Are you looking for tiny house landscaping ideas to maximize your small garden’s potential? Then you have come to the right place. And, more to the point, we will answer the age-old question: does size matter? The answer is a resounding no!

The majority of newly built houses have small outdoor spaces. And while many of us think we want a big garden, the reality is a management nightmare. Many of us would prefer a small and manageable space in which we can relax. You only have to watch one of the many home garden remake shows to know that you can transform the smallest outdoor space into a personal paradise with careful planning.

So, without further ado, check out our multitude of tiny house landscaping ideas to inspire and inform.

Designing Your Landscape

The most critical first step is to draft a plan based on your desired outcome. Consider what you want to get out of your space and identify a budget. This stage of the operation is going to be the hardest. So, ask yourself as many questions as possible.

Landscape design is a skill, but there are a few simple rules you can employ. Choosing contrasting colors, for instance, can create depth, and a well-positioned mirror gives the illusion of space. But before you can consider individual aspects, you need a solid plan.

Identify Your Style Preference

You may already know what style you prefer, but it never hurts to consider alternatives. Research traditional vs contemporary designs: you can get a landscape design book from your local library or search online for photographic examples.

While it’s preferable to fit in with the surroundings, all styles can be integrated with some consideration.

How Hard Do You Want To Work?

It’s important to consider maintenance levels. How much work do you want to put into maintaining your landscape space? For example, cottage gardens are pleasing to the eye but need tending all year round. Similarly, we can offer tiny house landscaping ideas to promote growing home produce, but it’s not the best option if you can’t commit sufficient time and resources. And while contemporary or minimalistic gardens may appeal, no landscape is maintenance-free.

Think hard about how much maintenance you want to undertake. This includes finances and personal requirements such as mobility constraints. Be realistic about your short and long-term needs.

Remember, You Will Be Sharing Your Space

An outdoor space is a privilege, and you have a responsibility as its custodian. Our tiny house landscaping ideas may be small, but their impact, and your impact, is vast; never doubt that. You have an opportunity to make a difference. You may have identified wildlife as an aim for your tiny landscape, but it’s not everyone’s primary consideration.

All outdoor spaces play a vital role in supporting our wildlife. Each tiny landscape forms part of a bigger network of green spaces. And whether you like it or not, wildlife will utilize your landscape. Nature is nothing if not resourceful. Whatever your feelings about wildlife, get used to the fact that by choosing to maintain an outdoor space, you are going to have to share it to some extent! Now you have figured out what you want to get out of your landscape, let’s explore more specific tiny house landscaping ideas.

Purchasing Supplies

Assuming you have decided what you want to get out of your landscape, you will be eager to turn your vision into a reality. Let’s start with purchasing landscape supplies, which include everything from tools to materials. Modern residential landscapes incorporate everything from railway sleepers for dividers and raised beds to arbors for private seating to ponds, composting areas, and play equipment; the list is endless.

Start by identifying reputable sources for the landscape supplies that you need. Cost and quality vary greatly, so it’s good to do your homework or ask around and see who your friends and family recommend. You can also call a local landscape business or the landscape section of your municipal government for advice. In our experience, the outlets off the beaten track offer the best quality and price, but you have to be in the know to find them.

Landscape supplies are expensive, and you can easily blow your budget by not shopping around. If you are purchasing plants or, in particular, trees, make sure you inspect them before accepting delivery. In the case of trees, this includes checking the roots. Plants and trees are easily damaged during transplantation. If you are unsatisfied with their condition, request a replacement.

Lastly, ensure you have suitable storage for all supplies. Even the tiniest of tiny house landscaping ideas can take time to come to fruition. Keep your supplies in an area where they won’t be damaged by the elements or wildlife.

Adding a Garden

We have tiny house landscaping ideas to match even the most miniature garden. To establish a garden, think about what you want the most: flowers, fragrances, wildlife, produce, or a small lawn to sit on? Rockeries are a great small garden feature. They can be established over any gradient and are a great way to bridge a height difference in your landscape. You can develop hardy plants in a rockery that require minimal maintenance, many of which offer all year-round interest, such as succulents.

Small garden spaces can also incorporate green walls, where plants are planted into the wall’s medium. They are a haven for wildlife and can include various flowering plants, meaning you can keep your limited ground space for other uses. Hanging baskets make a beautiful addition to a garden and can even be used to grow produce such as tomatoes and other salad makings. But they can be high maintenance and most certainly require daily watering.

Make sure you consider the orientation of your garden so you know where the sunny and shady spots are all year round. Before starting any hard or soft landscaping work, ensure you have done sufficient research or consulted with a professional.

You can contact any landscaping or garden company for general advice; many will be happy to discuss your requirements over the phone. However, they will need to visit your home for a more detailed appraisal. They can also advise on site constraints, such as underground or overground services or existing plant or wildlife habitat that requires preservation.

Additionally, get the right advice on plant selection. Refrain from relying on information provided solely by garden centers or landscape retail outlets. Many offer incorrect or misleading data regarding plants and trees, and several sell invasive plant species without sufficient warning.

Lastly, ensure you create your garden at the right time of year to promote its success. Trees are best planted in the dormant season. For plants, it will depend on what you have selected. Follow industry guidance to ensure your plants thrive.

Gardening Stones

You can use stones, gravel, and other such supplies to great effect in your tiny landscape. Whether as a surface material for a footpath or patio, a feature surround, or something more prominent like a rockery or small wall. Natural stones are a great option and have multiple benefits. A wide variety offers different colors, textures, and patterns. In addition, this hard-wearing material is more enduring than artificial options such as concrete.

Stones also introduce a vital habitat for insects, amphibians, and reptiles. If you choose to use stones as a surface dressing, you will need to install a membrane first to deter weeds and other wild plants.

Adding a Fence

Including fencing or a more natural barrier like a hedge is another of our tiny house landscaping ideas. In landscape design, features such as fences, hedges, and even individual plants and trees are used to slow the movement through a landscape. The idea is that when you look at your landscape, your vision field is interrupted instead of the eye seeing straight to the boundary. It’s an excellent tool for making a small space look bigger.

Fence installation can be costly, so it is essential to consider all available materials. If your outdoor space is subject to prevailing wind or suffers from exposure, you will need a durable fence with posts concreted into the ground. This is imperative for boundary fencing.

Internal fencing permits a more relaxed approach and greater material options, including living fencing, as can be achieved by planting willow species. And remember, fencing doesn’t have to be tall. Knee rails can be used to significant effect, again to segment an area and create the appearance of a boundary.

Planting Trees

You might not expect planting trees to be a tiny house landscaping idea, but there is a tree for every garden space, no matter how small. You just need to do your homework.

Trees have so much to offer. Many have all-year-round aesthetic value via flower and leaf coloring and fruit. They provide shade and shelter, can bear edible fruit, and create a barrier or diversion in your landscape, aiding the visual aspect of your design. They also, of course, support a variety of wildlife.

A local tree service can help with species selection and supply, and advise or assist with planting. While saplings have the highest success rate, they will not give an immediate visual effect. But if you go for something bigger, you will need a suitable tree pit and stake to support the tree until it is established.

Installing Artificial Grass

Artificial grass has become very popular as a low-maintenance alternative to a natural lawn. The market for artificial grass is extensive, and many people choose it to ensure a tidy, maintenance-free lawn area. However, it is not without maintenance requirements and has its downsides. It is expensive and does succumb to wear and tear over time, necessitating its replacement.

Artificial grass is also less soft than natural grass. It can, in fact, cause skin abrasions if you fall over on it. Lastly, it is an artificial, plastic product that deters drainage; as such, it’s not ideal for the environment.

Maintaining Real Grass

Maintaining a lawn is not as cumbersome as many people think. It depends on what you are prepared to settle for. If you want a pristine bowling green lawn, be prepared for high maintenance. You will also likely require the services of a lawn fertilizing company. However, if you can put up with odd wild plants and flowers, you can retain a natural carpet that feels great under your feet and supports wildlife.

In recent years, there has been a trend for less mowing in favor of longer grass at crucial points in the year when our pollinating insects need this kind of habitat the most. Give it a go; you will likely be rewarded with developing wild plants in a year or two.

Adding Storage

Outdoor storage is invaluable and can also be used to break up a space. Folding chairs, bicycles, lawn movers, and garden tools are all items that need to be stored out of the elements.

Installing an outdoor shed is the best option. They can be expensive, but a wide variety of sheds are available to accommodate your storage needs.

Utilizing Mulch

Mulch is an unsung hero. You only have to walk in the woods to start appreciating its worth. Within the leaf litter on the woodland floor exists a plethora of life. In addition, it aids water retention in the soil and supplies the next generation of soil nutrients for all flora. Mulch can perform the same tasks in your garden.

Many ornamental mulches are available; however, we recommend keeping it as natural as possible. It won’t last forever. It will break and be scattered by wind and wildlife, but keeping mulch around trees and plants will promote their health and keep your soil healthy.

The Final Word on Tiny House Landscaping Ideas

Spending time outdoors, tending gardens, and observing wildlife are all associated with relaxation and good mental health. You will have your own preference regarding your landscape design, but whatever you choose, make sure you are exploiting your landscape to full advantage to truly relish the time you spend in it.