Small Lot Report

A successful residential landscape should create a place of refuge—somewhere to relax and enjoy the privacy of the outdoors. The growing trend in housing developments of increasing house size while shrinking lot size, however, has made this a difficult job to achieve. When designing these “postage stamp gardens,” a landscape architect must work within the confines of yards that are often no larger than 1000 square feet to maximize area and create a desirable space to live.
Shade is perhaps the biggest concern when designing, especially when making plant selections. Residential landscapes are often heavily shaded by neighboring houses. The old (and cheap) standby, lawn, often ends up a soggy mess. Other climatic factors such as weather and temperature must also be considered. A short period of intense heat is enough to burn plants that are shaded most of the day. A trained landscape architect knows which plants will grow most successfully in such areas.
Plant growth habits influence the functionality and esthetic appeal of a space. More vertically growing plants take up less ground space and bring attention upward instead of outward towards other houses. Tall trees can block views—both from outsiders looking in and insiders looking out. Their drawback, however, is that they can be space hogs. Vines are another option for creating privacy in limited space. Grown on a lattice, they can serve as a wall or fence. They can also hide a fence and create an illusion of depth.
Elements such as patios, decks, and balconies help break up the monotony of boxy yard layouts by creating focal points and facilitating outdoor activity. Barbecues, spas, and furniture are great additions to these areas, but must be carefully selected so that they do not over dominate the entire space. These outdoor rooms, as with all landscape elements, must also be esthetically pleasing to look at for times when weather does no permit outdoor activity. Seldom used side yards create attractive platforms for artwork such as sculptures and fountains that can be viewed from dining and bedrooms
The smaller the yards space, the more detail that needs to go into its design. Pavers, flagstone, small pebbles, ad slate are a few materials that can create texture and richness. Plain concrete in a small space looks and feels cold. Impositions such as noise, odors, and buildings are common in residential landscapes and decrease the enticement of being outside. A landscape architect’s job is to use plants, hardscapes, and art elements to create privacy and serenity in one’s own yard