What is the cheapest landscaping stone?

Pea gravel is one of the most affordable landscaping stones. These small grey or brown stones are smooth and add elegance to your landscape design. Use pea gravel instead of mulch in your garden beds.

How do you create a low maintenance yard?

Although a small backyard is already lower-maintenance than a large garden, there are additional things you can do to make it easier to maintain. Install an automated watering system. Apply mulch in each flower bed at least 2 to 3 inches thick. This will slow water evaporation and help prevent weed growth. Choose lower maintenance plants, such as ornamental grasses and sedge. Plant perennials in containers for splashes of color with less care required.

10 Small Backyard Ideas and Designs to Make a Big Impact

A small backyard is still a backyard, and you don’t need a giant garden to make a huge impression. So many landscaping ideas work equally well in small or large backyards.

Even a tiny backyard can be transformed into a charming outdoor living space. Scroll through our best small backyard design ideas and see how simple it is to maximize the space you have.

1. Transform Your Backyard with a Charming Tiki Bar

A backyard bar makes outdoor entertaining fun. Even a simple bar idea provides extra seating and an inviting place for you and your guests to sip and sit a while.

Outdoor patio with wicker furniture, two-tone cushions, and a glass coffee table, surrounded by wooden fencing and greenery — Source: @dottycx via Instagram

Outdoor bar with blue stools and a concrete countertop, set on a stone patio. Nearby, a green plant in a white pot with pink flowers — Source: @dukesdecorli via Instagram

Outdoor tiki bar with bamboo structure, colorful corrugated roof, stools, and "come in, we're open" sign near a house — Source: @m.mart.71 via Instagram

Outdoor bar with wooden shelter, metal stools, and decorative signs, surrounded by trees and grass — Source: @tonyconnect via Instagram

Try building a small bar on an existing patio or porch, or attach one to a backyard shed or other outbuilding. Make it feel like a vacation year-round by going for a tiki bar design complete with a thatched grass roof and island decor.

See more outdoor bar ideas here.

2. Elevate Your Small Backyard with a Cozy Fire Pit or Chiminea

Nothing adds nighttime ambience to an outdoor space quite like a fire pit. If there’s room to add one to your list of small backyard ideas, try to make it happen. Firepits don’t have to be big or expensive. In fact, anyone can build a simple fire pit out of concrete blocks, as shown in this video:

If you’d rather not build a fire pit from scratch, a chiminea is a good alternative. It occupies a smaller footprint than a traditional fire pit and adds rustic, western charm to your yard or patio.

Curved outdoor sofa with beige cushions and patterned pillows surrounding a stone coffee table on a patio, with greenery outside — Source: @bbqbills_nv via Instagram

Modern outdoor patio with six cushioned chairs around a rectangular fire pit, potted plants and flowers decorate the area, bright day — Source: @home_is_where_the_bart_is via Instagram

Firepit glowing in the night with two chairs nearby and two drinks on the rim — Source: @realstonegranitefirepits via Instagram

Backyard with five turquoise Adirondack chairs around a fire pit on gravel — Source: @turquoiseandtrine via Instagram

Another affordable backyard fire idea is to purchase a small metal firepit. You can find basic models for under $50, and some double as a charcoal grill. Others include a cooler insert that’s great for holding beverages when it’s too hot for a fire.

See more fire pit ideas and designs here.

3. Furnish Smart for Your Small Outdoor Space – Measure, Choose Wisely

Anytime you’re trying to furnish a small space, it’s vital to keep scale in mind. Oversized outdoor furniture will make a small backyard space feel cramped and crowded. To avoid this, be sure to measure before ordering any type of patio furniture, including sofas, tables, and chairs.

A cozy backyard patio with a wooden pergola, seating area, lush greenery, and a person sitting, with a dog by the pool — Source: @backyarddiscovery via Instagram

Outdoor dining set with a dark table and eight beige cushioned chairs on a brick patio, set with plates, glasses, and fruit bowls — Source: @chairkingbys via Instagram

When you’re measuring for furniture, leave enough open space to walk around comfortably. A bar and barstools are ideal for a small patio because they occupy less space than an ordinary dining set.

Take your local weather into consideration when buying furniture for an outdoor living space. If it’s particularly windy in your neighborhood, choose weightier pieces. If sun beats down on your patio all day, choose lighter-colored furniture that’s not prone to fading.

4. Create a Beautiful Garden in a Limited Space

It’s easy to get carried away when you see all the lovely plant and greenery options at your garden center. And it’s really easy to overestimate your planting space when planning small yard landscaping ideas.

Raised garden bed with various plants in black fabric pots, supported by stakes and trellises, surrounded by a wooden fence — Source: @thehollygrovegarden via Instagram

Do a little homework before you hit the garden center. Find out how much planting space you have in the yard, then research the kind of plants that you like—and that will grow well in your area. Design your garden accordingly, remembering to include concrete pavers, garden bed edging, and other landscaping touches.

5. Maximize Your Small Yard with a Lush Green Lawn

A green lawn is a beautiful addition to any yard. However, space for growing grass might be limited in a particularly small backyard. Even if that’s the case, planting grass—even just a small section—is one of the best traditional landscaping ideas. If you have a dog or small children, a little patch of green lawn is practically a must.

Close-up of a neatly manicured green lawn bordered by gray stone paving and a low stone wall, with pebbles on the side — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Backyard with vibrant green lawn, patio chairs, a table, pool, and surrounding trees under a sunny sky — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Backyard with a stone pathway, artificial grass, and textured beige walls and pillar — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

A swimming pool with geometric tile design, surrounded by artificial grass, set against a barren, rocky landscape — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

A backyard with a paved patio, grass and stone checkerboard design, potted plants, and a brick wall — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Lush green lawn with stone edging and pathway on a sunny day; rolls of artificial grass in the foreground — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Buddha statue on gravel under a tree, lit by a spotlight in a garden with grassy foreground and brick wall background at night — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Garden scene with a small tree, yellow flowers, gravel ground, and a square patch of green grass bordered by paving stones — Source: @suncitylandscapingllc via Instagram

Grass adds valuable open space to your garden design, something that’s vital to keep your backyard ideas from visually crowding a small yard. Fine fescue grass is a good low-maintenance choice for a small backyard.

You may prefer to install rolled turf instead of waiting for grass seed to grow and fill in naturally. If you want a truly no-maintenance grass in your small backyard, shop for artificial turf.

6. Transform Your Small Yard with Strategic Landscaping and Hardscaping

Small backyard landscaping might initially feel challenging, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with yard work. However, limited space is actually a blessing in disguise because it drives you to focus on what you feel is most important to include in your backyard design.

A backyard with artificial grass, a concrete path, a small brick fire pit, and potted plants against a fence; a basketball lies on the ground — Source: @lopez.landscape via Instagram

A layered landscape design mimics nature, with low groundcovers, flowers, shrubs, and trees lining up from short to tall. This is a great design starting point regardless of your yard’s size. Choose greenery, flowers, and other plant options based on how tall they will be when full grown.

Don’t forget to budget for hardscaping when you’re finalizing your small backyard ideas. Path pavers, fences, walls, and borders provide the boundaries for your garden and are an important design element.

7. Elevate Your Small Backyard with Thoughtful Outdoor Lighting

Most people use their patio as an outdoor room, enjoying comfortable seating and dining space day and night. Just as with interior home decor, your outdoor space needs adequate lighting. This means including task lighting and accent lighting sources.

Hard-wired patio light fixtures can provide your main source of task lighting. Place weatherproof lamps on patio end tables, and stake lanterns on posts for other big light sources.

Outdoor patio with string lights above a dining table surrounded by chairs, lush greenery and trees frame the nighttime scene — Source: @sagelantern via Instagram

Backyard patio at night with string lights, a wooden deck, white rocking chairs, a grill, and outdoor seating — Source: @alyssabmomof3 via Instagram

A cozy backyard with a lit fire pit, surrounded by string lights overhead and Adirondack chairs, set against a wooden fence at night — Source: @jcantertx via Instagram

Wooden deck with lounge chair, solar lights casting patterns on the grass, enclosed by a fenced yard at dusk — Source: @lns0214 via Instagram

String lights come in so many creative shapes and styles now and add a magical glow to night gatherings. Hang them over your seating area, along a fence, or string them between trees for a lighted canopy.

Path and step lights are crucial for safe navigation through the yard at night. Install a few spotlights to illuminate your garden focal point, such as a sculpture or arbor.

8. Revamp Your Small Backyard with a Stylish Concrete Paver Patio

If your small backyard lacks a patio, it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to hire a contractor to lay a simple concrete paver patio. Make it a design feature by choosing beautiful pavers and borders, perhaps adding a paver path leading to a water feature or bench.

Look around the patio for creative small garden ideas. Attach window boxes to your railings or windows, and hang potted plants from the rafters. Both are great small backyard ideas for adding pops of color without taking up any square footage on the ground.

Spacious patio with a dining table, chairs, large umbrella, and a pergola, pathway leads to a garden, clear sky and house in view — Source: @creeksidenwi via Instagram

A backyard patio with string lights, brick flooring, two white chairs, a small table, and a ladder, adjacent to a brick and siding house — Source: @fiveacrehome via Instagram

A patio with a pergola, table, and chairs, potted plants lining the edge, and lights embedded in the stone flooring — Source: @howtohardscape via Instagram

Consider hanging a vertical garden on one or more of your patio walls. It’s a beautiful backyard idea that adds greenery to an otherwise blank vertical space. You can make a vertical garden by hanging up a wooden pallet and arranging small potted plants in the gaps. Succulents are also particularly beautiful in a vertical small garden.

9. Enhance Your Small Yard with a Charming Wooden Pergola

A pergola may seem too large to be included as a small yard idea, but remember: in a small outdoor space, scale is everything. A wood pergola or arbor may be just the focal point your small garden needs.

Modern house with a gray pergola featuring horizontal slats over a patio, next to large glass doors and windows — Source: @cospiconsa via Instagram

White house with a pergola-covered wooden deck, a bench, and a round fire pit, trees in the background — Source: @skyliftroofriserhardware via Instagram

Wooden pergola over a patio with a sofa, two blue chairs, a hanging chair, and potted plants by sliding glass doors — Source: @jenbenshoof via Instagram

A wooden pergola on a brick patio with a ladder underneath, set in a garden next to a white house — Source: @qphia via Instagram

Wooden pergola with string lights over a patio, surrounded by potted plants and a white brick wall under a clear sky — Source: @the_sumpter_house via Instagram

Brown wooden pergola over a concrete patio attached to a brick house, with a clear blue sky and grassy yard — Source: @truetimbercraftco via Instagram

A simple square pergola with open rafter roofing is gorgeous over an outdoor dining area. It also provides a frame for hanging light strings. Grow climbing plant varieties around the pergola posts if you want the structure to provide shade in the future.

See more pergola ideas here.

10. Elevate Your Small Backyard with the Tranquil Beauty of Water Features

Water features are fantastic backyard landscaping ideas. A well-designed small pond can add sound, motion, and life to your little outdoor retreat. It also provides a place for different plant varieties to grow, such as cattails and water lilies.

Small garden pond with surrounding rocks, lush ferns, and leafy plants, a frog statue sits on the edge near a decorative tube — Source: @bethanyem via Instagram

Water cascading over a layered stone waterfall into a pond, surrounded by rocks and green plants — Source: @dayleenvann via Instagram

A small garden pond with rocks around it, surrounded by lush green plants and tall grasses under bright sunlight — Source: @growwithitgarde via Instagram

A wooden deck overlooks a garden pond with floating plants and a stone path. Greenery surrounds the tranquil scene — Source: @ladylandscape via Instagram

Small pond with flowering plants, surrounded by a low stone wall, a blue glass orb sits nearby on a sunny lawn — Source: @michael.workman.1088 via Instagram

Rectangular stone pond with clear water in a lush garden, surrounded by trees and plants, with a wooden bench nearby — Source: @plantingdirt via Instagram

A small backyard pond with a rock waterfall feature and surrounding stones on a grassy area — Source: @switchloaf via Instagram

A garden pond surrounded by rocks, with yellow flowers and greenery, next to a wooden fence and a grassy area — Source: @wildmancrowe via Instagram

A small waterfall is relaxing to observe, with its flowing water and gentle splashing sounds. Koi fish are a great addition to a small backyard water feature, but do require a bit more maintenance. Even without fish, a backyard pond will draw water-seeking wildlife to your yard including frogs, dragonflies, and birds.

See more backyard pond ideas here.

10 Small Backyard Ideas and Designs