Add Definition with a Pergola

Turn a tiny patio into a gorgeous outdoor room with a freestanding pergola. Here, a small wooden pergola stands over a gravel patio. The landscaping fixture creates a sense of enclosure and makes the patio seem much larger than it is, and a teak seating arrangement compliments the warm-stained millwork.

Go Gravel

Small backyard garden ideas don't have to be expensive and difficult to execute. For example, crushed brick or gravel is a beautiful, low-maintenance paving option for smaller yards. It's easier to use and less expensive than brick pavers or flagstones, and in outdoor spaces like this one, the gravel allows rainfall to percolate through to the soil instead of running off down a hill.

Get Creative with Barren Land

If you have large trees with barren ground at their bases, why not put the infertile land to use in a way that doesn't involve a garden bed? In this small yard, several trees made growing grass or a flowerbed impossible. Instead, the homeowners paved the area with flagstone and added a table and chairs for shaded seating.

Install a Pond

You don't need a huge backyard to have a water garden. In fact, installing a water garden is a great way to handle low or wet spots in your yard. Dig out the area, add a pond liner and pump, and you're on your way. Even a tiny oasis with a garden fountain will attract colorful butterflies and birds.

Incorporate Trellises for Vertical Gardens

One of the best small backyard garden ideas for maximizing flowers and vegetables is incorporating trellises behind every planting bed. This allows you to grow vine crops vertically so they won’t sprawl over their plant neighbors. This narrow plot, for example, uses a trio of rustic wooden trellises to support flowering vines at the back of the perennial border.

Choose Trees for Small Spaces

A small yard doesn't mean you can't have a gorgeous tree or two. Plenty of shade-providing beauties can squeeze into tight spots, growing no taller than 20 feet. Many species of maple wow with colorful foliage, while flowering varieties like crabapple and dogwood put on a show with delicate blooms.

Welcome Wildlife

Even a tiny garden can become a haven for birds and butterflies with the right selection of flowers. For example, this square bed is packed with pollinator favorites, such as black-eyed Susan and phlox. A bird feeder and birdhouse add to the garden's wildlife-friendly features while giving the landscape a whimsical, charming feel.

Add a Mowing Strip

Looking for small backyard garden ideas that keep turf grass from encroaching on your flowerbeds? Consider installing a mowing strip at the border's edge. Here, a mowing strip is designed to keep weeds at bay and act as a low-maintenance garden path. It also provides easy, mud-free access to the garden for wheelbarrows, mowers, and other equipment that can create a mess in the yard.

Trade Grass for Pea Gravel

Put every square inch of your backyard to work by swapping sod for landscaping pebbles. In this small courtyard, the turf was torn up and replaced by a gravel base that supports a gorgeous dining table and flower-filled containers. For homeowners who are averse to mowing, this backyard update eliminates the landscaping chore in favor of more time to sit back and enjoy the outdoor space.

Romanticize with an Arbor

Add charming flair to a small yard by featuring an arbor as a focal point. The ornamental fixture will capture the eye and give the impression of a larger yard while lending the landscape a dreamy feel. Here, a grand entry arbor supports a crown of climbing roses for a romantic, intimate landscape. White lilies in the center bed mirror the white roses and arbor for a cohesive look.

Curve Walkways

Another of the best small backyard garden ideas that leverages optical illusion is to curve your walkways. A slightly meandering path is always better than a straight sidewalk because it gives visitors the sense of traveling through a large landscape. This curved path incorporates further visual appeal with strips of tile separating the concrete slabs.

Rely on Pots

Pack your corner of paradise with pots and planters overflowing with flowers and fragrant herbs. In this luxurious backyard, geranium and marguerite daisy provide color around a welcoming teak bench. A large terra-cotta bowl is the landscape's centerpiece, serving as a reflecting pool and birdbath.

Consider the Seasons

Perhaps the most practical of these small backyard garden ideas is to consider how your yard will look in all four seasons when planning your landscape. Many yards look terrific in the spring and early summer, but by fall, they fade. Choose perennials and annuals that offer late-season color and shrubs and trees that bear colorful berries or interesting bark in the winter.

Here, a bevy of tulips in the tiny front border provides plenty of spring color. After they fade, summer beauties such as geranium and verbena replace them. Holly shrubs, which flank the front door, develop showy red berries that keep the landscape looking gorgeous even after frost.

Revamp an Outbuilding

If your backyard faces an ugly shed or outbuilding, better incorporate the structure into your garden design by giving it a makeover. This homeowner's sole view was an eyesore of a garage on their narrow lot. However, a can of paint and an inexpensive French door elevated the exterior building into a captivating fixture that now serves as the backdrop to a darling Mediterranean-style patio.

Brighten Shady Spots

Shady outdoor spaces are a great place to spend a hot summer afternoon, but they can sometimes be a bit too dark and dull. One of the best small backyard garden ideas to solve this problem is adding colorful pillows, fabrics, outdoor rugs, pots, and other decor to brighten the view. With items of various shades and patterns, this low-light deck is now a colorful spot for family fun.

Camouflage Trash

Nothing ruins the view in a small backyard faster than a set of garbage cans blown over in the wind. Instead of having your bins in plain sight, build a wooden surround to keep them contained. Here, a set of stylish wooden panels camouflages the homeowner's garbage with some space left for miscellaneous items like bags of potting soil and extra garden tools. When the gate panel is closed, everything is completely hidden from view, maintaining a pretty aesthetic in the backyard.