing flowering vines like clematis or wisteria, or hanging herb gardens along a railing or fence.
“You can train these climbing plants to go over a fence or a pergola,” says Teodorescu, who suggests adding tall cedar shrubs for privacy.
Creating tiny rooms within your yard also add interest, Teodorescu says.
“Have a corner with a bench and give it a splash of colour by planting clematis, which flowers for a long time; it’ll give you a nice focal point.”
Small yard-owners can also save space for an edible garden. “If you have the space for a couple of tomato plants, some cucumbers and basil, do it,” Teodorescu advises. “Even if you just have a balcony, you can have a small planter with herbs or you can grow tomatoes.”
Growing vegetables vertically will save you space in your garden beds, adds Bertrand.
“Planting compact vining vegetables that can be trained to grow on support structures is a good option,” he says.
You can also mix edible plants into ornamental landscapes, a process called foodscaping.
“Foodscaping creates an integrative landscape that produces food, plus it’s aesthetically appealing and low maintenance,” Betrand notes. “Planting fruits and vegetables to landscape your yard allows you to keep your yard beautiful while enjoying the fruits of your labour.”