Small Backyard Ideas: 6 Layouts and 30 Styles for One Ordinary Yard

Most lists of small backyard ideas show you 25 beautiful yards that belong to someone else. You can't tell how big they are, what they cost, or whether any of it would fit behind your house.

So we did something different. We took one ordinary yard, the kind you see behind a lot of suburban houses, and redesigned it six ways from the same photo. Same house, same back door, same fence and gate. Only the yard changes.

Here's where it started:

Before you pick an idea: three things to decide#

The best small backyard ideas start with what you want the yard to do, not with a style.

1. Measure it. Length, width, and where the doors, gates, AC unit and hose bib are. Sketch it on paper. A 20 × 25 foot yard and a 30 × 40 foot yard need very different plans.
2. Watch the sun for a day. Note which corners get full sun (six hours or more) and which stay in shade. This decides your plants more than any style does.
3. Pick one or two jobs. Eating outside, a fire on cool evenings, a vegetable bed, somewhere for kids or a dog, or a low-upkeep space you just look at. In a small yard, trying to fit all of them is how it ends up feeling cramped.

Keep one clear path from the back door to wherever you'll spend the most time. If you have to squeeze past a chair to get there, the layout is working against you.

Six small backyard ideas, one yard#

Each design below lists the space it needs, what it takes to build, upkeep, cost, plants to check and the climates it suits.

Cost guide: $ is mostly plants, gravel and DIY. $$ adds some paving, structures or furniture. $$$ means bigger builds like decks, pergolas, tile or a kitchen.

1. Deck, pergola and fire pit: for people who'll use it every evening#

This one splits the yard into two zones: a low deck right outside the door for meals, and a round patio a few steps out for the fire pit. The pergola gives the deck some shade and somewhere to hang string lights. A raised bed runs along one fence, a swing set stands by the other, and a paver path ties it all together.

• Space it needs: a deck around 10 × 12 feet for a table for four, plus a circle about 12 to 14 feet across for a fire pit and four chairs.
• What it takes: the most building of the six. A deck and pergola usually mean a contractor, and possibly a permit.
• Upkeep: medium. You'll still mow a lawn and clean the deck once a year.
• Plants to check for your zone: vegetables in the raised bed need about 6 to 8 hours of sun, and young shade trees should suit your zone and stay small at maturity.
• Cost: $$$. The deck, pergola and paver patio are the big costs; the planting is cheap.
• Climate: any. Composite decking copes with wet winters better than untreated wood, and check local fire pit rules if you live somewhere dry or windy.
• Best for: families, and anyone who wants the yard to feel like another room.

This is close to the design my wife and I chose for the backyard I grew up in.

2. Cottage garden: for people who like being in the garden#

A curved lawn in the middle, deep flower borders along both fences, and a flagstone path curving from the back door, with a bench and a small table by the house. The curve does a lot of work here: it hides the fact that the yard is a rectangle, and the borders soften the fence.

• Space it needs: borders about 3 to 4 feet deep along the fence, a path around 2 feet wide, and a 6 × 6 foot spot for a bistro set.
• What it takes: mostly planting and a path. A good DIY project.
• Upkeep: higher than the rest. Deadheading, dividing and weeding through the season.
• Plants to check for your zone: lavender, roses, foxglove, catmint and climbing roses on the fence. English lavender generally grows in about zones 5 to 9.
• Cost: $–$$. Mostly plants and a flagstone path, so you can build it up over a few seasons.
• Climate: best with mild summers and some rain. Lavender wants sun and well-drained soil, and many cottage flowers struggle in hot, humid summers or very dry ones.
• Best for: gardeners. If you don't enjoy weeding, skip this one.

3. Modern minimalist: for people who want it clean and simple#

Large pavers cover most of the yard, a built-in bench runs along one fence, and a slim fire feature sits in the paving. Tall grasses in steel planters add height without taking floor space, and a strip of lawn keeps it from feeling hard.

• Space it needs: works in the smallest yards, because a built-in bench needs no room for chairs to pull out.
• What it takes: paving and the built-in bench are the big jobs. The planting is simple.
• Upkeep: low. Sweep the pavers and cut the grasses back once a year.
• Plants to check for your zone: 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass (about 4 to 5 feet tall, zones 4 to 9) and compact boxwood.
• Cost: $$$. Large porcelain pavers, a built-in bench and a fire feature all add up; the planting is simple.
• Climate: any. In cold areas choose frost-rated pavers, and note that corten steel can leave rust stains on pale paving while it weathers.
• Best for: busy people who want an outdoor room, not a garden.

4. Xeriscape: for dry climates and people who never want to mow again#

No lawn at all. Gravel and decomposed granite replace the grass, and drought-tolerant plants sit in drifts between a few boulders. A pair of lounge chairs by the house is all the furniture it needs.

• Space it needs: any size. Paths of decomposed granite can be as narrow as 2 feet.
• What it takes: removing the lawn is the biggest job. After that it's gravel, rocks and planting.
• Upkeep: the lowest of the six once the plants are established. No mowing, and little watering in the right climate.
• Plants to check for your zone: agave, red yucca, blue fescue and desert willow. Many agaves only survive in warmer zones, so check the plant tag before you buy.
• Cost: $–$$. Gravel and drought-tolerant plants usually cost less than paving, and you'll save on water and mowing afterwards.
• Climate: hot, dry climates are ideal. In wetter or colder places, pick plants that can handle winter wet, and expect fewer of the desert plants to survive.
• Best for: hot, dry places, and anyone who's done with lawns.

5. Japanese-inspired: for a quiet yard you mostly look at#

Raked gravel, stepping stones and a few carefully placed plants: a Japanese maple, a cloud-pruned pine and low mounds of green. A bamboo screen covers part of the fence, and a line of stepping stones leads from the back door through the gravel.

• Space it needs: this style suits small yards, because it relies on a few plants rather than lots of them.
• What it takes: gravel, stone and a handful of good plants. The stepping stones need to be set level.
• Upkeep: low to medium. The gravel needs raking now and then, and pruned pines need regular shaping.
• Plants to check for your zone: Japanese maple (roughly zones 5 to 8) and compact evergreens.
• Cost: $$. Gravel and stone are affordable, but a well-shaped Japanese maple or pine can be one of the priciest plants you buy.
• Climate: most temperate climates. In hot regions, give Japanese maples some afternoon shade so the leaves don't scorch.
• Best for: a yard you view from inside as much as use.

6. Mediterranean: for long dinners outside#

A vine-covered pergola over a long dining table sits right by the house, with gravel underfoot. Olive and citrus trees in terracotta pots add the Mediterranean feel, with rosemary and lavender along the fences.

• Space it needs: about 10 × 10 feet for a table for four under the pergola, more for six.
• What it takes: a pergola, gravel and a few large pots.
• Upkeep: low to medium. Vines need training, and potted trees need watering.
• Plants to check for your zone: olive trees and citrus only stay outside year-round in warm zones. In colder areas, keep them in pots you can move indoors for winter.
• Cost: $$. A pergola and a few large pots are the main costs; gravel keeps the ground cheap.
• Climate: warm, dry summers suit it best. Rosemary and lavender need good drainage, and in cold areas the potted trees spend winter indoors.
• Best for: people who want to eat outside more than anything else.

30 more small backyard styles you can try#

These 30 are more directions that work well in small yards, grouped by what your yard needs most. Every one was rendered from the same photo of the same yard as the six above, so you can compare them side by side. Each card tells you what defines the style, how to make it work in a small space, what you'll need, and how much care it asks for. Tap any image to see it larger.

Cost guide (same as above): $ is mostly plants, gravel and DIY. $$ adds some paving, structures or furniture. $$$ means bigger builds like decks, tile or a kitchen.

For shady yards#

For kids and dogs#

For privacy#

For hot, dry yards#

For growing food#

For eating and hosting#

For a calm yard#

For a bold look#

For a small budget#

How much space things take in a small backyard#

These are rough rules of thumb. Measure your own furniture before you commit to a layout.

Ten ways to make a small backyard look bigger#

1. Use one paving material. Mixing three kinds of stone chops a small yard into pieces.
2. Put something interesting at the far end. A tree, a bench or a light pulls your eye across the whole yard.
3. Curve the lawn or the path. A curve hides the corners and makes the space feel less like a box.
4. Repeat a few plants. Three to five kinds, repeated, look calmer than twenty different ones.
5. Grow up, not out. Climbers on the fence, a trellis, or narrow upright plants like 'Sky Pencil' holly add green without taking floor space.
6. Choose furniture you can see through. Slim metal or slatted chairs feel lighter than chunky ones.
7. Build seating into the edges. A bench along the fence leaves the middle open.
8. Hide the clutter. Bins, hoses and toys behind a screen or in a storage bench make a bigger difference than you'd think.
9. Light the back of the yard. At night, a lit fence or tree makes the space feel deeper.
10. Leave some empty space. A small yard with nothing in the middle feels bigger than one with something everywhere.

Simple, low-cost ideas for a small yard#

If the budget is tight, these usually cost the least for the change they make:

• Gravel or mulch instead of patchy lawn. It's often cheaper than paving and fixes bare dirt fast.
• Paint or stain the fence. It's the biggest surface in a small yard.
• Plants in large pots. You can move them, and take them with you if you move.
• String lights. They change how the yard feels at night more than almost anything else.
• A raised bed you build yourself. A weekend project that gives the yard a purpose.

Decks, pergolas and large areas of paving usually cost the most. If you want one of those, it's worth seeing the design first so you only build it once.

Check these before you build#

• HOA rules, if you have an HOA. Many limit fence height, materials and structures.
• Permits. Decks, pergolas and some fences can need one. Rules vary by city, so check with your local building department.
• Underground lines. In the US, call 811 before you dig. It's free, and they'll mark buried utility lines.
• Fire pit rules. Many cities and HOAs set how far a fire pit must sit from the house and fence, or whether wood fires are allowed at all.
• Drainage. Notice where water collects after rain. Don't put a patio or bed there without a plan for where the water will go.
• Your plants' hardiness zone. Look up your zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and check every plant tag against it.

Questions people ask#

See these ideas on your own yard#

Every design in this post started from one photo of one yard. If you'd like to see what your yard would look like as a cottage garden, a xeriscape or anything in between, YardPreview does the same with a photo of yours. You can also read why I built it.