Creating an outdoor green space involves selecting the right location and designing it with a holistic approach that includes materials, design, biodiversity, and energy efficiency. Living walls, also known as vertical gardens or plant walls, are a great way to add visual interest to your home and blend interiors with verdant gardens and outdoor rooms.
Maintenance of a green space can be simple and stress-free. By incorporating practices outlined in this guide, you can commit to friendly outdoor living by creating a sustainable living outdoor area. A well-planned green space can help reduce your carbon footprint in various ways, such as providing shade for summer and providing insulation for winter.
When choosing outdoor furniture, consider using sustainable materials like bamboo, cotton, or sustainable woods. Choose easy-care greenery in and around your outdoor living space for a low-maintenance area. Design green walls for privacy and leave overhead space open to allow sunlight to enter.
When selecting native plants, mulch, start a compost bin, and use sustainable materials like reclaimed wood, bamboo, or recycled materials. Regular sweeping and cleaning are essential steps in maintaining a green outdoor living area.
Incorporating sustainable practices into your design plan can lead to a more eco-friendly and comfortable outdoor living experience. By choosing renewable, recycled, or upcycled materials, you can create a beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor living space that is both functional and environmentally friendly. HappySprout offers inspiration and tips for a more verdant lifestyle for city dwellers and suburban farmers alike.
📹 Elevate Your Outdoor Oasis: Mastering the Modern-Vintage Blend for Stunning Backyard Retreats
Discover the tips and tricks for effortlessly blending modern and vintage styles to create a captivating outdoor living space, …
How do you dress up a boring patio?
To transform a boring patio into a great outdoor space, consider adding outdoor entertainment such as fire features, water features, softscapes, vertical structures, and landscape lighting. These features can help you enjoy the outdoors while cheering on your favorite sports team, allowing you to spend more time outdoors and make the most of your landscape. By adding these elements, you can create a more enjoyable and functional outdoor space that will make your backyard dreams come true.
What is good for cleaning outside of house?
To clean vinyl siding, mix 70 water and 30 white vinegar to create a homemade cleaner. If your siding is dirty, add household bleach for mold-fighting power. Cover shrubs and flowers, and remove any obstructions. Spray siding with water and apply cleaner using a pump sprayer and soft bristle brush. Start from ground level to prevent streaking. Rinse away residue as you go.
Windows can become dirty due to pollen, dust, and debris. Rinse them with a garden hose to dislodge dirt and grime. Fill a bucket with clean water and liquid dish soap, dip a microfiber cloth or mop into the mixture, and scrub the entire surface. Remove stubborn stains by soaking them with cleaner and scrubbing with a gentle brush. Clean glass using a store-bought solution or create your own with a mixture of water, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol.
Remove screens and spray them with a vinegar-water solution and rinse with plain water. Dry them properly in a dust-free environment before re-installing. These tips can be applied to vinyl patio doors as well.
How to make a patio less dusty?
To clean your patio, start by clearing dirt, dust, and sweeping leaves. Wash stains from corners, gutters, and deck railings, and vacuum furniture to collect dust. For a durable cleaning, scrub and wash some areas. Mix half vinegar with half water to remove dirt from paving and plants and weeds. Scrub the patio with a brush or rag, then dry it. For stains from plants and weeds, use more vinegar than water. This simple solution can help maintain a clean and organized patio.
How to make your outdoor space feel cozy and more inviting?
Outdoor spaces can be maximized by having a variety of seating areas, such as a small bistro table with two chairs, to create comfortable and inviting spaces for entertaining, relaxation, reading, or journaling. Incorporating lighting, such as stringing lights or placing outdoor LED lanterns, can also create an inviting atmosphere. Greenery, such as succulents, is a great addition to create a cozy atmosphere.
Additional elements to limit the space and make it cozy include adding a rug area to distinguish between outdoor living space zones and providing a soft surface for feet. Wall art can also be used to add interest to the patio by painting or staining a boring fence and adding modern, nuanced wall hangings. This can create a cozy atmosphere that complements the indoor decor. Overall, creating a comfortable outdoor space is essential for enhancing the overall enjoyment and comfort of the outdoor space.
How can I make my house look beautiful from the outside?
Curb appeal can be enhanced by a few simple updates to your home’s exterior. Paint a bold front door, plant colorful pots, build a great fence, spray away grime, show off your home, wow with window boxes, design a pretty pathway, and grow the good vines. There’s no need for a “For Sale” sign in your yard to consider investing in projects to increase the curb appeal value of your home. Adding fresh accents like throw pillows for deck chairs or hanging plants can offer a significant bang for your buck and provide a thrill every time you pull into the driveway.
Repainting is not a significant financial investment and is relatively easy to do. For a more conservative approach, choose a historic color typical for the area or neighborhood, such as an almost-black Charleston green or a soft coastal blue. Going bold is fun too, with yellow with a gold or mustard tone being a popular choice. A raspberry shade on a white house is also a favorite color.
How can I make my outdoor space look nice?
Interior designer Tori Rubinson suggests filling planters with low-maintenance plants, succulents, or herbs to refresh outdoor spaces. She also suggests upgrading an outdoor rug, mixing and matching dining chairs, creating a canopy bed, creating a conversation space, stringing up lights, setting the table, using artificial grass between paving, painting the patio, and installing artificial grass between paving. Designer Lauren Shaver creates a “block print” design for a simple rug, while designer Mary Patton adds color to a wooden dining table with two bright yellow wrought iron chairs.
How to make a patio look inviting?
To create an inviting outdoor space, focus on various aspects such as lighting, furniture, foot traffic, and storage options. By planning your outdoor space, you can extend your living space and create a comfortable atmosphere for family and guests to enjoy your deck, patio, or porch. Measure your outdoor space before shopping and consider where your foot traffic is coming and going. Place your outdoor furniture groups around this area, ensuring that the furniture is sized correctly and looks good.
For example, allow about 3 feet of space for safe passage, 2 feet around furniture, and 1. 5 feet between ottomans and chairs or tables and sofas. This will ensure that everyone can move safely and comfortably in areas where they will be moving, serving food, or dining.
How do I spruce up my living space?
This article provides a list of easy living room updates that can be done without a complete style overhaul. The tips include incorporating a coffee table, storing clutter, updating artwork, rolling out a rug, rearranging furniture, slipcovering a sofa, punching up throw pillows, and organizing bookshelves. The coffee table can be a focal point, and the accessories can be a mix of favorite books, flowers, and travel mementos. Organizing bookshelves can also be a great way to keep things organized.
In a color-coordinated room, two bookcases can be filled with office supplies, documents, and magazines, while large baskets or boxes can be used to conceal papers and magazines. By following these simple steps, you can create a cohesive look in your living room without breaking the bank.
How to spruce up your backyard?
This comprehensive guide provides detailed instructions for transforming a backyard on a budget. It covers a range of backyard enhancements, including the construction of a deck or patio, the installation of an outdoor rug, the creation of a stone path, the building of a tree bench, and the use of a fountain.
📹 Small Landscape Design Ideas (10 Secrets)
10 Secrets in Small Landscape Design In Today’s video we’re going to talk about 10 Secrets in Small Landscape Design We …
I’m just in the middle of designing a patio kitchen/bar for a client, so this was timely and inspiring. Great ideas. I think the privacy is a key element. In urban settings, privacy is the one thing we lack. Any time I can design to add more privacy, that’s always good. All the other stuff is great, but without privacy, who wants to be out there? Just my thoughts.
10 things to consider. For more details watch the article, for those like me who want a list to reference here you go. 1) Create a destination 2) Cover-shade etc 3) Privacy-fence or planting 4) Water Feature 5) Fire-I’m adding lighting 6) Bar 7) Garden spaces for greenery and color 8) Built-in seating 9) Focal feature landscape-a cool plant etc to draw you in. 10) Sunken Areas.
Really inspirational ideas. Thanks for providing some unattached cover ideas like at 2:20 in the cover section of this article. So many people want a small covered area but don’t want to mess with permitting and the time it takes to get permits as well as the expense of them. It is also perfect for a small backyard like most homes have nowadays.
I liked the living wall, and a couple of the water features, also the jasmine in the frames, unusual and I am going to do it in the side of my house by the porch. Loved that idea. I can’t actually have fire or water features unless very small, but love the sunken water feature at the end with the pink, purple lights. Very nice.
They are great ideas, the word budget comes into mine. Our kids are grown now and gone. We are just able to improve on our out door living and home inside. We purchase our back in 2006 not really doing anything cause our children were in college. We are close in by ten to fifteen years of retirements. I don’t think we will be fortunate to be family for picked out of millions for yard redo like you see on TV. But it would help. Beautiful ideas will definitely keep article for great ideas for future…. Thank you
These are all good options but I wanna circle back to the water features. Good examples but most shown were quite expensive depending on the clients. A very easy and inexpensive option would be to create patio ponds or potted ponds. Here you can create pond ecosystems with plants and fish and still retain that white water noise. Patio ponds also look great side by side to other potted plants.
I love all of these ideas. Especially the comment on having the outdoors lure you from the inside view. I currently have a fire pit, 2 covered spaces (and a third in planning stage), multiple seating areas and garden bed. However, things are looking a bit tired, disjointed and I’m trying to stay with a rustic theme. I would like to incorporate a water feature and am looking to use some privacy screening ideas shown here to take the place of a large yucca tree that was recently removed.
Although I’m not always comfortable on barstools (I think they are built with tall people in mind), I do think the ideas of putting the bar on the back of the table height seating and the standing bar tables around columns were great space utilizing ideas. Love those pivoting stools on that railing bar too. Last example with the sunken area using a slope was so cozy looking and cool.
Great article! I have new construction next to me close to the property line. In one spot I am planning a pergola that will be slatted in the back like the one you’ve shown. The roof will be pitched also to hide the neighbor’s towering roofline. It’s such a perfect focal point AND usable space! Thanks for all the great ideas as usual 😉
I’ve been using your articles to do a preliminary design for my space that I can send to you, but would like to see some of your enclosure ideas in a few articles. I’m especially interested in curtains, open and close panels, etc. It would be great to be able to close a spa e for private y and to keep out the weather.
Every design shown here are fantastic, I guess depending of need, budget and space available the design takes place. Destination, in my opinion, makes it interesting and frequently used. If I have to choose one feature would be the use of screens for privacy and to add interest. Also, creates different areas and opportunity. Thanks!
Great article with lots of creative ideas. I just renovated my backyard and I can happily report that I have many of these features checked off the list. But I am excited to figure out a focal point for a piece of art behind a bench which is against the horizontal pressure treated lumber fencing. I am looking for an art piece that includes a mosaic type design using colourful porcelain or old pottery pieces framed out into a rectangle that could be mounted to the wall above the bench. Thanks for all the other ideas as well. Loved the small bar area ideas.
Idea for you: Landscaping for retired persons. Raised garden beds, no tripping hazards, entire backyard is one level, cement paths instead of stepping stones. Seating that is easy to get out of, chairs have arm rests to help push themselves out of a sitting position etc. low maintenance like drip irrigation, perennials.
Very creative good suggestions on how to think about creating outdoor space. I’m going to take issue, however, with the fire pit idea. Burning yet more fossil fuels is opposite of what we need in our air right now. This year, all summer, we have air-environment-health alerts. Why add to that unnecessarily? But also, my neighbors have a fire pit. They love to sit outside in the evening, when things finally begin to cool off (i.e., I can finally open MY windows to let some cool fresh air in) and their smoke and burning particulate comes right into my home. I have to close all my doors and windows if I don’t want to gag and choke from their smoke. It’s horrible!! They’re drinking margaritas and laughing and having a good time and I’m choking. So please dispense with the fire pit idea. And please – again – think of your neighbors with some consideration.
I love all the use of wood for privacy walls, seating, tables, decks, ALL gorgeous! The fire feature adds a lot. I agree with lighting, that’s always important. Never thought of a visual of the outdoor space thru a window to invite you out! Great idea😊. I agree with the comfy outdoor destination also. Without that, why go out? 😁
I like the designs very much. Clearly awesome for warmer and drier climate and American size gardens. Georgeous. I love the vertical gardens. But Dutch weather and climate makes a lot of these ideas not usefull, like an outdoor livingroom with tv?! Also, Dutch average gardens are waaaay smaller then this. At least, mine is.
I guess I would have to say the different accent walls and fences. The added different focal points to the space. You mentioned bars. I like the idea but how about adding a few barrels as tables? My patio is all stone but I thought they would make a nice place to stand on the outside wall of the patio.
Great ideas, but I strongly suggest avoiding bamboo. It’s roots run deep and wide, and you really have to build hard root barriers to avoid it spreading EVERYWHERE. It will break through any type of soft barrier. Also, have fun cleaning up all the dead bamboo leaves. Yes, it’s a plant and drops leaves like any other plant. however if you are setting up a big privacy wall of bamboo, prepare for a lot of maintenance.
Overall, I understand the 10 points. I don’t necessarily agree with the sunken garden idea, as being top 10–too risky for many places that get rain & thawing. Clearly all of these spaces were designed for warner & dryer climates. Any examples of spaces from the land of the ice & snow? Wisconsin? Minnesota? Da U.P.? Where it gets -30 degrees? Or rains about every week? Remember, we like to grill all year round… with charcoal… In the snow. Also, what does one of those outdoor refrigerators do when it gets below zero outside? I mean, besides keep your beer/wine from freezing. What do you do with your water feature in the below zero weather? How do you keep the heavy frost from heaving all of the surface structures you have, like pavers & and little concrete boxes? So many questions… 🤔
Liked the last tip on a sunken space. My new home has about a three foot downward slope 40 feet from the house where my original plan was to have a 12×16 patio poured and to install my same size two roof metal gazebo. Now I’m thinking a walkway and landscaping with lighting might be a better transition.
Oh my goodness — what NOT to like?! I will need to watch this several times. I loved seeing the different water features (and hearing them) and the ideas regarding shade or rain cover for a pergola. We’re going to have a bar and use your idea of having a “see through” bar so you can through to the backyard. I also love the various ideas using the planter boxes. I’m working on a new design and haven’t figured out where the herbs can go. Bravo to you!
My favorite part was the fire pit ideas. My yard is so small. I’m surrounded by neighbors on all 3 sides. My yard is 17 long and 35 ft deep. You should see the before photos. The yard was covered in 2 weedy raised garden beds, 5 very overgrown hydrangeas, 3 azaleas and unruly tiger lillies whose roots were entangled with weed block and gravel rocks the previous owners laid down to combat weeds, which didn’t work. At all. I hired landscapers to tear them all out and grade the yard because water pooled around in the middle of the yard when it poured. (Landlocked by neighbors who have the same problem). Unfortunately they could only grade to a certain point because the neighbor behind us has a HUGE tree that butts right against our fence and the roots go right into our yard. It still puddles but not as bad. I have an old 12×12 patio from the previous owners that I intend to powerwash and then add a patio table. We just installed a 7×7 shed so we actually have a place to store the manual push mower (thats how small the grass space is), weed wacker, etc. Next summer I want to install a firepit area a couple feet away from the patio using crushed oyster shells.
Probably the most helpful landscaping article on YouTube. If you have a place where a fire is not possible I have a solution. Solar lights that mimic fire. I got some from Amazon that are amazing. I could crowd them together for a party with a little ring of stones around them. ALSo it’s stinking hot on so Cal.
Loved these ideas for small spaces. I liked the courtyard because it’s the closest to my situation. I’m buying a small semi-detached house but it’s a new build so the backyard has no fence or trees, just grass and it’s narrow. It’s hard to know where to start when it’s a blank slate or what shrubs/trees/plants to start with to quickly grow some privacy, relatively speaking.
We had one of these covered spaces built with giant television (LOL) by the former American owners here in Nederland. After buying the property it took us over two months to tear away all the concrete, large boulders and wood and bring back the garden’s full glory. Today, it is again a normal beautiful lush flower and vegetable garden, all thanks to a talented landscaper, our garden is now the envy of the neighbourhood. I notice that Americans dont like gardens, they just want another outdoor living room with a few shrubs around (even plastic ones).
Thank you for this article, I liked the built in seating idea. We are looking to have a pergola with framed bamboo walls for a small space here in the UK. Loved the built in seating which should work great for our decked out pergola and framed bamboo walls. Have you guys done any framed bamboo designs?
Interesting concepts. I am looking for small outdoor patio designs for my condo/townhome. The problem I have is I can’t put a cover (although I’m thinking an umbrella) . No divider walls, poles, anything permanent. I am allowed to lay pavers. I also have an area on the side of my condo where I could lay maybe mulch and natural type pavers or rocks to perhaps slightly expand the space but I can’t lay a patio there. Do you have a article on townhouse type landscaping?
I loved the built In seating area I also love water features but I just can’t afford one. I also loved the coverage over the seating as you just never know when it’s going to rain here in the north of the UK. Lots of great designed areas I loved it all. Thank you for your guidance it’s really appreciated xx🤝🌹🌈💎💡💡💡🌟💫🥂🍾🦋🐝🐞🦋🐌🌴🌳☘️🍀🪵🌵🪴🎍🍁🍂🌹🌷💐🌾🪨🌻🌼🌼🌸🌕🌗🌘🌘🌘🌎🌙🌔🌔🪐🌏⭐️✨✨⚡️💥☄️🔥🔥🍇🥖
10 things to consider. For more details watch the article, for those like mlt-in seating 9) Focal feature landscape-a cool plant etc to draw you in. 10) Sunken Areas.e who want a list to reference here you go. 1) Create a destination 2) Cover-shade etc 3) Privacy-fence or planting 4) Water Feature 5) Fire-I’m adding lighting 6) Bar 7) Garden spaces for greenery and color 8) Bui
“Secrets” for tricking wannabe spies? My first advice would be: keep indoor what belongs indoor! Hard ground/carpet, furniture, appliances. TV outside? Really out of place, poor neighbors! A destination: yes, fresh air, nature, plants, flowers, shrubs, trees! In a small courtyard, use vertical plants: tall shrubs, trees, climbers, green walls. Keep things mobile: light garden furniture, BBQ, fire bowl. Have a small, but purposeful lawn, that easily recovers after usage, needs no cleaning or washing. Easiest is weekly mowing, leaving the grass clippings. Hardscape only if lawn really doesn’t work, then leave irregular cracks and seams for some small vegetation. Fire is a hostile, destructive element to the garden (or even house), so limit it to BBQ, torches, candles, fire bowl, use only ocassionally.
Hi! Well!😮! Fabulous marketing ‘Vid’! I jus swooned over the Spaces; albeit, I would love one of these ‘small’ spaces……however, I can only surmise at the expense~& why do all Gardening Landscaping Businesses never mention ‘Average’ cost for any idea….. Infuriating. I digress …..Living in England ‘small’ actually means ‘minute’😒!! I am planning my minute(😏)space & have a headache already! I’ve learnt to prioritise my needs initially, rather than wants, then sneak in a few wants after! I’ll return to my meagre Budget & planning or I’ll never get it done… Oh! Well, I’ve waited 34yrs to get it done…… So, no rush really;except, by the time I do get it done~ I’ll be too old to enjoy it!!!🤣 Seriously, I did love your ‘Vid’. Keep ‘digging’! Thanks😉. Rosie 🦓 (Stay🦋safe, Family, Friends & Loved ones)
I’ve noticed your articles talk a lot about small yards. etc.. or 1/4 acre size .. I”d like to see a article done of your Large properties.. ( 1 acre+ ) things have to be spread out so far.. a bit more of a challenge I think? albeit i’m trying to add everything ( except a pool) .. Hottub horseshoes, putting green, sunken sitting area with firepit .. greenhouse, pergolas, outdoor kitchen, bar, eating area, etc. etc. absolutely love your articles !!!
I look at those backyards all bunched up against their neighbors’ backyards, and I either imagine sitting in the backyard shown and hearing a maniacally barking dog in one of the others, or sitting in one of the other backyards (on my modest little lounge chair on the grass) putting on my sound cancelling headphones to keep out the loud partying sounds coming from the backyard that is shown. Moral: Conventional suburban living is not compatible with “outdoor living.” Solution: Forget the backyard and even front yard idea and build houses all the way out to the property line. Then, IN THE CENTER, put your open space. Your outdoor party or dog won’t disturb your neighbors and their parties and dogs won’t disturb you.
As an American now living in the Netherlands, I realise how much I’ve acclimated…these “small” spaces look huge! I’d love to have that “little” space to work with haha! Also, the extensive use of the faux hand stacked stones/brick facades on everything is overdone here, in my book. It was played a decade ago, and seems the default for suburban buildouts still…
We had a property with bamboo. It was great, but it is invasive and will grow under your fence into your neighbor’s yard. They may not want bamboo. It needs to be trimmed or it will grow over your roof. And keep in mind to remove it is nearly impossible. Just a heads up. That said, it is very nice to hear it swaying in the wind and make a nice privacy wall.
I love all of this article but utilizing pillars and columns to add bistro style seating for bar space is brilliant. I never thought of looking at things as a destination but it really makes sense that way. Saving this article since it’s just loaded with excellent information and ideas. I would do a fire feature over water to conserve water unless it’s utilized into the ecosystem for wildlife.
Love these…but…also know from experience that water attracts frogs and mosquitoes and mildew. A lot of constant care….wind tears it apart. Lately…wind so bad my swing which is new has been beaten to death by the wind and the cushions have been indoors to avoid mildew. Yes…the birds love tp poop and bathe. Yuk
In real life, there are these little problems like drought, fire and flooding. Outdoor fire seems like at least bad feng shui these days in the western states, and I can’t believe you put one of them in a wooden box. The water wall would need to be watered twice a day in hot climates, and so much of the country is on water conservation measures in most summers. And that pit would catch runoff, would need a drain if there’s a lower place for it to drain to. And bamboo in a tight little box … have you ever had bamboo before? Even clumping bamboo turns into a giant mess.
AWARENESS 101 ! Unquestionably, folks should be able to recognize – (as touched on briefly) almost ALL of the better projects are have very up scale budgets. But, most importantly, they are typically designed by very skilled architects, landscape architects, and, in some unique cases, by very unique carpenters, etc. All should be able to show and demonstrate higher skills b/c they will (logically) cost more – either within the design/build format or consulting. N B Landscape Architect Hampstead, N.C.
There were so many moments during this article that I fell in love. So many great ideas. Ideas I never even thought of. Such as the sunk in design. Genius. Unusable space has now been turned into an Oasis. Kudos to you guys, you have stirred up something in me, or better yet. Something in my Boyfriend, because he sent me the article. Can I safely say, I see a well, wanted project in my near future? Yippee!!🎉 Thank You Guys for Igniting a SPARK inside of him. 🕯
This article offers a lot of lovely and practical ideas. Calling this “Small Landscaping” though, with the visuals it offers might be construed as a bit insulting though to people who are dealing with a tiny space (think of a patio or balcony, 5’ x 7’, 12’ x 15’, etc.) when the spaces in this article are generally SO much larger. Conversely, people who see that some of the visuals here appear to be a quarter of an acre (or much more!) and consider that “large” areas to landscape (particularly in MOST suburban neighborhoods across the many countries). Here they see you refer to them as “small” and it could sound snobbish or patronizing. It would be better to frame this article as “ideas that work IN smaller AND larger” landscaped designs. Then everyone is happy and no one feels slighted.
For the love of the environment and not pissing off your neighbors, DO NOT PLANT BAMBOO IN THE GROUND! I have been fighting bamboo for the past decade. I ended up hard scaping my entire backyard (rock, rubber mulch, and deck) to try to stop it, and it still finds ways to encroach. The next door neighbor to my south has done the same thing, and the poor renter to my north is now experiencing the same issues. Bamboo wrecks the soil, crowds out native plants and is near impossible to get rid of. If you want bamboo, keep it in a pot where the roots can’t spread to the ground. Do not be responsible for introducing an invasive species.