How to Landscape a Small Side Yard With an Entrance

Place a rounded or rectangular arbor at the entrance to your side yard. Plant trailing ivy, fragrant jasmine or colorful blue trumpet vines at the base of your arbor and train them to grow up and over the structure to create a foliage-filled gateway to your home. Emphasizing the entrance to your yard in this way creates a cozy, cottage look for any style of home.

Dig long, narrow beds along the edge of your house. By keeping the beds narrow, you'll avoid using up too much of your limited yard space and still be able to add a decorative touch along the foundation of your home.

Plant flowers or decorative grasses in the beds along your house on either side of the walkway that leads into the yard. Choose poppies for a tall, skinny burst of color and greenery, prairie grass which is hardy enough to withstand dry conditions or pampas grass that is virtually maintenance-free.

Use an edger to create a sharp, well-defined form to the grass that abuts the walkway leading into your yard. Grass that grows over onto the walk creates an untidy look and encroaches on the path.

Plant a small tree in the corner of the side yard for a shady retreat. Choose a dogwood, redbud or golden chain tree then place a table and chairs underneath it to create a small sitting area where you can sit and greet visitors when they enter the yard.