25 Creative Ways to Make the Most Of a Small Backyard

Make the most of a small backyard with these space-saving decorating and gardening ideas.
Not everyone has a spacious backyard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your outdoor space its own unique flare. Check out our favorite ideas for amping up a smaller yard.

1Tree Stump Planter

 If you’ve got an old tree stump in your backyard, rejoice—they make the most beautiful planters.

Blocks On The Rocks

 Use cinder blocks to create a small table or bar for your outdoor space, and use the holes in the blocks for planting. It’s a 2-in-1 deal!

Hanging Colander Planter

 Hanging your plants leaves extra space below; plus, these colorful colanders make the most adorable vessels for flowers.

Pallet Flower Display

 Paint an old pallet and show off your favorite flowers near your front door or in a corner of your garden. The vertical display takes up very little space, and you can change out the flowers or decor with each season to keep things fresh!

Murphy Bar

 No room for a fancy bar? Try installing a Murphy bar outside, which simply folds down into a table whenever you’re ready to use it! The shelves are perfect for storage, and you can stack cute plants on top.

6 Tiered Planters

Tiered planters will maximize the ground space you have available for planters and herb boxes.

7Vertical Herb Garden

 Instead of planting horizontally, plant vertically! Use a wood trellis, tin cans, and IKEA pot hangers to recreate this look.

8 Faux-Grass Rug

 Offering the illusion of luscious green lawn, a faux-grass rug will help make your patio space look bigger than it really is.

Add Some Depth

 You can’t change the size of your backyard, but you can make it seem larger than it actually is by using this neat trick: Hang a few vintage mirrors on your fence so they reflect the surrounding greenery.

Succulent Wall Art

 Use a rectangular plastic tray divided into planting cells to display an enchanting succulent garden like this one.

Debra Lee Baldwin

11 Coffee Can Planters

 We didn’t need an incentive to drink more coffee, but now we’re glad we have one.

12 Invert Your Tomatoes

Tressling and the upkeep of tomato vines can take up a lot of space. So, hang your tomatoes from the roof instead.

13Build an Herb Spiral

Plant your herbs in a spiral to fully utilize all the space you have.

14 Make It Mobile

15Mason Jars

16Stack Your Planters

17 Grow Mushrooms in an Old Laundry Basket

No need for a full kitchen garden with this super easy trick for growing your own oyster mushrooms.

18Build a Mini Storage Shed

Repurpose old doors and windows into a cute mini gardening shed, just big enough for all of your essential tools.

19Start Off Small

Terrariums are a great way to decorate any indoor or outdoor space—and they’re super low maintenance.

20Make a Small Water Feature

 Want a water feature, but don’t think you have enough room to install one? Not anymore.

21Hanging Garden

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22 Modular Deck Tiles

If you don’t have enough space for a built-in deck, these snap-in deck tiles ares the perfect solution.

23Stack Up Crates

 Make your own vertical garden by stacking crates. Make sure to reinforce them with wood planks!

24Dedicate a Corner

Use a rolling cart to hold a miniature herb garden that can be brought inside or kept outside.

25 Colorful Yarn