There are a wide variety of landscaping ideas that can transform your tiny house yard. Placing raised flower beds, adding naturalistic decor, planting trees, and adding water features can be just some ways you can spruce up your outdoor space.
Tiny house living probably means tiny landscaping space as well, but you don’t need a lot of room to make a big impression. A few quick and easy changes or weekend projects can turn your normal lawn into something spectacular.
Finding the right balance of form and function may be important to you as well. Mulch around a tree for example can help protect that tree while also adding a new look to your landscaping. Certain flowers can be beneficial for honeybees and hummingbirds, and may even help repel annoying pests like mosquitos or horseflies.
Tiny House Landscaping Ideas:
Quick Look
- Landscaping Ideas for Trees and Rocks
- Landscaping Ideas for Gardens and Flowers
- Landscaping Ideas for Water Features and Stepping Stones
1. Landscaping Ideas for Trees and Rocks
From fencing around a newly planted fruit tree to a rock garden that helps eliminate the need for water in drought-prone areas, there are a number of ways you can use rocks and trees to change up your landscaping around your tiny house.
Woodchips, mulch, and rocks around the base of your fruit trees can help increase their growth. The mulch or rocks will prevent grass from growing which leaves all the nutrients in that area for the young tree to utilize without competition.
Using lava rocks and a stone with contrasting colors can help add a decorative element to your favorite trees. Whether you prefer to place the stones in a circle, square or other shapes, it’s a great way to add dimension to your landscaping.
Rock gardens and certain shrubs are a great way to landscape in drought prone areas or around desert tiny homes. You can use large landscaping rocks as well as local types of grasses, shrubs, and bushes to complete the look.
Cactus and succulents make excellent plants to have in desert areas or drought-prone locations. You’ll find a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors in these plants with very little care or watering required for any of them to thrive and grow.
Using evergreen shrubs and low maintenance grasses such as Pampas Grass or Pink Hair Grass will allow you to add privacy as well as cover for small animals and birds. Additionally, these plants do not require much care and have very low water requirements.
Using gravel or landscape rock to line fencing, driveways, walkways and other areas around your tiny home can help add layered dimension to your yard. Additionally, it reduces the amount of grass and allows you to plant drought-resistant shrubs if needed too.
Rock gardens can be as simple or elaborate as you want. By adding a few small stones to a sandy area you can change the look of that spot instantly. By going one step further and adding attractive and whimsical decor amongst the stone, your neighbors will be jealous!
Flagpoles, mailboxes, outdoor lanterns, and other similar areas make great spots for accent flowers. By using paving stones, you can mark out an outline and plant brightly colored plants such as marigolds in the center for an eye-catching small garden.
Using stones you find on your land can create a very unique and natural-looking retaining wall or walkway in your garden or around your tiny home. Additionally, stone that is locally sourced can also be purchased from area nurseries and garden stores.
2. Landscaping Ideas for Gardens and Flowers
Having colorful and fragrant flowers around your tiny home is delightful. You’ll not only enjoy the great smells from your plants but may also notice small animals and beneficial insects visiting the area too. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and honey bees are frequent visitors to brightly colored and sweet-smelling plants.
Additionally, if mosquitos, flies, gnats, wasps, rodents, and other pests are causing problems in your garden or around your tiny home, planting a few certain herbs and plants may help repel them. The natural aroma of the plants is desirable to humans, but a great deterrent for pests.
Lavender is highly attractive, very fragrant, and looks amazing in almost any garden. It’s also able to be dried and used in teas and herbal remedies. Not to mention the aroma will repel a variety of rodents and annoying pest insects too.
Using rose bushes and rose vines is a great way to add dimension to an awning, archway, or lattice wall. Additionally, roses can be used in bouquets or dried and some types can even be used in teas, soups, and other gourmet kitchen recipes.
Decorative plants are nice to have, but vegetables are useful too. If you’re short on space, you can use vertical planters to grow peas and other vining vegetables. This will not only give your tiny home some country charm but can also help feed you and your family.
Raised bed gardens look great in any style of landscaping. If the soil around your tiny home is not good enough to grow much, making use of raised beds can solve that problem. Additionally, even a small raised bed can produce enough food for a large family in a single season!
Planting local native wildflowers as part of your landscaping is beneficial in a variety of ways. Local wildlife that depend on the plants for food and shelter can find them in your yard which also gives you more chances to watch wildlife in their natural habitats.
Hydrangea are large and very attractive plants that come in a variety of colors. They’ll get quite large, so can be used for privacy as well as a partial windbreak in your landscaping. Additionally, they are a great source of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
3. Landscaping Ideas for Water Features and Stepping Stones
If water is not scarce around your tiny home, making use of water features can be a great way to improve your landscaping. Whether you just enjoy the sounds of water gently cascading around rocks or would love to relax near a koi or goldfish pond, water features can come in a wide range of sizes and styles to suit your needs.
Stepping stones and decorative accents with paving stones are a staple in almost any landscaping project. No matter if you simply want a walkway from your front door to your driveway, or if you want to create a spacious patio for entertaining family and friends, paving stone landscaping ideas are limited only by your imagination.
If you like the idea of an attractive and easy-to-mow patio area, using stone lattice or diamond stepping stones is an amazing option to consider. It allows the natural grass to grow while providing you and your family with a safe and secure area to walk.
Large flat paving stones can be used to make a variety of landscaping features. Staircases and retaining walls are the two most common. Go one step further and use that retaining wall as layered planter beds for a colorful and stylish way to move around your yard.
If you’re looking for a more natural look, flat slate or sandstone paving rocks can be used to make stunning staircases or flat walkways. These stones can be sourced locally or imported and work in a wide range of desert or lush landscapes.
If water is at a premium in your area but you still want to enjoy a water feature landscape accent, having a small fountain in your rock garden can be a viable option. The water recirculates by use of a pump and only needs to be topped off to make up for evaporation.
Water features can be as small or large as you want. If you plan on keeping goldfish or koi, a pond may need to be decent sized for their comfort. Try adding tall grasses, shrubs and wooden walkways to the landscaping to really make the area pop!
Using logs as planters can be a great accent piece anywhere in your landscaping. Use it as a barrier to mark walkways or driveways, or simply place a few in various spots around your water features or other garden areas for a nice touch.
Outdoor lighting can really bring a new element to your landscaping. From hanging lights to vintage lanterns, there are lighting options that will work for you. If the idea of wiring lights does not appeal to you, be sure to check out the wide array of solar-powered options on the market.
No tiny house landscaping ideas are complete without a comfortable bench to relax on. It can give you a great spot to bird watch, enjoy a book, or just spend time with loved ones. Try customizing the area with paving stones and plants too.
Simple but spacious water features or goldfish ponds don’t need to cost hundreds of dollars to look great. Once you have your pond in place, landscape the area with natural stone, shrubs and other plants to really blend the whole look together.
If you’re looking for a bit of whimsy in your landscaping, having a few pink flamingo garden decor accents here and there can go a long way. They’re durable and brightly colored, and can also help attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the area too.
If you’re more of a DIY type person, getting down and dirty with your own landscaping projects might be just how you choose to spend your time. Try laying out your own patio, BBQ platform or family gathering spot with your favorite paving stones or clay bricks.