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I need help with ideas for this small backyard.

last month
last modified: last month







First spring here. just added patio set and solar lights around top of fence. I pulled a ton of weeds to and leaves to clear the ground as much as possible. I know the weeds will be a constant battle. Plant to the left is being tossed it was a failed first attempt at something from months ago. The dog sometimes uses this area for potty and there is a urine smell. I need some type of spray that will help with that. Rain makes the ground muddy and soggy.

This is my first townhouse with a yard and i want to make it look nice out there. Nothing over the top.

Some of my ideas. Spray the ground with weed spray? and urine treatment? Get some shelfing for plants? Something for the mildew on cement? Looking for any ideas that would help me make this area nice. thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and any time put into helping me think of ways to make this a nice area for the summer and moving forward


Comments (22)

  • last month

    Congrats on your new place! That patio area has lots of possibilities. I would first work on the gutter downspout by adding a 12 inch piece and then one of those extendable tubes that bend so you can have the water go toward the fence and under it.
    Then get outdoor cleaner with bleach to clean up cement and walk path. If budget allows get wider pavers for the walkway. Kill the weeds and add pea stone around the entire area. Get some different height flower pots to have colors you like and some greenery. You can probably find small pot holders for the fence too. Will be charming. Good luck to you!

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    I don't understand how the area with the table relates to the other one with your picture with the dog. Can you draw a plan of the area to show where one is in relation to the other?

  • PRO
    last month

    IMO thta silly little concrete slab is not ideal You could do a free standing deck to cover that whole area with weedfabric underneath . You will have to take the dog for a walk a few times aday since that smell will never go away unless you prep the soil and do gravel 4" deep that I find seems to do the trick in my dog run to avoid the urine smell but we do not eat out there .Taht fence could use a power wash too. I assume there are rules as to what you can do that is why I suggest a floating deck. The pea gravel is a good plan but it needs to be quite deep to control the smell and you need to be up on the pick up ofpoop no matter what.

  • last month

    @lisedv I pasted the two photos together so you can see how they are connected side by side based on the small porch and railing. Dog is standing on the small porch. You always have good ideas, so hope this helps!



  • last month

    You need some plants. Greenery will transform the space. If your dog is going in the same spot all the time, it will smell and probably kill any greenery. If you don't want your outdoor space to become a dog latrine, you have to take your dog elsewhere.


    The Brits do small gardens well. I'd train some climbers up your fence. I'd plant a few bigger flowers in your corners and very short flowers in the narrower sections. Just putting a bunch of annual impatiens would do a lot for that space.


    Small Garden Design Kennington · More Info


  • last month

    If you look closely, you can see the railing/steps so it appears the table is to the right and the AC to the left of the steps.

    I agree with stones and/or more pavers and containers for plants. I would pressure clean the slab and you can buy special paint for cement to improve the look.


  • last month

    Suggestions:


    Budget friendly improvements: Refinish the fence.. Powewash the slab then put an outdoor rug over it. Add large potted plants. Don't use the back patio for a doggy bathroom.


    Longterm: Build a floating deck over the slab to fill the space. Add large potted plants. This is Instadeck from Wayfair.




  • last month

    If weeds are going to be a constant battle, the last thing you want to deal with is gravel/stones. I suspect you are in a much wetter place than most of the respondents are used to. Knowing where that is will help with suggestions.

    The downspout is going to be an ongoing issue. Talk to the HOA, or whoever controls outside your fence about where you can run it to. The slab cut off the obvious path.

    Plant go in the ground. Pots are a hassle that isn't necessary.

  • last month

    This is in Fairfax virginia

    nothing crazy wet but rain makes this area very soggy muddy

  • last month

    I would build a lattice cover for the a/c. Get an outdoor rug for the patio. Potted plants on the ground and hanging on the fence. If you have an outdoor faucet, a drip system works great. We got a Raindrip brand system from walmart that comes with a timer and plenty of 1/4' hose.

    I wouldn't worry about planting in the ground. And no poisonous weed spray with pets.

    You need a wider front walk with solid pavers, not stepping stones. Consider paving the yard with brick.

    For one part of the yard, shredded cedar bark mulch works great, stays in place and safe for dogs. Our dogs love it. Has to be mulch from the soft bark, not wood chips. Or would spread that everywhere instead of brick.

  • last month

    I would add a rug under the table. Add artificial grass to the ground and potted plants along the fence.

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    Here's a budget friendly visual of my suggestions. I'm showing white furniture (inexpensive on Amazon) because the dark furniture you show doesn't stand out with the dark fence surround.


  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Another vote for decking the entire space. You need all the room you have. The way to get the max out of what's there is if the entire square footage is the same level and material.

  • last month

    A rug and grass’ll do it for me. 💚

  • last month

    Treat the patio with an algaecide and power wash. But, due to the close quarters, there is little air circulation and the algae will be an ongoing battle. I love the look of an outdoor area rug, but the algae may negatively impact it. I had one, but finally got rid of it for that very reason. If you decide to fill in the ground areas with pea gravel, be sure to put down a double layer of weed block first to control weeds and to keep the gravel from sinking and merging with the soil. I would add color by planting in containers and fence-hung baskets. Pay attention to how much sun/shade the area receives before choosing your plants. Enjoy your new space!



  • last month

    Could be a great space. I know it’s small, so using the vertical areas of the fence would afford you a garden without loosing square footage. Have a search for vertical garden systems. Agree with more substantive walkway pavers would make the entry more appealing. Regarding the odour issue, try a good spraying with household white vinegar - it works on cat urine odours so it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. There might be an indoor pet tray system that could be affective outside that you could wash down with vinegar to keep the dog using one area so you don’t have to do a whole patio wash.

  • last month

    Walk your dog. I’ve had dogs and small yards and yes it is 100 times easier to open the door for a quick pee. BUT this is a tiny space you want to use for eatting in. No. Just break the habit. This needs to either be a dog bathroom or your patio. You decide.


    Get quotes for paving the entire space. Then add pots with tall flowering plants. You don’t have to squish your table in the corner nor work about someone’s chair falling off the cliff.


    If your ground is soggy now, just wait for mosquito season. You may not even want to be out here!





  • last month

    Someone suggested bleach. NEVER USE BLEACH ON URINE! Urine contains amonia and the combination will burn your lungs.

  • last month

    We had a very wet and muddy small, partially enclosed back yard. Rather than work french drains and hassel, we built up. We covered thw hole muddy mess with a deck. The mud is still there, but the deck hides it.

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    great ideas already - if it were me, I would want this spot to be clean and comfy for me and my dog so would probably start pretty basic

    i like @tracefloyd suggestion of shredded mulch, we get hardwood mulch put in our beds and it really stays put, it’s soft and my Labrador will lay in it no problem

    I also like the idea of 1 or 2 pretty pots to start with - you can see how the light/sun works this summer and make adjustments going forward

    have some Simple Green/ pet odor eliminator in a large watering can and pour that on your dog’s spot after he goes

    we have a oscillating outdoor standing fan from Decobreeze and it is such an easy way to keep mosquitoes away and cool down an area

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    If you start walking your dog then you'd be able to install pavers to make it into a large patio that's levelled with your cement slab. It's not a very big yard so I suggest you look into pricing it.


    You can also build a wood/composite deck over the cement slab and vent.



  • last month

    If you want to invest, consider removing the slab. Make the whole area brick sized colored pavers. Include the steps and entrance porch.