7+ Backyard Landscaping Ideas for Small Vancouver Yards

Hey there! I’m Jacky, and for the last twelve years I’ve been lucky enough to design gardens all over Vancouver.

We’re talking tiny Kitsilano patios, super-narrow East Van yards, and everything in between—places where you can almost touch both fences at once.

Hands down, the most common thing people say to me is: “Jacky, our backyard is only 300-400 square feet… is it even worth landscaping?”

I love that question, because small yards are honestly my favourite to work on.

When space is limited, every plant and seat has to be perfect. What you get is a super-personal outdoor room that feels magical—and way more loved than a giant lawn most of us just mow and ignore.

Here are the ideas that actually work in our wet, mild, sometimes shady Vancouver climate. These are the exact strategies my teams at FLO Workshop use every week on real projects.

1. Start with a “Less is More” Plan (The Biggest Mistake People Make)

Most homeowners try to cram a patio + fire pit + hot tub + raised beds into a small yard and end up with something that feels like a storage locker. Instead, pick one or two functions that matter most to you:

• Do you actually eat outside 40 nights a year? → Prioritize a proper dining area.
• Do you mostly drink coffee and read on weekend mornings? → A cozy lounge corner is enough.
• Kids or dog? → Durable turf and open play space.

At FLO Workshop we always begin every small-yard project with a simple hand-drawn “bubble diagram” on tracing paper (takes 15 minutes) that shows circulation and the 1–2 zones that will get 90 % of the use. Everything else supports those zones.

2. Make the Ground Plane Do Double Duty

In a small yard the floor is the largest visible surface, so choose materials that make the space feel bigger and work harder.

Popular Vancouver combos we install:

• Cedar decking (2×6 or tighter spacing) in the main seating area → warm, barefoot-friendly, smells amazing when it rains.
• 24″ × 24″ porcelain pavers or 12″ × 24″ basalt tiles on a pedestal system over the rest → zero maintenance, excellent drainage, reflects light to brighten shady yards.
• Artificial turf or tight-creeping thyme between pavers if you have dogs or kids who need soft landing.

Pro tip: run the decking or paver layout diagonally or in a herringbone pattern. It tricks the eye and makes a narrow yard feel wider.

3. Go Up, Not Out – The Magic of Vertical Layering

Vancouver’s Zone 8 climate is perfect for climbing plants and wall-mounted planters.

Ideas that look stunning and don’t eat floor space:

• Evergreen clematis (Clematis armandii) or winter-flowering jasmine on a simple powder-coated steel trellis → blooms when everything else is asleep.
• A 6-ft-tall slat screen covered in star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) → instant privacy from neighbours and gorgeous scent in July.
• Wall-mounted cedar planter boxes (we build them 12–18″ deep) overflowing with ferns, heuchera, and trailing persicaria.

One North Vancouver client went from a 10-ft-wide yard that felt like a hallway to a lush green tunnel just by adding two parallel trellises and under-planting with black mondo grass.

4. Choose Plants That Behave in Small Spaces

Forget anything that grows 20 ft wide. Here are the plants I specify over and over because they stay compact, tolerate rain, and look good 12 months a year:

Trees (one small tree max!)

• Japanese maple ‘Shaina’ or ‘Red Dragon’ (8–10 ft tall, slow)
• Paperbark maple (Acer griseum) – incredible cinnamon bark in winter
• Dwarf Hinoki cypress or ‘Green Arrow’ Alaskan cedar for vertical accent

Shrubs & Perennials

• Dwarf rhododendrons (R. ‘Ramapo’, ‘Ginny Gee’)
• Sarcococca (sweetbox) – shade-tolerant, fragrant in February
• Compact hydrangeas like ‘Little Lime’ or ‘Bobo’
• Evergreen ferns (Tasmanian tree fern in protected spots) and hostas for bold texture

Groundcovers instead of lawn

• Dwarf mondograss (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nanus’)
• Irish moss or baby tears between stepping stones

5. Create “Rooms” with Level Changes

Even an 8–12 inch height change completely changes how big a small yard feels. We often do one raised cedar planter (acts as extra seating) or a sunken gravel lounge with a fire bowl. The subtle shift in elevation makes the yard read as two distinct spaces instead of one cramped box.

6. Water Features That Actually Make Sense Here

Vancouver gets 1,200 mm of rain a year, big ponds are unnecessary and sometimes a mosquito headache. Instead:

• A simple ceramic or basalt bubbling fountain (recirculating, 60 cm tall). The sound of moving water is incredibly soothing on a quiet rainforest evening.
• A disappearing fountain (water bubbles up and vanishes into an underground reservoir) – zero standing water, safe for kids and pets.

7. Lighting – The Cheapest Way to Double Your Usable Space

Our mild winters mean you can sit outside in December if it’s dry and lit properly. Low-voltage or solar path lights are fine, but the real magic is:

• Warm (2700 K) string lights draped in a zigzag across the yard
• One or two uplights on a feature tree or sculpture
• Step lights built into riser boards so you don’t trip over the dog toys at night

8. Edible Touches That Don’t Take Over

You don’t need 10 raised beds. A few strategic edibles keep things fun:

• Espaliered apple or Asian pear on a sunny fence (takes 8 inches of depth)
• Blueberry bushes in half-whiskey barrels (evergreen foliage + fruit)
• A living wall of evergreen herbs (thyme, oregano, trailing rosemary)

Real Vancouver Before & After Example

Last spring we transformed a 18 × 25 ft yard in Mount Pleasant. Before: patchy grass, one sad hydrangea, and a rusty shed. After (total budget ~ $$$$):

• Cedar corner deck with built-in bench seating
• Porcelain tile extension for a 6-person dining table
• Two steel trellises with evergreen clematis and star jasmine
• One dwarf Japanese maple underplanted with ferns and black mondo
• Low-voltage string lights and a basalt bubbling fountain

The clients now eat outside 50+ nights a year and say the yard finally feels bigger than their 800 sq ft condo.

Ready to Love Your Small Yard?

Small Vancouver yards aren’t a limitation, they’re an invitation to edit ruthlessly and keep only what brings joy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just want a second set of eyes, reach out. At FLO Workshop we specialize in these compact urban oases, and we’d love to help you turn your postage-stamp backyard into the favourite “room” of your home.

Drop us a message at jacky.wah2@gmail.com or Call me directly +1 (604) 240-9604 – I still answer every inquiry myself.

Happy gardening!