Top Picks for Mini Backyards: Compact, Stunning Plant Species that Radically Revamp Miniscule Outdoor Spaces
In the quest for a beautifully adorned small backyard, maintaining a balance between aesthetics and space can be a challenge. However, a selection of plants that offer long-lasting beauty without overtaking the area is within reach. Here are some options suitable for various USDA hardiness zones:
1. **Spirea** - This low-maintenance flowering shrub provides vibrant blooms in late spring and early summer, attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Spirea thrives in USDA zones 3 to 8, growing well in full sun to part sun, making it ideal for small spaces.
2. **Creeping Thyme** - This fragrant groundcover is easy to care for and prefers full sun. It produces tiny blossoms in late spring that attract pollinators. Creeping thyme thrives in USDA zones 4 to 9, and its low-growing nature makes it perfect for small areas with limited maintenance.
3. **Catmint (Cats Pajamas Variety)** - Known for its vivid purple flowers and upright growth habit, this compact variety of catmint blooms from early spring through the summer. It is suitable for zones 3 to 8 and remains compact (12 to 14 inches high), preventing it from overtaking the space.
4. **Verbena (Superbena Varieties)** - Verbena is a flowering plant that blooms throughout the summer and comes in various colors like pink and white. It is easy to care for and has a spread of 12 to 30 inches and remains relatively low (6 to 12 inches high), making it suitable for small areas.
In addition to these, **Ornamental grasses** such as Carex and Sporobolus heterolepis provide year-round color, without big blousy blooms, and require little maintenance, making them suitable for small backyards. Tickseed, native to North, South, and Central America, is another popular option for prairie gardens, suitable for beds, borders, and pots.
Landscape designer Laura finds Tickseed cheerful and long-blooming, suitable for both perennial and annual growth. Catmint, with its lavender-blue flowers from late spring into fall, pairs effortlessly with grasses, roses, or perennials and is bee-friendly and drought-tolerant. A hybrid called Catmint 'Walker's Low' offers a more compact, clumping, and colorful appearance than Catnip, without the aggressive growth.
Lastly, **Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)** is a tough urban tree that can be grown as a shrub or small tree, suitable for small backyards in USDA hardiness zones 4-9. It boasts delicate white spring blossoms, edible summer berries, and gorgeous fall color, while supporting pollinators and playing well with underplantings.
These plants not only bring beauty and life to small backyards but also contribute to a thriving ecosystem, making them a worthwhile addition to any garden.
- For a home-and-garden lifestyle that values aesthetics and space in a small backyard, the use of landscape designs incorporating plants like Spirea, Creeping Thyme, Catmint, Verbena, Ornamental grasses, and Tickseed is advisable.
- Incorporating Ornamental grasses such as Carex and Sporobolus heterolepis, Tickseed, and Catmint in your gardening ideas can provide your landscape with year-round color, pollinator support, and minimal maintenance requirements.
- By choosing garden ideas like Ornamental grasses, Tickseed, and Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) for your flower beds, you can enhance the beauty of your small backyard while contributing positively to the local ecosystem.
