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When sprucing up the lawn, most homeowners focus on their front porch and front yard to boost their property’s curb appeal. But one part that people often forget or purposely overlook is their side yard, especially if it’s too narrow even to be considered part of the lawn.
As a result, your side yard ends up looking like a sad and dark alley, only used for hiding the Air Conditioner (AC) units.
Furthermore, many homeowners also consider this challenging to work on their side yards due to their awkward long and narrow shape. But even if it isn’t your typical yard, it’s still worthy enough for a makeover and convert it into a functional space.
To begin, follow the steps here to give your tiny side yard a makeover and make the most out of it:
1. Create A Pathway or Walkway Design
Perhaps the easiest and most effective way to spruce up your side yard is by creating a pathway or walkway design through it. It’s true, especially if your side yard doesn’t have enough space for other decorations you may want to add.
By creating a pathway design, you can make your side yard look organized and neat. You can also utilize this pathway when you need a shortcut from your front yard to your back yard.
Some materials you may use for your side pathway design are:
- Flagstone
- Concrete pavers
- Bricks
- Garden stepping stones
If you’re up for extra garden work, you can also grow a green lawn to make it appear like a small extension from the main green lawn at the front. And whatever options you go for, a pathway design might undoubtedly make your side yard less of an eyesore.
2. Incorporate Plants, Shrubs, or Flowers
If the pathway is not yet appealing enough, you can also spruce it up by adding plants, shrubs, or potted flowers. But before doing so, see first if your side yard gets plenty of sunlight exposure or not. If it’s mainly shady, it’s best if you incorporate plants and flowers that are shade-tolerant.
This way, you won’t end up having dying plants and flowers on the side, making them look like you forgot them. When positioning your potted plants or flowers, preferably place them on each side of the pathway if the space allows, making it more visually appealing.
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3. Create A Trash Enclosure
Since some homeowners consider their side yard as an empty alley, they’d end up using it as a space for their large trash cans, the same way they use it to hide their AC units. However, these trash bins can be an eyesore and could even affect the whole atmosphere of your lawn.
To make them less unsightly, you can create a wooden trash enclosure to keep your trash bins neatly tucked away in your side yard. This way, your guests and even passersby would think that the wooden section is part of your lawn’s outdoor furniture.
4. Install Light Fixtures
Don’t let your side yard become a scary corner, especially at night. A dark, bushy side yard will only make it easier for burglars to jump inside your fence and stalk you or even rob you when they get a chance. So, make your side yard a safer and more inviting place to walk at night by installing light fixtures.
You can go for lantern-style, string, or wall lights to illuminate the area and redirect anyone to walk from the front yard to the back yard.
5. Hide Your AC Unit
Just like how unsightly those large trash bins are, your AC unit could also ruin your lawn’s overall aesthetic. Instead of pretending that your side yard doesn’t exist and using it as your AC unit’s territory, you can hide them by disguising them into something more attractive and stylish.
For example, you can create a wooden cover for the AC unit, then fill the surface with green and flowery vines. People won’t know that an AC unit is hidden behind and think it’s part of the style.
6. Add A Potting Bench
Homeowners who often love gardening can use their front yard or backyard as a potting station, which can be a messy job. You can use your side yard as a potting station instead. Besides the convenience, your potting bench will also make your side yard look more appealing and valuable, rather than looking like a useless, empty alley.
7. Add A Water Fountain
Despite your narrow side yard, you can also add a water fountain small enough to fit into it. The water fountain will have your visitors wondering where the splashing sounds come from. If you want, you can also add one or two small stools if you want to sit down and relax around your water fountain.
8. Install an Entry Gate
A side yard entry gate can add charm to your side yard as it makes people think that there’s more to see inside that mysterious corner. Furthermore, a gate will also provide more privacy and security to your place. As an additional tip, make your gateway more dramatic by adding flowery vines or tiny light fixtures around it.
Wrapping Up
As it turns out, your narrow and lonely side yard doesn’t have to be useless and neglected forever. If you haven’t embarked on landscaping your side yard ever, use these suggestions to help you get started towards giving it a makeover and giving your home’s curb appeal a boost.
