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Tiny Backyard Ideas: My Tiny Backyard & Garden Update

This post shares tiny backyard ideas using my own tiny backyard as a canvas! If you’re looking for DIY small backyard ideas, you’re in the right place. 🙂

Tiny Backyard Ideas

Hi there! I’ve been posting sporadically these days, I know…but rest assured, we are keeping as busy as ever with projects around the house. I wanted to pop in today to share an update on my tiny backyard (which you may remember me making over for the Spring 2018 One Room Challenge) and our garden.

We absolutely loved the space and have used it almost every single day. Don’t get me wrong. But as with most makeovers done on a tighter timeline, we made some decisions that we weren’t entirely happy with.

What it looked like before

Just for the fun of it, here’s what the space looked like before the One Room Challenge:

tiny townhome backyard
HVAC unit in a tiny townhome backyard

Y I K E S.

Here’s what it looked like when we finished the space in April. The plants look sooo tiny.

tiny backyard decor ideas
tiny backyard with a deck and plants
potted vegetables in a tiny backyard
patio in a small townhouse backyard

And here’s a recap of what we’ve done to get it where it is now.

Deck Space Changes & Ideas for Small Back Decks

For example, we decided to move the modern outdoor dining table build and benches up to the second-story deck by the kitchen and put more lounge-like furniture in this patio space.

We got a discontinued loveseat and two matching chairs from Target, and we love them. I also made a DIY paver and wood coffee table and matching side table for the space—I *really* love them.

The DIY rock landscaping has held up really well so far, too. I love that it keeps the entire perimeter around the platform deck tidy. BB cat also likes to chill on the pavers, too. 🙂

I swapped out some of the herbs in the hanging pots for flowers once I figured out which ones seems to be attracting Japanese beetles. The extra color is nice. And of course Ramona still LOVES her unicorn swing.

patio in a small townhouse backyard
plants in a small townhouse backyard
Hanging pots in a beautiful small backyard
tiny backyard with a deck and plants
tiny backyard with a deck and plants
Hanging baskets for a small backyard deck
Hanging baskets and potted plants for a small backyard deck
screenshot of instagram account

I also switched up the flowers in the two gray resin hanging planters . I had bacopa and vinca planted in them, and they just didn’t end up doing very well at all. So I swapped them for the purslane and trailing petunias.

The purslane has already EXPLODED, and the trailing petunias aren’t looking as hot as they once did. Working on bringing them back. This spot gets a lot of sun, but maybe it isn’t enough.

Hanging baskets for a small backyard deck
Hanging baskets for a small backyard deck

Building a Shed in a Tiny Backyard

After the challenge was over, we decided to build a small shed for our lawnmower and gardening supplies. We have a utilities easement on this area of our backyard, which means no permanent structures (fences don’t count for some reason).

So the shed actually doesn’t have a floor. It’s kind of like a hut. The platform it’s on is just boards lined up and screwed into the fence. Two people could lift the shed and move it.

Mike tackled the shed and did a great job. I was not up for a project of this scale…but I did happily paint it to cover up the cedar fence pickets. I used a Behr opaque stain to match the decking as close as I could. The trash can is for yard waste, and the long skinny planter has some more lettuce in it.

DIY shed platform for a small backyard

For more small space decorating ideas check out how to decorate a small outdoor space.

DIY shed for a small backyard
DIY shed for a small backyard
DIY shed for a small backyard
DIY shed for a small backyard
DIY shed for a small backyard

And this creep loves to hang out under the shed…

kitty under a deck
promo image with text about using code bybrit to get $10 off a greenstalk vertical garden

Growing Veggies in Our Tiny Backyard

We also planted a hydrangea bush out in the corner of the yard and moved around several plants as we figured out where everything did the best. I moved several potted veggies down from the top deck.

It gets slightly better sun up there, but there’s no hose, so watering was annoying. It also sometimes leaked down onto the bottom deck, which was both annoying and yucky. The big pots have yellow tomatoes, baby eggplant, and red cherry tomatoes.

Potted plants in a small yard
Potted plants in a small yard
Raised garden beds in a small yard
Raised garden beds in a small yard
Raised garden beds in a small yard
Raised garden beds in a small yard

Everything in my garden was doing absolutely fantastic. Much to my surprise, everything I planted from seed sprouted and flourished. Until the Japanese beetles discovered my goodies.

They destroyed my green beans, which I had to pull out. Right now I am fighting a war against them on my snap peas, basil, and lima beans. Everything else they’ve seemed to leave alone.

Japanese beetle infestation
Japanese beetle infestation

I’ve picked a few rounds of lettuce, kale, and spinach already, and I’ve planted more. Cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapenos, and baby eggplant are on the cusp of being picked. The bell peppers are only doing okay. I’m not giving up on them yet, but they aren’t thriving.

Vegetable garden in a small yard
free plant care guide teaser image prompting readers to sign up below

Here is a link to the Dropbox folder with the guide!

teaser image of the cover of the houseplant care guide

Other Small Townhouse Patio Ideas

And finally, Mike got this awesome outdoor hanging bluetooth speaker that also lights up like a lantern. We hung it in the corner of the deck. It works great. I love having it out there to stream music when we’re just hanging on the deck or when I’m gardening or working on whatever project is up that day.

The ferns on the patio are also looking amazing. Don’t overlook the power of some hanging plants to maximize vertical space on a small patio!

Bluetooth hanging speaker
hanging ferns on a small townhouse patio
tiny backyard with a deck and plants
small backyard design ideas
small backyard lit up at night
small backyard lit up at night

And I think that’s it. Looking forward to hanging out here the rest of the summer!

SOURCE LIST

PLANTS:

ROCK LANDSCAPING:

HVAC SCREEN, LOUNGE FURNITURE, AND GARDEN BEDS:

MISCELLANEOUS:

Share my tiny backyard ideas on Pinterest!

collage that says tiny townhouse backyard ideas with pictures of a cute yard
Brittany Goldwyn
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