8 Splendid Side Yard Designs

Welcome to the unsung hero of the national landscape: the side lawn. Some of us close our eyes while hurrying through that narrow space, only to get from point A ( front lawn) to point B (the backyard). It is often a dark, weedy place squeezed between the garage and the fence. What is there to love?

However, for many garden owners, space will always be at a premium. And rather than working with the side yard to stash your recycling bin and garbage can from sight, why not turn that slender location into a lush, quiet backyard?

After all, many of us have not just one, but two side lawns.

The secret to having a great side yard would be to design and accessorize it much like you’d decorate the upstairs hall in your house. Those walls need art! That flooring wants a carpet! Perhaps there’s even just a little market or a transition space that could accommodate a little item of furniture. There’s plenty of possible down that long, narrow space. So stop cringing, and reimagine the side lawn as a special place you can’t wait to navigate.

Below are some suggestions to inspire your lanky side garden layout.

Shirley Bovshow

Masterfully executed by designer Shirley Bovshow, this once-ordinary side lawn is now a lush place where the homeowner could roam with a morning mug of green tea.

What makes this space unique: The vine-clad arbor creates a welcoming door. The stepping stones are nicely spaced, so individuals can even walk in bare toes. The blossom plantings have a unified, green palette to soothe the eyes and there’s even fragrant lavender, to discharge its odor when ankles brush.

RDM Architecture

According to the architect, this sun-dappled side garden was created to complement a new master bedroom addition. Yes, it’s a side lawn, but this space is also a private garden to be seen from inside. The leafy tree blossom adds a sense of intimacy. The curved rock route is edged by soft color plants and annuals — demonstrating that you need just a few feet of room to create a garden. And the copper birdbath placed at the foot of a mature shade tree is an inspired addition. Even winged creatures will want to see this aspect garden.

Frank & Grossman Landscape Contractors, Inc..

Straight, narrow and wedged between a retaining wall along with the house, this side lawn might easily feel claustrophobic. On the contrary, it offers the feeling of walking through a calm, wooded bosk. If you plant trees in negative yards, select dwarf, columnar or slow-growing varieties that’ll be happy with the restricted growing conditions.

In this walkway, a fluffy floor cover knits together the flagstones, and the overall effect suggests a beautifully patterned carpeting.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Less is more in this utilitarian walk across the outside of a house clad in corrugated metal siding. The route is paved in easy-care decomposed granite, which makes it effortless to navigate. The plantings are raised to eye level, thanks to its minimal timber retaining wall. Bamboo is a good alternative because its roots are contained. Plus, it’s a simple plant to maintain hedge clippers.

Stewart Land Designs

Attractive and permeable, this stunning walkway is easily wide enough for 2 to traverse side by side. I like the care with this route has been designed and installed. It feels particular, with all the cut-stone edging doubling as a way to include the planting beds on both sides. The rock palette complements the brick home and creates an interesting circuit for anyone walking through this backyard. Pay attention to this copper lighting, strategically placed to make this a safe place for anyone walking after dark.

Haddonstone Ltd

Over the top, yes. But that’s the interesting thing about designing a garden. You’ve got the element of surprise in your favor. I doubt many of us would think about placing two enormous pedestal urns along a walkway, then planting them with tropicals and palms that spill over the rim. The therapy works here, allowing the programmer to feature plants that would otherwise block the path if used at ground level. Instead, seasonal begonias and compact floor covers decorate the base of each urn.

Colors Of Green Landscape Architecture

Some people today hang tapestries in their hallway walls. And some people today line their side backyard using a textural privacy screen that resembles a fabric tapestry. This narrow facet garden has a lot going for this: 1. The gravel walk is comprised with a slim metal edging on both sides, 2. The bamboo is densely planted, but preserved like a 3 and Dollar. Uplighting, subtle but effective, adds drama after dark.

Amelia B. Lima & Associates, INC..

If your narrow side garden is blah, here’s a planted wall that will motivate you to rethink that ugly fence or concrete block wall. There are lots of products, such as Woolly Pockets, available for creating a pocket-style planting system. And once you discover the right solution for your vertical space, you can immediately turn ordinary into extraordinary. Lush, tropical plants provide this facet garden a definite perspective. It is a showstopper!

More:
Turn a Wider Negative Yard Into a Gorgeous Garden Room

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