If you love gardening but you do not have enough space, then you often become limited to do some landscaping Australia projects for your backyard. But just like people make small gardens on their balconies, you can also maximize a smaller backyard and get the most out of it.

You can still get some special designs for smaller spaces. This article focuses on how you can design a small backyard despite having limited space. Read on for some ideas on how you can maximize the space by landscaping your small backyard in Sydney.

 

 

Tips and Suggestions for Designing Your Small Backyard or Garden

 

1. Create Some Focal Points

A major challenge experienced when designing smaller spaces is lacking grand views. It’s quite challenging to make a major point of focus on smaller spaces and even if you created one, it wouldn’t look attractive.

An ideal solution is creating multiple but small focal points. For instance, you can make the pathway to be a key focal point to attract the attention of guests instantly. You may also divide the garden to create an illusion of a larger space.

You can also combine the effect with tall plants, foundations, and statues. Distribute them across the garden and avoid crowding them.

 

2. Consider Every Available Inch

If your garden is bigger, then you can overlook certain spaces without any worries. However, in smaller spaces, you always have to think of every available inch.

It is quite easy to notice wrong details and omissions in smaller gardens. Hence, be careful when designing a smaller garden.

Before you design or plant, make a precise layout outlining the available space. Having a detailed layout and plan beforehand will assist you in maximizing the little space available.

 

 

3. Use Quality Materials

There are many types of materials in the market. You can easily find innovative ceramics and exotic stones to transform your small yard and make it unique.

Having a smaller backyard means you will use fewer materials. This will cost you less.

Hence, take advantage of this and buy high-quality landscaping materials even though they may cost more, but you will only need few of them so you will not really spend much like you would on a bigger landscape. You may also contact a specialist landscaping company and hire them out to do all the work for you.

 

 

4. Create a Functional Space

Like previously mentioned, you cannot afford to misuse a single inch of the little available space.

Hence, you should have a plan on the purpose of your garden. For instance, if you are interested in outdoor dining, then set a dining table in the space.

In case you like relaxing at your backyard, then include an area for relaxing or a fire place. Choose the main focus or purpose of different areas around the garden. This will, however, depend on the available space.

 

5. Landscaping Vertically

Another ideal concept you can utilize in decorating a small garden is to consider vertical landscaping. There are many DIY ideas on vertical gardening and you can always find an idea that would work for you.

Take advantage of different plants for vertical landscaping to make your backyard more interesting. You can even use plant hangers and suspended pots to add more plants vertically.

 

 

6. Always Get Colorful

Having a small garden makes it easy to utilize color. Choose bold colors that can liven up your small backyard. You can use some throw pillows or cushions for the outdoor seating sets.

You can also plant flowers with strong colors upon blooming. However, it is important to use one color theme since overdoing several colors may give a tiring sight.

Now you have learnt some basic rules for landscaping on a small backyard. Now let’s focus on landscaping ideas of small backyards.

 

 

Landscaping Ideas for a Small Backyard Space

 

1. Take Advantage of Oversized Pots

Larger pots are ideal for planting in a small yard. You can grow plants in oversized pots to get a lush effect. Consider lining the pots next to each other to form a wall or for splitting different sections of your garden.

In case you want to have a sophisticated look, then choose terra cotta pots. If you are okay with a common look, then go for plastic pots. Another option is making use of timber planter boxes. They will add an element of elegance to your yard.

 

2. Combine Different Herbs

It is a great idea to plant different types of herbs. Planting different herbs will make your garden look more attractive and they’ll also offer you multiple health benefits once cooked.

If you want to get an old yet fancy aspect, then use a metallic tub for planting random herbs or colorful flowers.

 

 

3. Installing a Birdbath

You can set up a birdbath at your backyard as a decorative element and not necessarily for birds. However, you may still use it for birds if you love having them around.

Fill the birdbath with succulents. The leaves and stems of succulents store water and a small or shallow birdbath would work well with them.

You can add some pebbles to assist the soil in maintaining moisture for longer periods of time. Moreover, the birdbath will create the theme of a desert.

 

4. Use Climbers

Climbers are some of most ideal plants to use in a small backyard. It will be useful to consider vertical placement for the climbers. For instance, you can go for a bougainvillea.

 

 

You will not have to worry about using a complex trellis. There are other climbing plants you can use that have vertical vines.

 

5. Try Different Textures

It is crucial to create aesthetic vibrancy and contract in smaller gardens. You can achieve this by using plants along the stairs. They should be planted in curved containers.

Use plants of different shapes. For example, geranium and agave would go well when planted alongside each other.

Here, you may combine vertical foliage with foliage that splits sideways. This way, you’ll have a lovely texture around the garden.

 

6. Use Pocket Plants

If you are planning to decorate a small landscape, pocket plants would be a great choice that you can’t afford to overlook. You can use your old canvas and hung it on the fence or a wall.

Put some soil in the compartments. Then put some plants there. You can choose vines or ferns to create a unique and special effect.

Don’t shy away from using your creativity. For instance, you can add some herbs although they don’t give a great visual aspect.

 

7. Make Use of Shutters

Shutters are also great to use for planting in smaller landscapes. You can simply take two old louvers and put them along the wall. Then place the plants in their slots.

Mosses and succulents would be great choices for planting in shutters since they tend to spill over, thereby creating an attractive effect.

However, succulents do not do well in direct sunlight. Hence, if you opt to go for succulents, use them on a shady area.

 

8. Use Pallets

Pallets are some of the most ideal items to use of smaller gardens due to their flexibility. Place a pallet vertically and fix some clay pots on the pallet.

You can use some cables, preferably stainless steel ones, and some nails to attach and secure the pots firmly on the pallet.

Ensure the pots are not too close to each other to avoid suffocating the plants. Hence, allow for some space between the pots for the plants to grow freely.

 

 

9. Choose Mini Things

Consider mini things to give you a stylish backyard such as a terrarium. It is easy to create a terrarium, yet it looks very high-end.

You can also include any plant you want but the ideal ones are African violets, peperomia, ferns, and mosses.

 

10. A Curved Ivy Garden Fence

This landscaping idea is quite interesting. A curved fence will hide the garden partially. It tricks visual perception to make a small space appear larger. A curved fence achieves this by ensuring you are unable to see the entire garden from just one place.

You will have to walk further along the curved fence to see more of the backyard. This will make you think that the garden is bigger than it is in reality.

 

Recommended Reading:

15 Creative Ideas on How to Landscape With Bricks

 

11. Make Raised Beds

They are an ideal solution when planting in smaller gardens, especially where soil conditions are poor or even where there is no soil at all in the backyard.

The beds can be used to plant herbs or flowers. Feel free to raise the beds to any height you want. Raised beds are ideal in creating a special look in a small space.

 

12. Plant Some Trees

Although it might seem like a bad idea for a small landscape, it is actually useful. All you need to do is choosing a dwarf variety.

You can plant the tree in a large pot. A dwarf variety will not grow beyond 5 to 10 feet and this would be ideal with small spaces.

 

13. Use Tables and Trays

You do not have to discard your old furniture when you can use them to decorate your garden. Repurpose an old metal table, old pots, and metal tubs or other such items and use them in your garden.

They will create a vintage and classy style that will contrast well with other garden elements.

 

 

Conclusion

These landscaping ideas are all practical for small gardens or backyards in Sydney. They are easy to implement and you can always reuse old items that are lying in your house like tubs, pots, and furniture.

This will reduce the overall cost of landscaping. Always maximum the little space available and always remember that every inch matters. Lastly, it will be great making the design colorful to get an exquisite result.