Who doesn't dream of country house with an extensive garden, gazebo and beautiful flower beds? Unfortunately, life makes its own adjustments and you have to confine yourself to a balcony or a tiny courtyard. Just a few meters from the house to the neighboring plot, a tiny front garden or a small patch of land near the porch - these are urban realities.
If you think about it, it’s not bad at all! Maintaining a large garden will require a lot of time and effort. Weeding and loosening, regular watering and pest control, pruning branches and planting seedlings - it is impossible to do without this. And modern man there are many other things to do. As a result, dreams of beautiful flower beds are overgrown with weeds, and ideal lawns turn from dreams into unsightly, hummocky realities.
A small cozy courtyard is exactly what is most suitable for active people building their lives and their careers! One or two trees (possibly even in tubs), a table with a bench, several pots of flowers and a small flowerbed - a charming corner with minimal care. It may be tiny, but it’s a garden!
Principles for arranging a small yard
How to use your small yard? Ideas of storing unnecessary junk there or washing and repairing a car should be immediately discarded. Space under open air should serve as a place of relaxation, be environmentally friendly and cozy. There you can plant plants and create a relaxation corner.
Functional content
Functional content depends on the preferences of the owners of the house, on their interests and needs
Brazier. Those who like to gather with friends will first of all think about a barbecue, a comfortable table and a canopy for protection from the rain. If the house has a veranda or terrace, then the place for guests has already been determined. You can build a stationary grill in the corner of the yard or get a portable one.
Secluded corner. For those who like to dream alone, read a book or leisurely drink their morning coffee in the fresh air, there is nothing better than a corner closed from prying eyes, covered with roses or grapes. A light one or a floral one in the yard will definitely not be out of place! It is important to remember that a massive structure, for example, a log gazebo, is not suitable for a small space. It is better to use trellises, screens and arches braided with climbing plants.
Children's Corner. If children are growing up in the family, then it is necessary to provide a place for play. A swing, a horizontal bar, and a sand box do not take up much space, but the child will play in the fresh air. Wide swings replace a bench; both children and adults love them. This building will bring a lot of joy during leisure hours.
landscaping
The correct selection of plants is especially important for small area. The peculiarity of urban courtyards is their closedness, enclosed space. The walls of the house, as well as the high fences separating it from the neighboring plot - all these vertical planes turn the yard into a closed box.
There are many ways to visually expand a space, but perhaps the most effective is proper landscaping. Climbing and climbing plants entwining the fence create coziness and hide the yard from prying eyes. One or two small trees will shade the resting place in the summer heat. If there is no room for a tree, then an entwined or arbor will be very useful.
Flowering plants are a great way to add a pop of color to your yard design. You can create a multi-colored one, you can make or display pots with blooming pelargonium from the house - all options are suitable for revitalizing a small garden.
Correct lighting
Natural sunlight is necessary for both people and plants. It is not wise to build a roof over the entire yard, even if it is very tiny. It's nice to bask in the sun on a spring morning and at sunset on a summer day. Without it, the plants will wither and will never delight you with a riot of greenery.
Particular attention should be paid to the evening. Proper lighting can miraculously expand the boundaries of a site. Lamps should be installed so as to illuminate the resting place, the path to the house, decorative elements, or a fountain, but hide the walls of the site in the dense shadow.
It is important to choose the right power of the flashlights so that the light does not blind your eyes and does not highlight what is better to hide. Nowadays there are many landscape lamps powered by solar energy. They are independent of the electrical network and can be installed almost anywhere.
Dynamic design
Nature is inherently changeable; the garden changes depending on the time of year. But for a miniature garden in a small area this can create problems. Garden flower beds are usually planned so that the flowering of one species of plants is replaced by another, but does not stop until the cold weather.
In a tiny garden, such changes are implemented in a different way. Use flowerpots with flowers. They allow you not only to create amazing compositions, but also to change them at your discretion. In May, indoor palm trees and lemons, hibiscus and oleanders are brought into the garden. They bring an element of tropical exoticism to the design. Large pots with large plants are placed closer to the wall for protection from the wind, smaller flowers are brought to the fore.
Often within the boundaries of a metropolis you can see private houses located on tiny plots of land. A private house in the city it is very prestigious. And if you consider that worthy landscape design plot will add personality and charm to the house, then this topic is worth discussing.
Less is better, but better
Arranging a small area has its own characteristics. This work is both interesting and difficult at the same time, since a small space does not forgive even small mistakes.
Often such mistakes are caused by the desire to place on the site all the design elements that you really like. Unfortunately, you will have to give up many, and leave only those that you cannot do without. If the area is crowded with a large number of parts, there will be no space left for “free breathing”. Yes, and caring for such an area will be quite troublesome.
First of all, we adopt only those techniques that visually expand the space.
Let's start with the fence. Perhaps you have a great desire to isolate yourself from the whole world with a high fence? Will not work. A high fence, even made of green plants, will only enhance the feeling of cramped and enclosed space. It is better to make a light openwork fence and decorate it with climbing plants.
A fence between sections, as an option, is in the form of a wooden trellis or trellis. You can use them together with your neighbors.
Due to the lack of extra space, it is very difficult to arrange a recreation area in the form of a patio or gazebo, so the best solution is to assign the porch the role of a terrace and make it more spacious.
Since the fence does not block the porch-terrace from prying eyes, you can create a green flowering screen of climbing plants in front of the terrace. Clematis, kobeya or morning glory will cope with this task perfectly. You can use another technique: hanging pots with hanging plants. In any case, vertical gardening solves the zoning issue very simply, while occupying a minimal area.
Choosing a small patio style
Solving the issue landscape style small plot, it is better to stop your choice on landscape style. It is best to make the path winding. In general, when planning a small plot, we try to avoid strict shapes - square and rectangular. We make the lawn and small flower beds round, oval or free-form.
If your site is flat, its topography can be slightly adjusted. We deepen one part of the site, and using the excavated soil, we raise the other part. A height difference of 25–35 cm is sufficient.
The raised area can be emphasized with a low retaining wall made of stone or wood. Both zones are connected by two or three steps. Changing the relief levels will allow you to see individual elements of the courtyard, its focal points, from different angles, thereby visually adding an additional dimension to it.
Focal points
No matter how carefully the plan for the courtyard as a whole is thought out, it needs
Dim bright accents on which the gaze would linger - the so-called focal points. These points cannot be permanent. They change from season to season. In early spring, for example, it could be a small flowerbed with bright tulips; in the fall, in a completely different place in the yard - several flowerpots with blooming chrysanthemums.
For a limited space, focal points are very important - they, by drawing the eye to individual points of the garden, distract attention from its boundaries.
Small patio decor
Although the courtyard is small, you shouldn’t completely abandon the decor. It is better to refuse large forms and many small parts.
Several decorative elements must be in harmony with each other and the overall style of the courtyard. When choosing decor, it is very important to remember the proportionality of the site and decorative details.
Several original outdoor flowerpots, a small artificial pond with a “crying” stone will fit well into a mixborder, or will successfully complement the lawn.
Rocks can be a great focal point in a small yard if placed correctly. From original shaped stones you can build a small rock garden or rock garden. Stones go well with gravel and wood chips.
Plants for a small yard
The small size of the plot limits the number of plantings,
there shouldn't be many of them. In addition, the range of plants is also very limited. If we choose a tree, then one, extraordinary, with original form crowns and bright foliage. Since the area is small, in order to avoid unnecessary shade, you need to choose a tree whose crown shape is easy to adjust, the so-called architectural tree. Thuja, maple, and linden are perfect options. Evergreens in this case are ideal - conifers, cherry laurel, holly. If you prefer fruit trees, then semi-dwarf and dwarf varieties are best suited for a small garden.
Correctly selected colors of plants can also visually expand the boundaries of the site. By planting plants in light and warm colors in the foreground, and grouping plants in cool colors in the background, we will add additional volume and depth to the garden. It can be strengthened if the front plants have large leaves, and the rear plants have small leaves.
A small lawn in front of the house and a flower garden will certainly decorate a small courtyard. The basis of the flower garden will be perennials. Annuals are planted between them - this way you can achieve continuous flowering throughout the spring-autumn season.
In a small courtyard you cannot do without lighting. 1-2 lanterns on supports of medium height, wall lamps on the terrace, and small lamps for illuminating the flower bed are best suited.
When creating your small yard, consider these tips. Don't be afraid to fantasize and experiment - you will succeed. Good luck!
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Houses with a small yard are a common occurrence. At the same time, their owners believe that such tiny areas are completely unsuitable for interesting landscape design. As a result, a promising place turns into only a patch of dying grass or is covered concrete slab with a pair of folding chairs. However, even a modest-sized plot can become a true decoration of the entire home if its layout is carefully thought out.
Make room
You should start with courtyards, where space is a priority. This is the very first thing that comes to mind when you think about outdoor recreation. At the same time, lush exotic plants along the perimeter of the site will add individuality to this solution.
Outdoor small patio by vi360 Photography
In the following example free space framed by stone walls, which are an excellent support for climbing crops and do not distract attention from the greenery.
With Gorgeous Borders by Anthony Brancato Landscape Contractor
Red chairs add a modern touch to a traditional garden. The green lawn and stone border also attract attention. A fence and wooden benches are the final touch of a superbly organized space.
Modern option of two zones from Creo Landscape Architecture + Urban Design
This project from Tim Johnson received an award at the 2011 Coty Award. Clients requested a patio for parties. They got it. But instead of the usual pool, the space was decorated with luxurious flower beds.
Reception Courtyard by Southview Design
Fancy chairs, a table and a sun umbrella can be a unique feature. The picture will be completed by a cheerful lawn and a stone platform with a living green fence around it.
Cozy backyard by Cathy Carr courtesy of Garden Gate Landscaping
Divide the area of the site into separate functional sections
Another popular solution for adjacent areas- this is dividing them into zones, which are each decorated in its own style. For example, the plan from Growsgreen Landscape Design fits a cozy lawn, a wooden platform and a brick area framed by greenery.
Small picturesque courtyard
The next example is a crossroads. The mood is created by stone paths surrounded by gravel. The second feature is a seating area, benches and a sea of living plants.
Neat patio by Debora Carl Landscape Design
A lush lawn, a bulky staircase, a podium bordered by massive stone slabs, where there is a gravel-strewn seating area. All this gives the site a strict modern look.
A modern option with clear boundaries from. Shades of Green Landscape Architecture
Even such a trivial idea as covering an area with large paving slabs with sprouted grass between them can be decorated with humor and taste. To do this, instead of disorderly vegetation, it is enough to decorate the composition with specially planted bushes of greenery.
Slab path in landscape design by Growsgreen Landscape Design
It is enough to use the skills of the best designers and even on a small site you will be able to place a swimming pool, lawn, patio and flower bed.
Patio, pool and lawn by Whit Preston courtesy of Loop Design
If desired, even flower beds can play a role in the overall concept. Their plastered walls seem to hide a treasure trove of a precious trio of basalt towers on black Mexican beach pebbles.
Plastered walls in a landscape composition (courtesy of Land & Water Design)
Even if the yard is not divided into zones, it can still look very elegant. Just make a border out of slabs for a colorful lawn. And exotic plantings are suitable for variety.
Green courtyard with slab border from Despina Design
Large pebbles, tropical thickets, islands of lawns, large stones and a pond, all in one small space. Result: amazing multilayer option, allowing you to make the most of every square meter.
Special touches from Avalon Northwest Landscape
A small accent like a beautiful succulent among inanimate rocks will add personality and depth to the smallest of spaces.
Lush accent in gravel patio by Susanna Pagan Landscape Design
Get creative
The last group of courtyards showcases truly extraordinary finds that transform the space into a true work of art.
You should pay attention to how the angular designs and the original combination of design lines give the composition a special chic.
Well maintained corner option from Barker O'Donoghue Master Builders
Commissioned by Thomas Kyle, he created enough intimate place for receiving guests in European style. The combination of a lawn with checkerboard slabs and an abundance of plants in greenish-yellow and purple shades create the atmosphere of a magical garden.
European Style by Thomas Kyle: Landscape Designer
This hotel patio in San Luis Obispo County, USA comes alive at night with mysterious lighting and the warmth of an extraordinary fire pit.
Creative lighting and fire pit on a modern patio by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture
At first it seems that this tropical paradise is chaotic. However, it is not. Everything has been thought out here: every planting and path among the tabernacles.
Tropical backyard paradise by Paxton Gate Landscape Architects & Designers
Stone and gravel cover the entire area. Against this background, amazing trees and shrubs look much more impressive than a lawn. You can admire the shape of their foliage and overall extravagant appearance for a long time.
Unusual backyard greenhouse by Allen Associates Construction
It turns out that if you go into a patio with a carefully thought out concept, every detail can make a big contribution to the overall delightful picture. The examples presented in this article will undoubtedly inspire every owner of a small local area to create their own unique landscape design project.
