Small Backyards: Tactics to Make Your Backyard Appear Larger

 In Backyard Design, Backyard Living, Backyard Remodel

Most homeowners aren’t blessed with backyards spanning acres. The average American backyard is approximately 6,000 square feet; but sizes can vary depending on whether you live in a city, suburb, or rural area. So, what does that mean for homeowners with smaller backyards? If you put effort into creating a unique backyard, it can transform into an enjoyable and unique space for your home, irrespective of the size.

As master backyard designers, the Shoreline Pools team recommends several tactics to make the most of your small space and make it appear larger. Let’s explore each one a bit further. One of the best methods to make your backyard appear larger is gardening. Gardening and planting greenery, like trees, shrubs, and flowers visually increase the size of your backyard. If you are curious about other tactics to make your backyard appear larger, Shoreline Pools outlines several strategies you can implement today!

Landscaping

Landscaping your backyard is the best way to visually increase its size. In addition to making your backyard appear larger, landscaping creates an aesthetically pleasing environment where you’ll want to spend time. Shoreline Pools provides several landscaping tactics that will make any backyard appear larger.

Map Out Your Space: Create Zones

Even if you have minimal land to work with, distinct zones create an illusion that makes your backyard appear larger. The zones ultimately rest on your decision, but the Shoreline Pools landscaping team believes that homeowners can benefit from two zones: gardening and dining/lounging. Zones are considered outside rooms and create an element of surprise. For example, you may have a dining table, but you should put the lounging furniture in a different area. If you have space for other zones, like a fire pit, you should absolutely create more. Walking around your backyard should feel like a journey. A journey is created by winding paths from zone to zone, which make the walk feel longer.

Create a Focal Point

A focal point in your backyard serves two purposes. First, it creates a landscaping theme for which other elements of your backyard, like gardening or furniture, can follow. Second, and more importantly, a focal point captures people’s attention. Essentially, a focal point in a backyard will trick people into believing your backyard feels less cluttered. Each backyard is different, and homeowners have a unique vision of how a backyard should look. As such, you can make stone walls, sculptures, gazebos, or fountains your backyard’s focal point.

Add Levels to Break Up Space

Multiple levels divide the elements of your backyard, which creates depth and gives each level a unique purpose. Common ways to achieve levels are raising and sinking elements of your backyard like patios, garden beds, and planter boxes.

Gardening

Landscaping and gardening are two sides of the same coin. They both yield a multitude of benefits, specifically making your backyard appear larger. The Shoreline Pools team recommends the following simple gardening tactics—choosing the right greenery and vertically gardening.

Choose the Right Greenery

There are many kinds of trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers that you can have in your backyard. At Shoreline Pools, we believe that tall and thin-shaped trees, such as columnar evergreens or dwarf varieties of shrubs, provide sufficient elegant greenery that doesn’t clutter your backyard. Furthermore, you may want multiple kinds of greenery or just a single statement plant. Tropical plants with large leaves make great statement plants because they stand out and catch your eye.

Vertically Garden

Incorporating greenery into your walls or fences surrounding your backyard has several benefits. Vertically planting saves space for other elements you wish to incorporate into your backyard. Tall trees, long dangling plants, and hanging pots add dimension to a small backyard and counteract claustrophobic feelings. A common practice is using trees, shrubs, and plants as privacy screens. According to Install It Direct, the tall and skinny Leyland cypress is typically used as a privacy tree and grows three to four feet per year.

Act Now: It’s Time to Reimagine Your Backyard

It’s well into Spring, which means Summer will arrive in a blink of an eye. Although your property may be on the smaller end of the spectrum, Shoreline Pools can help you reimagine your backyard oasis. If you follow these strategies, your backyard will not only feel larger, but you’ll genuinely want to spend more time there because you diligently worked to make it enjoyable.

Make sure to subscribe to our blog for more tactics on making your backyard appear larger. Furthermore, a luxury pool can be an incredible focal point of your backyard! Dial (203) 357-1544 and connect with a Shoreline Pools representative to learn about our pool servicing packages.

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