Big or small, no matter whether a suburban garden is a postage-stamp plot or a gentle half-acre sprawl, the land gives people ideas. Here are some of our favorite garden ideas to steal from suburbia.
- Silver gazing balls. A hypnotizing front-yard staple since the Victorian era, mirrored gazing balls are especially mesmerizing when they’re grouped together and placed against a spare, modern backdrop.
- Mirror images. Coated glass windows reflect and amplify surrounding greenery, creating a sense of depth and distance in a small garden.
- Patio fire pits. A patio fire pit creates a year-round gathering spot for family and friends.
- Fence fashion. Dress up the perimeter of a small backyard with a streamlined fence.
- Rotating sprinklers. The rotating sprinkler adds a special excitement to summer – for kids and pets.
- Picnic tables.
- Tree houses. Even a postage-stamp backyard can accommodate a secret clubhouse if you have an old tree with sturdy branches to provide support.
- Hedge edge. Clipped shrubs are so much greener—and friendlier—than a fence.
- No-grass front yards. If you have a yard, you can have a meadow.
