Living in New York City does n’t mean you have to give up on creating a beautiful outdoor quad . Even in urban area , with a little creativeness and planning , you’re able to turn your yard into a place that feels like a personal hideaway . From dispense with limited space to get by city - specific challenges like pollution and randomness , there are sight of ways to make the most of your outdoor country .

Incorporating the right plants , materials , and design techniques can make all the difference of opinion . Small urban yards offer an opportunity to try out with mind like vertical gardens , container planting , or hardscaping that reflects your flair . These 19 landscape gardening tips will help you get embark on , whether you ’re looking to create a cozy outdoor lounge , grow your own herbs , or add a bit of verdure to your concrete surroundings .

Vertical Gardens

Vertical gardens institute aliveness to small spaces , transforming dull walls into lush backdrops . By utilizing upright space , you’re able to grow a form of plant life without sacrifice precious ground area . Imagine a wall of vibrant greens and blossom flowers , put up a fresh burst of colour and fragrance . These garden not only maximize your M ’s potential but also better air quality and provide insulation . sample using different sized containers for an eye - catch consequence . Whether you ’re growing herbs or decorative plants , vertical gardens volunteer an advanced solution for urban landscape gardening .

Container Gardening

Container gardening is perfect for urban setting , allow tractability in plant placement . With stack and container , you’re able to easily rearrange your garden or even move plants indoors . opine a cluster of shiny blooms , herbs , and succulent adorning your yard , each in its unique potful . This method suits those with circumscribed ground place , offer creative exemption and soft maintenance . Choose container of various materials and colors to bestow texture and interest to your space . It ’s a great way to experiment with dissimilar works species and style .

Rooftop Gardens

Rooftop gardens provide a serene escape above the bustling metropolis . These raised space put up a unique opportunity to make a garden with stunning view . Picture yourself surround by greenery while overlooking the horizon – a reliable urban oasis . Raised bottom can host a variety of plant life , from vegetable to decorative flowers . Not only do these gardens enhance building aesthetics , but they also offer environmental benefit like insulation and stormwater management . If you have roof access , study transforming it into a garden heaven .

Native Plant Selection

Choosing aboriginal industrial plant minimizes sustenance and brook local wildlife . These plant are well - adapted to the local mood and soil , thrive in urban condition . conceive of a garden filled with native blooms , attracting razz and pollinator . aboriginal plants ask less water and fertiliser , give them eco - favorable choices for city gardens . They bring a sense of place and concord to your G , lionize the region ’s raw knockout . By selecting aboriginal species , you create a sustainable and vibrant landscape .

Urban Wildlife Habitats

Shade Gardens

Shade garden are perfect for urban railway yard with limited sunlight . Picture a cool , tranquil space with lush foliation and soothing verdure . Plants like hostas and ferns thrive in shaded conditions , create a relaxing retreat . These gardens proffer a respite from the summer heating plant , with mottled light filtering through leaves . Incorporate textured plant and depart shades of green for a calming force . Shade gardens are miserable - alimony and water - efficient , make them ideal for busy metropolis indweller .

Edible Landscaping

eatable landscaping combines beauty and functionality , allow you to grow intellectual nourishment in your urban yard . Imagine picking sweet tomatoes and herbs for your dinner party , directly from your garden . Raised bed and upright planter maximise space , accommodating vegetables , fruit , and herbs . This coming not only put up impudent produce but also enhances your M ’s aesthetic . Integrate colorful comestible flower for added visual appeal . By farm your own nutrient , you concentrate your carbon copy footprint and enjoy fresher , tastier factor .

Water Features

Water features add a soothing component to urban gardens , creating a peaceful ambiance . Imagine the blue sound of dribble piss , furnish a serene backdrop to your out-of-door space . Fountains , pool , and birdbaths attract wildlife , raise your garden ’s vibrancy . These feature occur in various sizes , suitable for small courtyard or larger yard . They pop the question visual involvement and a cooling effect during blistering summer . Incorporate lighting for a wizard nighttime exhibit , induce your H2O sport a focal detail .

Patio and Deck Design

A well - design terrace or deck extends your life space , offering a spot for relaxation and amusement . Imagine ride with friends , surrounded by stylish furniture and twinkling cosmic string lights . Patios and decks can be customize with materials like wood , stone , or composite for a singular tone . Add pot industrial plant and out-of-door rugs to produce a cozy air . This area becomes an annex of your home , ideal for barbecue or restrained evenings . Consider built - in seating or a flame pit for added functionality .

Use of Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses lend texture and movement to urban landscapes . Picture their refined swaying in the cinch , make a dynamical visual showing . These Gunter Wilhelm Grass are unfearing , humiliated - sustainment , and drouth - tolerant , perfect for urban center gardens . Mix them with colourful perennials for a layered burden , providing year - turn involvement . decorative grasses raise seclusion and soften hardscapes , blending seamlessly with modern designs . They extend a realistic feel , add a sense of quiet to your pace .

Use of Recycled Materials

Recycled materials bring sustainability and theatrical role to urban gardens . Imagine using reclaimed wood for planters or old bricks for pathway , adding a rustic appeal . This approach reduces waste matter and raise eco - friendly practices . It ’s a chance to get creative , leave unexampled life to discarded materials . reuse stuff offer unique textures and colors , make your garden stand out . By choosing sustainable options , you contribute to environmental preservation while enhancing your outdoor space with a personal tactile sensation .

Lighting Techniques

Lighting translate urban gardens into bewitching space by night . guess soft lights foreground tract and throw away an aerial glow on industrial plant . String lights , solar lamps , and LED fixtures extend vitality - effective options . These proficiency heighten safety and create a warm standard atmosphere for evening assembly . Consider uplighting trees or using limelight to showcase garden features . firing adds depth and drama , making your pace find larger and more inviting . It ’s a simple-minded room to elevate your outdoor experience .

Creative Use of Color

Color breathe living into urban garden , make vibrant and welcoming spaces . conceive of the joyful volley of hues from flowers , painted planters , and piece of furniture . Using color strategically can delimitate sphere , high spot features , or set modality . Bold colors add energy , while pastel offer a soothe vibration . integrate colorful bloom and leaf to ensure year - round interest . Mix and match colors for a playful result , or adhere to a melodic theme for cohesiveness . This originative construction transforms your garden into a personalized retreat .

Small Tree Selection

Small tree diagram declare oneself complex body part and shade without overwhelming urban yards . Imagine their soft branches providing a cozy canopy in your garden . Choose trees like dwarf Nipponese maple or crab apple , do it for their compact size and beauty . These trees bestow height and interest , create focal points in your landscape painting . They postulate less space and maintenance than big species , get to them ideal for metropolis configurations . Small tree enhance biodiversity , offering shelter for birds and insects .

Seasonal Planting

Seasonal planting ensures your garden remains vibrant and rent class - round . Picture the modulation from spring bulbs to summer blossom , followed by sensational twilight foliage . By pick out plant that peak in unlike seasons , you keep up interest and gloss throughout the twelvemonth . This strategy heighten biodiversity , attracting various pollinator . design your garden layout to accommodate seasonal changes , insure uninterrupted beauty . Seasonal planting also maximizes your garden ’s productiveness , with crops and flowers timed to fly high .

Privacy Screens

privateness screen make a secluded haven in bustling urban environments . guess relaxing behind tall hedges , trellises , or bamboo screens , harbour from prying eye . These elements offer privacy while add together aesthetic solicitation and delineate edge . Choose materials that complement your garden way , whether modern or traditional . privateness screens can also soften noise and winding , enhancing comfort . Incorporate climbing plants like ivy or jasmine for added verdure . This approaching transforms your yard into a passive retreat , ideal for unwinding .

Creative Pathways

tract define movement and structure in urban garden , guide visitors through your place . Imagine a winding Oliver Stone path border by colorful blooms , ask round geographic expedition . originative pathways add spell and functionality , link up different garden areas . Use materials like Lucy Stone , gravel , or woods to become your vogue . Consider curve and vary breadth to create machination . Pathways can also bring off rain runoff , forbid erosion . This practical addition kick upstairs your garden ’s aesthetic , making it both beautiful and accessible .

Climbing Plants and Trellises

Climbing plants and trellises use erect space , adding acme and beauty to urban garden . film vivacious blush wine and clematis cascade over treillage , produce living walls . These plants enhance privacy and soften hardscapes , make them perfect for metropolis scope . Trellises come in various designs , offering cosmetic yet functional supporting . Climbing works appeal pollinator , contributing to a prosper ecosystem . This coming maximize limited space , transforming bleak walls into lucullan landscape . It ’s an elegant style to enrich your garden ’s vertical property .

Herb Spiral

Herb spirals declare oneself a space - effective way to grow herb in urban yards . Imagine a helical bed with rosemary , thyme , and St. Basil the Great , each thrive in its microclimate . The whorled plan maximize distance , allow unlike herbs to receive optimal sunshine and drain . This layout is visually appealing , adding peak and involvement to your garden . Herb spirals are light to maintain and harvest , providing invigorated flavors for your kitchen . They ’re a perfect blend of form and map , transforming pocket-sized spaces into productive garden .

19 Landscaping Tips for Urban Yards in New York City

Vertical Gardens

© Little House of Four

Vertical Gardens

Container Gardening

© southernhomeandfarm

Container Gardening

Rooftop Gardens

© s_h_construction

Rooftop Gardens

Native Plant Selection

© Dyck Arboretum

Native Plant Selection

Urban Wildlife Habitats

© SKYSPACE Green Roofs

Urban Wildlife Habitats

Shade Gardens

© Hawks Landscape

Shade Gardens

Edible Landscaping

© Heroes Lawn Care

Edible Landscaping

Water Features

© riverrockwatergardens

Water Features

Patio and Deck Design

© Stump’s Decks

Patio and Deck Design

Use of Ornamental Grasses

© Meadows Farms

Use of Ornamental Grasses

Use of Recycled Materials

© Recycle Track Systems

Use of Recycled Materials

Lighting Techniques

© Southern Living

Lighting Techniques

Creative Use of Color

© Better Homes & Gardens

Creative Use of Color

Small Tree Selection

© Fast Growing Trees

Small Tree Selection

Seasonal Planting

© Martha Stewart

Seasonal Planting

Privacy Screens

© Gardener’s Supply

Privacy Screens

Creative Pathways

© Better Homes & Gardens

Creative Pathways

Climbing Plants and Trellises

© fbpd.org

Climbing Plants and Trellises

Herb Spiral

© Permaculture Northern Beaches