We’ve found 23 diverse designs and solutions for small backyards and outdoor spaces, from urban to suburban and everything else in between. Although Tucson’s Skyline Springs condominium complex has a swimming pool, the owners of this unit wanted a private pool. Prideaux Design, with the help of Cimarron Circle Construction Company, designed a stunning blue glass mosaic-tile pool as the yard’s centerpiece, with a ledge for in-pool lounge chairs when desert temperatures spike. Additional features include a poured-in-place etched concrete patio, rusted steel panels and walls, original adobe block walls, and a revitalized vintage Brown Jordan patio dining set. Other features, kept to a minimum, include an orange Fermob armchair, colorful pottery, and drought-tolerant plants like tibouchina, lion’s tail, lavenders, rosemary, yarrow, sunset hyssop, dwarf strawberry tree, and various succulents and ornamental grass. “The challenge was to fit everything into such a small space without feeling contrived and overdone and to make the space very private,” says Bosler. In this view of the yard, we see a pathway of concrete pavers set in pea gravel, land a lounging area with an umbrella and delineated hardscape. The hot tub’s screening wall, bench, and a side yard screen were made from the old redwood deck.
Lightweight furnitureNew fencing that includes vertical plantersA bluestone patioAn artificial lawn
Using a combination of limestone boulders, Delaware pea gravel, cedar mulch, and lush greenery, Magic created fairytale-like paths, a fire pit, a trampoline for the kids, and a dining area.
Container gardens: When you lack good soil or have an outdoor space that is mostly patio or decking, add pots, low bowls, repurposed wooden boxes or crates, and urns Think about vertical space: The sky’s the limit when you grow your succulents, herbs, flowers, or even vegetables in a vertical container that is attached to a wall Hanging garden: Plants can be suspended from beams, eaves, or wall hangers; it’s up to you what to plant and what works in your region A no-fuss patio or deck that allows you to get outside and has water-wise plants that don’t require lots of care and maintenance A small kitchen and dining area: Love to grill? If space allows, you can add a basic grill, counter, outdoor refrigerator, and even grow a small herb garden to add flavor on the spot A private garden: City-dwellers often crave outdoor space. High walls and espaliered or climbing plants help to create a sense of seclusion
Once you start researching, you’ll find that garden styles and solutions are limitless—there’s a backyard for every petite plot of land.
