Landscape Design for Small Yards on the Main Line

The Main Line's denser residential communities — Ardmore, Narberth, Bryn Mawr, Havertown — have plenty of properties with yards that are measured in hundreds of square feet rather than fractions of acres. Small yards are not an obstacle to good landscape design; they're a design problem that rewards creativity and precision.

The Design Principles for Small Lots

Work Vertically When horizontal space is constrained, vertical space is the asset. Tall narrow shrubs (Sky Pencil Holly, Columnar Arborvitae), trellises with climbing plants, pergolas and shade structures — all extend the design upward rather than outward.

Define One Outdoor Room, Not Several Small yards that try to have a dining area, a lounging area, a garden area, and a play area look like a showroom. One well-defined outdoor room — properly scaled, properly furnished, properly planted — feels complete and comfortable.

Scale Hardscape Precisely A patio that's 20% too large in a small yard looks like a parking lot. A patio that's 20% too small looks like an afterthought. In small yards, precision in sizing the hardscape is critical. We use 3D rendering to test dimensions before installation.

Use Fewer, Better Materials In a small yard, every surface is visible and close. Use one primary hardscape material consistently — not four different products that conflict with each other. The fewer material changes, the larger the space feels.

Borrow the View If the neighboring property has attractive trees or planting, design your landscape to frame that view rather than screen it. "Borrowed landscape" extends the perceived boundary of the property.

Specific Strategies

Front Yards For tight in-borough lots, front yards should:

Contribute to the streetscape — respect the character of neighboring properties
Have a clear central walk with defined garden areas on each side
Use plants that fit at maturity — not shrubs you'll fight to contain for 20 years

Rear Yards

One properly scaled patio (10x14 ft to 12x16 ft is right for most tight lots)
Perimeter planting that creates the feeling of enclosure without consuming the ground plane
Vertical elements (trellises, tall narrow plants) for privacy
Low-voltage lighting to make the space feel larger and more inviting at night

Side Yards Often completely ignored as a design zone. A side yard with a defined path, a few well-placed containers, and some climbing plants on the house wall can become a garden experience in a space that had previously been dead.

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