Got a tiny backyard that feels more cramped than cosy? You’re dealing with one of Brisbane’s most common outdoor problems.
But here’s the thing: professional landscape designers like us have been solving this exact problem for years using simple visual tricks. And you can too. You just need the right plants, smart layouts, and textures that create depth.
In this post, we’ll share our small garden tips to help you choose space-saving plants, arrange your layout for a bigger feel, and use visual layers to create a calm, open yard.
First, we’ll show you how to make your small garden feel bigger.
Garden Design Tips to Make Small Backyards Look Bigger
Small garden design comes down to simple visual tricks. If done right, you can make your garden space feel double its actual size without expensive makeovers. The approach focuses on how your eyes naturally move through the outdoor space.
Let’s look at some small garden ideas to make it feel bigger.
Divide to Multiply
This sounds weird, but breaking up your small garden can actually make it feel bigger. You can do this with raised beds or narrow pathways, which gives your eyes a journey to follow.
But a single open lawn lets your eyes take in the whole space at once and makes the yard feel small. If you add a few garden beds with pathways running between them, you’re also adding visual layers that make the space look larger to your brain.
Ground Choices
Your paving pattern plays into the same idea as your garden beds. And the materials you choose can either break up your backyard or help it flow smoothly.
We recommend larger natural stone pavers instead of small tiles. These bigger pavers will show fewer grout lines and reduce visual clutter. You’ll instantly notice the area reads as one continuous and more spacious surface.
Pro tip: Stay away from checkerboard patterns and narrow brick layouts. They’ll just make every metre feel more cramped.
Use Vertical and Visual Anchors
Now let’s talk about using height to your advantage. It’s an easy way to add depth so the yard doesn’t feel cramped.
You can use wall-climbing plants (like jasmine or creeping fig), or potted plants on stands to create vertical layers. Then add one centerpiece to make the garden feel complete, like maybe a beautiful statement pot plant, a small sculptural tree, or a special feature planter.
If you use these strategies properly, you’ll notice that every part of your garden feels more intentional and complete.
Best Plants for Creating Breathing Room in Small Yards
Choose plants that naturally grow upwards or stay compact, and you’ll avoid that cramped, overgrown feeling that makes small spaces feel even smaller. Here’s how you can build a plant palette that creates breathing room.
Think in Layers
Start by mixing tall, medium, and low-growing plants with different leaf textures. This way, your eyes will travel up and down instead of side to side, so you’ll stop noticing how limited the ground space feels.
Columnar varieties like Slender Weaver bamboo work particularly well for this approach, since they grow tall and stay narrow. You get privacy and height while still having room at ground level for other plants to fill in. Just remember to balance different shapes so no single plant hogs all the attention.
Choose Plants That Stay in Their Lane
Once you’ve got your layering strategy, it’s time to consider how your plants grow. We recommend naturally tufted or vertical growers, like dwarf bottlebrush, kangaroo paw, or lomandra, that won’t try to take over your whole yard.
Hardy shrubs in particular, like dwarf bottlebrush, will give you that solid structure without sprawling everywhere. And if you mix these with plants that have glossy green leaves (camellia, philodendron, gardenia), you will get a nice visual contrast that will make the garden more appealing.
We can’t talk about Brisbane gardens without mentioning star jasmine; it’s a local favourite for good reason. It climbs walls to give you those fragrant cream flowers while saving precious ground space. Plus, the scent makes your outdoor space feel way more inviting.
Plan for Your Conditions
Now, before you rush out and buy these plants, take time to understand your soil type and where the sun hits throughout the day. Brisbane’s climate is pretty forgiving, but if you match plants to your climate conditions, it’ll be way less work down the track.
You have plenty of low-maintenance options in slow growers and perennials that come back every year, like lavender, kangaroo paw, and dianella.
Once these plants settle in, they will keep performing with minimal attention, which means you get more time to relax and enjoy your garden.
Think Beyond Looks
Finally, don’t forget to add practical elements to your garden alongside beauty. You can plant herbs or small vegetables in your design.
Rosemary, thyme, basil, lettuce, spinach, and radishes are all good options for your small garden. We recommend planting a few cherry tomatoes in pots or raised beds, so you can have fresh snacks all summer.
Pro tip: Choose plants that will look good year-round, like lomandra and kangaroo paw. Plus, if you mix evergreens with seasonal flowers, your garden will always have something worth looking at, even during those quieter winter months.
Plan and Complete Your Small Garden Design
Are you feeling ready to tackle your small garden design? You’ve got the tools now.
Here’s a quick checklist to keep handy:
- Start by avoiding clutter and making sure every feature actually has a purpose.
- Think in layers by mixing different heights, depths, and foliage textures that work together nicely.
- Don’t be afraid to combine potted plants with permanent fixtures, either.
- As you’re planning, use light, space, and colour to help the eye flow naturally through your outdoor space.
- And most importantly, choose furniture that actually fits the scale of your yard, so it doesn’t swallow up all your green space.
If you’re ready to bring your vision to life, visit Design Martus for expert help applying these small garden tips to create your own personal oasis.
