Side yards are one of the hardest, often overlooked, outdoor areas to design and landscape. It usually is beside your fence or wall overlooking your neighbor’s yard. In this article, we’ll give you 5 landscape solutions for a better and functional side yard.
1. Privacy panels
Side yards usually are adjacent to your perimeter fence and are often overlooking into your neighbor’s yard or window. While it might sound easier to build a taller wall, perimeter fence heights are often under some building regulation. To retain privacy without having to break the rules, you can install a vertical panel instead. It can be a lattice grown with plants, or beautiful ironwork. You can also have a prefabricated bamboo panel.
2. Potted Plants
Due to limited space, side yards are usually bereft of any design elements. To make a side yard less dreary, line up the yard with some shade-loving plants. It’s best to pick tall plants on the skinny side to inject some color into the area without taking up too much space.
3. Green Screen
If you feel like you don’t have a green thumb, put up a green screen instead. No, this is not the screen filmmakers use for their visual effects. If you have a window which opens into a side yard and lends a glimpse of your neighbor’s own yard or worse, directly into their window, a green screen can help you maintain your privacy. Instead of privacy panels with real plants, you can put up a board with fake plants. It’s a one-time purchase, low maintenance and is evergreen.
4. Food Strip
Since side yards get less foot traffic, you can turn a strip of it into a food garden. If you have enough space for a narrow strip for a plot, you can plant some herbs, root crops or plant nursery for the seedlings. It’s even better if you have this side yard near your kitchen for easy access.
5. Lounge Area
If you have a panel up and privacy is not an issue anymore, you can make use of the side yard as a small private retreat with a lounge chair. Surrounded by plants, it can be a secret oasis for you.
