Having a small yard does not mean you can’t have a nice garden.  With some interesting layout and careful selections of plants and trees, you too can have a beautiful garden.

Christopher J. Cohan of This Old House recommends dividing a small yard into several areas of interest, including a pond.  This makes the landscape seem bigger than it is.  For his own yard, he divided the front and backyard with different types of plants and landscaping. 

Cohan uses ornamental border along the street to adds curb appeal and make it feel more inviting. Then an entry garden with a lamp post lights the way for visitors. And there’s even a private patio for dining and a woodsy backyard for relaxing in your lounge-chair. 

You can view more photos of Cohan’s garden here.

Photo from This Old House.

As you can see from the picture of the front yard, the house has a dogwood tree that is scaled to the house.  This provides the front-yard with a focal point. I really like this idea. But the only thing I wonder about Cohan’s yard is how much care and maintenance this yard will need.  And also if they plants are drought tolerant, since we are having water shortages in many part of the U.S..  But overall, despite having a smaller home and yard, Cohan was able to create a magical and inviting place.

More good ideas for small yard landscaping come from landscape architect Pamela Palmer.  As she mentioned in Sunset magazine, a small yard can be as dramatic as larger landscapes.  But they need to be designed with care. Palmer recommends evergreen plants as your primary source of color rather than flowers. And instead of fencing, you can use plants to create privacy and borders. Recommended border plants are the gray-leafed pineapple guava shrubs.

They still look nice in the winter, have blossoms in spring, and provide you with edible fruits in the autumn. These plants contribute color, texture, movement, and shelter for birds and other animals. Other good plants for privacy would be papyrus and bamboo.

These are the pretty pink blossoms of from the pineapple guava tree.  Photo from Dunton Family Farm of  Oregon. 

They are growing this shrub to replace their old wooden fence, they want it to be at least 7 feet in height.  They say it grows slowly and is easy to keep small if desired.

Here are some trees recommended for small yards: Flowering Dogwood, Japanese maple, Eastern Redbud, and Smoke Tree. Check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see if you can grow these tree. 

Below is the Japanese maple, it’s very compact yet regal looking.  It’s one of the trees I would like to plant in my yard someday.

Photo from This Old House.