Tricks to Make Small Yards Look Big

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Tricks to Make Small Yards Look Big

Small backyards might be cramped and insignificant, but they don’t have to look that way. You can use that to your advantage and create space that looks bigger by using a technique that tricks the eye. All it takes is some ingenuity. The results will turn a tiny backyard, into a beautiful spacious garden. It becomes a place that you’ll love to spend time entertaining guests or just kicking back. Here are some tips and ideas on expanding your garden space, without having to buy more land.

Flowers

Flowers are an essential part to almost any garden design. When you design your backyard with flowers, choose bright, bold colors such as reds, oranges, or yellows and cool hues of blues, green and purple. When placed strategically in the garden, they will give you the sense of distance. Plant the flowers with cool hues in the front of the garden, along the border. The warm or bold hues work best when planted toward the back. Some plants perfect to help with the illusion are black-eyed Susans, daisies, zinnias, marigolds and Celosia. When you are planning your garden, think of it as a blank canvas and you are the artist. 

English Gardens

Traditional English gardens allow the flowerbed borders to fluctuate with wavy or curvy lines. Some parts of the garden are very wide and then without warning, they turn narrow. They provide an element of surprise as to the kind of flowers or plant combinations you may find.

Install a gate or an arbor that has climbing roses, clematis, or any vining plant that is hardy in your location clinging to the sides and top. As you enter through, the archway, the wonderful perfume provides a sense of peace and relaxation. English gardens often have stone lanterns near the water sources, weathered stone, or aged bronze statues. The décor has wind chimes hanging in the trees or in the rafters of a patio.

Decorative mirrors or gazing balls are not only beautiful, they add to the depth of your landscape, enabling you to see various angles of the garden. Gazing balls come in a variety of colors and styles. Some gazing balls are made out of a sturdy shatterproof steel, while others are a delicate hand-blown glass.

Fountains

The hardest part about incorporating a fountain in the landscape is picking out the one you want. There are hundreds of styles and shapes to choose from, making you feel overwhelmed. You just need to take your time to find the right one.

Fountains give small gardens elegance and depth. The sound of running water adds to the tranquility of the setting. It can even help lower blood pressure. In order for the water fountain to function properly, they need a flat surface. Lay some decorative flat stepping-stones over the ground, making sure they are level. A small water fountain can be the centerpiece of your garden. A large water feature looks nice in the corner of your yard with tall slender shrubs on each side. This helps soften the view of the water fountain, making the area feel like a cool, tropical oasis. With a waterfall like this, you can have the water cascading over rocks or stones into a pool below where you may add some colorful fish. If you do use fish, add the proper chemicals that are safe to use with fish to keep the water clean and clear. If you live in an area where the weather freezes, choose a fountain that is easy to drain. You’ll need to prep the fountain for winter storage.  

Tomorrow I'll give you a few more ways to make your small yards appear like there is more room.  What do you do to make your back yard look more spacious? I'd love to hear your ideas.