Steve Schappert’s Suggestions to Make the Most of a Petite Plot of Land in or around Newington Connecticut

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Not everyone has a big backyard. For places with tighter outdoor spaces, it’s just a matter of smart design. Whether you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse, loft, or a home having more indoor than outdoor space, think about your yard with soil, trees, plants, patios, seating, and even water features. 

You will find that garden styles and solutions are limitless, once you start researching. There is a backyard for everyone.

  • When you have an outdoor space that is mostly patio or decking, add pots, low bowls, and urns.
  • Love grilling? When space allows, add your grill, counter, outdoor refrigerator, even grow a small herb garden to add flavor on the spot.
  • The sky’s the limit when you grow your succulents, herbs, flowers, or even vegetables in vertical containers attached to a wall.
  • You can use high walls for espaliered or climbing plants help to create a sense of seclusion.
  • Hanging gardens: Plants can be suspended from beams, eaves, or wall hangers;  It is fun figuring what you wish to grow!
  • Create a nice, no-fuss patio allowing you to get outside with “water-wise” plants that do not require lots of care and maintenance.

 

Small Yard Design

tuscon small yard designs

Infuse colors of the sky, surrounding terrain, and nature into your patio and before you know it, you have expertly fused styles and materials using refreshing mid-century, modern outdoor furniture. Next, you will be adding rustic materials and finding ingenious uses for colorful tile and sculptural plantings. This homeowner went all out with this blue glass mosaic-tile pool as the yard’s centerpiece, with a ledge for in-pool lounge chairs. Additional features include a poured-in-place etched concrete patio, rusted steel panels and walls, original adobe block walls, and a patio dining set.

 

Small Yards for Classic Homes

historic small yard ideas
A small backyard that had faded concrete pavers and an oversized iron table was transformed into an enjoyable space. This is your outdoor living room and dining space surrounded by hornbeam and boxwood hedges creating intimacy and structure. Think about brick and bluestone materials.

 

Front Yard and Backyard all in One

Turning the Front yard into the Backyard

Borrow space wherever you can find it. A wood deck painted distressed grey creates a living room with a fire pit, an outdoor dining area and features a grill and prep counter. A tall fountain masking street noise and attracting birds is built into the benches of wood and stucco, privacy hedges, and a trellis with jasmine.

 

Hot Tub and Barbecue

backyard with hot tub and barbecue

This backyard features a hot tub with a bench and vertical planting, a fire table, built-in barbecue, and string lights, a pathway of concrete pavers set in pea gravel, a lounging area with an umbrella, and delineated hardscape. The hot tub’s screening wall, bench, and a side yard screen are redwood.

Part of Your Yard

small yard designs

Outdoor living room with your fire table, dining area, and small back porch.

 

Tiny Backyard

toronto small backyard ideas

A small fiberglass pool, composite decking with horizontal fence for privacy, and artificial turf.

Family-Friendly

small backyard overhead view

Room for dining and seating along with space for children to let their imaginations run as wild as the bluegrass and no-mow fescue on a berm to play on along with interactive sculptures. Durable redwood fence and bench and Podocarpus (plum pines) provide privacy. The kids’ outdoor toys are stored in the redwood benches.

Neat, Vertical

small urban yard

Since there is no outdoor water supply, choose drought tolerant plants. For neat, symmetrical designs think about lightweight furniture, fencing that includes vertical planters, bluestone patio, and artificial grass.

Planters

small backyard with planters

The owners of this small yard use raised wood planters where they grow vegetables and herbs. Building raised beds allow the plants to grow in quality soil, keeps them away from critters (such as squirrels and mice), and provides easy access for maintaining.

Layout is Everything

organized small backyard

For symmetry and organization, a patio made of rectangular bluestone tiles in an ashlar pattern, a matching side patio using base rock and pre-cut pavers, and a cozy deck featuring built-in seating and a concrete-top natural gas fire pit with prism fire glass. Plantings include a Japanese Maple.

Brownstone
reimagined brooklyn small backyard

This yard was divided into three areas with different levels. This area of the yard, a geometric pergola, provides shade and creates comfortable seating on the deck. Raised stacked-stone beds are planted mixing low-maintenance shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses. Add a modern, lightweight outdoor sofa and coffee table for a mid-century feel.

 

Bluestone

brooklyn bluestone small backyard

A bluestone patio will look great with custom horizontal planter boxes on casters, fencing, and your seating area surrounded with a lush mix of flowering annuals and perennials, a sweet potato vine, trumpet vine, Japanese Maple, ornamental grasses, and dogwoods. Everything is equipped with automated low-voltage uplighting and drip irrigation lines.

 

Gazebo

fernhill small yard design with gazebo

A stunning wood gazebo is the centerpiece of this backyard. With upholstery, pillows, and flowering plants that harmonize, the space is intimate and appealing.

 

Downtown Pad

Downtown Chicago Pad

This linear design features patio pavers, black steel and frosted-glass fencing, aluminum powder-coated planters, and the fire table and grill area are framed with wood decking. The illuminated orbs can be adjusted to change colors for holidays or sports on TV.

 

Back to Natural Backyard

berkeley small yard

Gardens should blend seamlessly with the lives of their owners. Features include stone along with plants creating a lush, private space. Simple, classic butterfly chairs and a fire pit are surrounded by angel’s trumpet and lavender.

 

Luxurious

ritz miami small yard design

This upscale condo features a small, lush yard with tropical landscaping (including orchids), an infinity pool, and the patio is accessible via floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

 

Zones

small backyard with zones

Divided into zones or sections, this yard has a lawn for pets and children, a fire pit with casual seating, a covered outdoor living room, a dining area, and a water feature, all surrounded by low-maintenance landscaping.

 

Plant with Purpose

small backyard with planter

Catch a glimpse of new fencing, a patio with lightweight furniture, and a raised garden bed that not only allows you to grow plants but helps to keep it private.

 

Corners

corner backyard in virginia

Tucked into a corner of this backyard, a composite-decking bench rests set on stone in front of a mature hydrangea bush to create this appealing nook. Urns planted with annual color can be changed out seasonally.

 

Clean and Lean

Clean-Line Backyard Design

Symmetry, geometric design, and organization are key to designing small backyards. This patio is paved with bluestone with blue-chip joints. A privacy fence with medium-sized trees, like Japanese Maple trees, along with birch and spruce trees, while boxwood, rhododendron, arborvitae, and pachysandra add year-round interest.

 

Turned into a Dream

super small yard design

Create interest, beauty, privacy, and intimate spaces so that your family can be outside spending time together. Use limestone boulders, pea gravel, cedar mulch, and lush greenery, paths, a fire pit, a trampoline, and a dining area.

Stay Tuned for More Great Ideas

Steve Schappert The Connecticut Real Estate Broker

Call and Text Steve Schappert 203-994-3950

Email Broker@CTREB.com

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