The One Secret to Making a Small Yard Look Bigger is Vertical Layering – And it's Surprisingly Easy To get Right
Neglecting this design trick can make a small yard feel even smaller
If you want to create depth and vibrancy to your small yard, the golden rule is not to neglect vertical layering. When overlooked it can make a small yard feel even smaller. Luckily, we know how to avoid that happening.
If your plants are arranged solely on a single horizontal plane, your yard can quickly loose its sense of depth, appearing one-dimensional and uninspiring. This lack of structure not only affects the aesthetic appeal, but also limits opportunities for maximizing even the smallest of backyards. By introducing vertical elements into your design, including trellises, wall planters, or hanging baskets, you can create a more dynamic, multi-layered environment, adding character and interest.
Article continues belowVertical Layering Ideas
In small yards, a living wall can add height and depth, creating the illusion of a bigger space.
Garden Designer Katie Oglesby recognizes that one of the most common garden design mistakes is planting everything on one level.
It's an easy mistake but one that can also be remedied by using some super easy design solutions. Katies tells me, 'Without vertical layering, a garden can feel visually flat and lack the depth and structure that makes a space feel dynamic and intentional.
'By incorporating vertical elements you quickly add visual interest and architectural structure while also supporting plant health. Growing plants upward really helps to boost the health of the plant, can help reduce disease pressure, particularly with edible crops.
'There are several options for annual, perennial, and edible plants that naturally prefer to climb. Supporting these plants vertically allows them to grow the way they are intended while increasing productivity and making better use of available space.'
Vertical growing however doesn’t have to be limited to classic crops like cucumbers or peas. Katies also tells me that plants such as sweet potatoes or Malabar spinach can also create lush privacy walls or edible privacy walls on a deck, patio, or within the garden while adding productivity and visual interest.
Vertical planters are a great design solution to avoid your yard becoming one dimensional.
Katie continues, 'Certain climbing perennials and even annuals add seasonal color and texture, contributing to the layered structure of the garden, while trellis panels placed in large containers are one of the simplest ways to introduce vertical planting.
'They can be positioned along walls, garages, fences, or decks and provide an easy structure for climbing plants.
'Another great hack is to include wall mounted vertical planters into your yard which allow herbs, greens, or strawberries to grow in stacked pockets, adding more layers while keeping the garden footprint minimal.'
And of course, the hanging basket is another easy way to introduce vertical layering. Katies adds, 'Suspending plants above eye level helps maximize space while adding movement, softness, and visual interest to patios, decks, and garden spaces. When plants occupy multiple heights, the garden immediately feels fuller, more intentional, and visually engaging.'
Katie also champions more budget friendly or DIY options, including livestock panels, which can be installed between posts to create sturdy vertical supports, and repurposed pallets used to create simple living walls for herbs, flowers, or trailing plants.
Kitchen Garden Design House is a garden-to-table lifestyle design studio based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Tailored to those who appreciate life’s simple luxuries, Kitchen Garden Design House specializes in crafting bespoke kitchen gardens that seamlessly blend elevated aesthetics with sustainable, garden-to-table living practices.
How to Embrace Vertical Layering in your Yard
Solutions to help you embrace layering come in all different shapes and sizes.
Whatever your budget, there is a wide selection of options to help you achieve your vertical layering goals.
I've shopped around so you don't have to, bringing you some of the best design solutions to transform your yard. These are just some of my favorite finds.
If space is really tight or you're growing on a balcony this vertical wall planter available to buy from Walmart, is a great introduction to vertical layering. It is perfect for growing herbs and plants like strawberries or tomatoes in urban environments.
Trellis's attached to walls like this wooden one from Amazon, also allows you to hang smaller pots to it, adding interest or again to maximize space this five tiered vertical ladder also from Amazon, will help you to grow more plants.
Or alternatively this charming gothic-style trellis from Wayfair, will look great against a wall; perfect for climbing roses in bigger spaces.
Structure and adding architectural interest is vital when it comes to vertical layering. Wayfair also has a great selection of obelisks, including this beautiful set of two elegant obelisks, which will make a great addition to any yard, helping to draw your eye away from the ground.
So if you are looking to maximize space and create interest that is not linear, then vertical layering is a key area of design that should never be overlooked.
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