WWYD with this yard?

[wildrice]

This is a picture of my tiny backyard. I took it from the deck, which is over a small patio and our heat pump compressor. All of the "grassy" area is pictured. I think it's probably around 20-25 feet and relatively square? There was no grass, just weeds, so this is after cleaning it up (ignore the trash bags, lol). I hope to update the fence in the next couple of years to match the right side that our neighbors installed last year. 

I am planning on putting in a 4x8 raised bed and giving veggies a shot this year. We get kind of a lot of shade, so if the veggies don't work I'll try low sun veggies or low sun flowers next year. I am thinking I'll put it in the middle of the right side of the yard near the fence - that seems to get the most sun. But I have no idea what to do with the rest of the yard.

You can't really see it in the pic, but behind my yard is a wild patch of land with big trees and growth, but then directly behind that is a relatively busy road. It is secluded by all the greenery between my yard and the road, but it can be kind of noisy. It is a center unit townhouse so I do have neighbors on both sides who could see into my yard, too. We also have a decently large deck with seating and our smoker (on the 2nd floor above the yard).

Because of the tree directly over it, I don't think a fire pit space would work. I also can't see us using a dining table setup. If I can make the space really nice, I might consider some kind of seating but I'd probably be the only one using it 99% of the time.  


ETA: I also don't want to do grass. It's such a small space that I don't want to have to buy and somehow store a mower. We do not have a garage. 

Attachments:

[simpsongal]

I think devising a purpose is important. Also, what's the view from the lower level? Is there a living room or something that looks into that space?

I'd probably plant small evergreen shrubs like sky pencil hollies, maybe a corner curved bed w/hinoki cypress, and a dwarf japanese maple in another corner (I have a variegated butterfly one that's lovely). You could edge the beds with rocks or something else. You could also add some lower light perennials (looks like you have hostas). I like japanese red painted ferns too.

I'm partial to Flagstones for creating a surface for a table or chairs. They would allow water to permeate and the low light should held keep weeds at bay. A rod iron patio set would look classic.

I would consider stringing some edison bulb lights too, they would look charming down there.

If you really want veggies, you're probably better off putting a couple containers on the deck, which I assume gets more light (patio tomatoes, herbs if your kitchen is on that level will be more convenient).

[nicolewi]

What's up with the kind of bad looking tree right at your fence line? Unless that's actually a cool tree, it's too close to the fence and just looks problematic with the three weedy stems. I would take that out now so you have a totally fresh start. I think you need to get the tree out.

I would plant some skinny bushes for screening at the back and a little around the edges, like maybe a mix of cedars and something?

Love the idea of a flagstone (or similar pavers or whatever) patio and table/chair area in the middle and the string lights. That would look great!

I don't think I'd bother with a 4x8 raised bed? Seems like it takes a lot of your space with a lot of work and low payoff. I'd do perennials instead mixed around the edges, and a few pots with shade-tolerant annuals for summer.

[ssmjlm]

I would extend the patio with some pavers and gravel and do sort of a pathway to the gate. I don't know if you have a lower back door, but maybe create just one walkway from the back door to the gate.

Then I would make the area to the right a large bed with some bushes and perennials since it's a shaded area and do some perennials around the left side of the patio.

[wildrice]

Apr 22, 2021 12:48:17 GMT -5 nicolewi said:

What's up with the kind of bad looking tree right at your fence line? Unless that's actually a cool tree, it's too close to the fence and just looks problematic with the three weedy stems. I would take that out now so you have a totally fresh start. I think you need to get the tree out.

Good question - I don't know. I am not even sure what kind of tree it is. It's interesting you said it is weedy - what does that mean? My neighbor called it a "weed tree" too and I have never heard of such a thing.

It is tempting to take it out - however, I do like that it provides a lot of buffer between our house and the road and that we have a lot of birds in the tree, which we enjoy seeing. It makes a really nice setting in the leafy months, but it's pretty ugly when the leaves are off in the winter and we can see the road so clearly. So I'm torn. I don't want to keep a problematic tree, but I don't want to have to wait years to have the privacy/green setting it currently provides if we plant something else in its place.

I actually want to see if our yard technically extends further back. I don't know if you can tell, but our neighbor's yard goes a few feet further back than ours does. I need to look at a survey and find out if our fence is actually on our property line or if it could be further out (and thus further from the tree).

We have only lived here about 1 year.

[wildrice]

Apr 22, 2021 12:31:29 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

I think devising a purpose is important. Also, what's the view from the lower level? Is there a living room or something that looks into that space?

It's a walkout basement. Right now we just have an elliptical and TV in that room. It's not a huge space so I honestly I am not sure we'll really do much else with it. So, unless we're on our deck we won't really be viewing our backyard much.

[nicolewi]

Weed tree generally means a fast-growing but weak variety that's not really a "great" tree to have in your yard long-term, or maybe a tree growing in the wrong place so it never looks very strong.

I would 100% take that tree out, and put in some kind of pretty & desirable dwarf tree in a corner or something. It would just be so much better overall to have that tree out. It's too sprawly and spindly with multiple trunks right along your fence.

Put in something evergreen for screening that grows fairly quickly. Again, here (zone 5) a lot of people use arborvitae. I would be better for screening and less problematic over time.

[ssmjlm]

I would take out the tree and put in some slim hedge style plants. Something like a pencil holly or maybe a slim evergreen along the back wall.

[wildrice]

This is what the yard looks like from by the tree/fence. You can see the concrete pad in the pic so you get kind of an idea of the amount of space. The patio is not in great shape but not terrible enough that we are likely to replace it right away. It's made up of small red paver bricks. Obviously there is some work that could be done to make the house itself and that area look nicer too...



I'm not sure if this looks sideways (or why, if so) but you can see what it looks like to see the road if there are no leaves on the tree. I'm torn about the tree. I agree it would be better for the yard not to have it, but I think it's better for the deck to keep it and hide the road! IDK.

[daisyduck]

Have you considered astro turf? I don't like maintaining landscaping, so I'd look into turf for the entire area that isn't under your deck. I would think that would look decent and have minimal maintenance, just sweeping it off from time to time. You could put a few chairs or a table on it or just leave it open.

[mrspez07]

I keep thinking of something that is as much a visual layout as a functional one, especially since you can see it so well from the upper deck, doing something that looks interesting from above would be fun.
Figure out the purpose (if you want one) and then figure out how much space each of those needs (bistro table, lounging area, herb/veggie garden, water feature, etc. if you don’t really want to use it, then you could do a zen type garden with a variety of materials and rock that is mostly to look at. Does that make sense?
Some quick ideas I found on a brief search:
cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/8-Contemporary-garden.jpg

www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/small-garden-ideas-design

[origami]

Apr 22, 2021 19:42:46 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

I keep thinking of something that is as much a visual layout as a functional one, especially since you can see it so well from the upper deck, doing something that looks interesting from above would be fun.
Figure out the purpose (if you want one) and then figure out how much space each of those needs (bistro table, lounging area, herb/veggie garden, water feature, etc. if you don’t really want to use it, then you could do a zen type garden with a variety of materials and rock that is mostly to look at. Does that make sense?
Some quick ideas I found on a brief search:
cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/8-Contemporary-garden.jpg

www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/small-garden-ideas-design

Ditto this. I love looking at Japanese-style gardens and they’d be great for shady, enclosed yards. I googled “japanese machiya garden” to get this, for example

www.kyoto-machiya-inn.com/wp-content/themes/kyotomachiya/img/index/slide2020/img07.jpg

Some have more rock or green space than others.

[sandandsea]

I would do a sidewalk from the patio to the gate and put fake grass on both sides of it with long but narrower taller planter boxes along the side and back fences with some simple plants. I would put a dining table on the brick patio if you’re keeping the brick. If you wanted to replace the brick, I would put in stamped concrete in the whole area and tie the sidewalk in with it. If you keep the brick, I’d fill in the other area under the deck with rock and a couple of Adirondack chairs as a conversation area and string lights over that area.

Or something like these photos with a seating area and rocks in the middle with a path around it and fake grass.

[maudefindlay]

I don't love a lot of what Young House Love creates, but have liked what they have done with small backyards at a previous house, the old beach house, and their duplex. I would hardscape it the same so it is uniform and not disjointed. That will make the space feel and look bigger. I'd do mulch and hostas around the edges.

[dr.girlfriend]

I would also check your zoning before you get too deep into it...in my area you can only cover a certain percentage of your lot with nonpermeable surface, so a lot of those hardscaping options would be disallowed.

[wildrice]

Apr 23, 2021 9:00:54 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

I would also check your zoning before you get too deep into it...in my area you can only cover a certain percentage of your lot with nonpermeable surface, so a lot of those hardscaping options would be disallowed.

Good point. Both our city and our HOA are pretty picky so I should look into this.

I think we could probably achieve a similar general look with pavers or gravel, though, so this all is helpful!

[numbers]

Love the examples maudefindlay posted.

I would take out the tree, line along the fence with plants, and lay pavers or flagstone over the remaining space.

I'd furnish with adirondack chairs and a firepit, and a container garden if you'd like.

[RockNVoll]

I would prefer more green in that space and would look into some of the artificial grass options (even Costco sells it now). Seems like a great solution for a smaller space--hopefully doesn't break the bank and no maintenance! Then I'd do beds around the edges and plant some taller evergreens to hide the fence (staining it would also make a huge difference), sprinkled with other perennials you like. I also like the idea of a small tree in one of the far corners--maybe a small Japanese maple or something.

Also love the Japanese garden style idea that origami posted.

[tacokick]

I’d do a moss yard with stepping stones We’ve debated doing this in our yard (we already have some mossy areas) but our yard is really big. www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes/moss-lawn/how-to-grow-a-moss-lawn.htm

I would not add a lot of impervious surfaces.

[simpsongal]

origami, I LOVE that! I have a little area outside my new bathroom window that I want to make a little space like that (but smaller and probably a little kitschy).

[origami]

Apr 23, 2021 13:35:23 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

origami, I LOVE that! I have a little area outside my new bathroom window that I want to make a little space like that (but smaller and probably a little kitschy).

They’re so peaceful to look at IMO. Hope you can pull it off!

I hired a landscape architect to turn my backyard into a larger version of that, but we don’t have the budget to pull it off. Hoping over time we can do something here and there.

[heygrey]

We’re working on our backyard currently, as well. I want a patio off our deck, but I dislike loose rock and for a variety of reasons (price and yard access, mostly) I don’t want to do paver stones. I found several similar products that you can pour over pea gravel. It makes the gravel stick together so it doesn’t shift, but is still a permeable surface so you don’t have to worry about rain. Klingstone is the one brand I can think of off hand. If you Google there are other similar products.