Many people with garden homes and patio homes assume that their property is too small for professional landscaping.
This is by no means the case.  While small landscaping projects often prove more difficult than expected to the do-it-yourselfer, they are not impossible.  The number one problem people who attempt to landscape a small property run into is over doing the landscape and inadvertently creating a sense of disorder.  In these settings, the principle of less-is-more applies here more than anywhere else. 

Professional landscape designers and partner professional masonry companies can help with this dilemma by taking a much more systematic and strategic approach to developing truly impeccable small landscaping designs. 
This is done by building key hardscape structures that reflect the beauty and proportion of the home, and by enhancing the small backyard with carefully selected plant material that contributes organic presence and true vitality to the entire property. 

All manner of unique fountains can also be added to create tranquil moods and special moments.
For example, a custom fountain can be built in almost any imaginable design that will appropriately compliment the home and surrounding hardscape elements.   In some newer homes built with contemporary themes, for instance, we can build a fountain right into the surface of the patio itself.  Special drains that hide unobtrusively near the fountain can collect the water and send it back to a silent, remote pump that recycles the water stream. 

Another excellent water to incorporate into a small landscaping master plan is a reflecting pool. 
A reflecting pool is a shallow, geometrically proportional body of water just deep enough to form a mirror image of surrounding structures on the top of its surface.   Such reflections work to magnify the actual size of the property by capturing images of the home, architectural walls, trees, and other special landscape features.   In a small backyard with limited area, this collage of color and juxtaposed geometry creates a multi-dimensional expansion of space that removes from the mind’s eye the perceived limitations of the property at hand.

Garden design, although smaller in proportion to what we see on large estates, can be every bit as dynamic and diverse in townhome and garden home properties.
A small garden is an excellent way to make the limited space of a small backyard appear teaming with life.  In some cases, a custom garden design is more apropos to the setting due to the eclectic nature the architecture we see in many townhome and garden homes.  

Minimalist gardens, contemporary gardens, and modern garden designs are also very effective in small landscaping projects because of the high level of customization and abstract design they afford. 

In other settings, however, the home may be built in a style of architecture reminiscent of a particularly European culture.  In these settings, smaller versions of smaller versions of traditional gardens like French garden, Italian garden, and the English herb garden can prove the perfect complement to  the home.

Many owners of patio homes that were built with an adjoining patio often wonder if anything can be done to enhance the original hardscape.
The fact of the matter is, the original hardscape can most certainly be upgraded in almost every respect.  Vertical impact can be added in the form of masonry walls, raised concrete planting beds, and ornamental planters for vegetables. 

Small landscaping also affords unlimited opportunities for special ornamentation.
Think beyond stereotypical elements of the grandiose when meeting with your professional landscape designer.  Sometimes very small items can transform an entire backdrop if positioned correctly in the scene.  Trellises are an excellent example of this.  Hanging a trellis on a garden wall adds wrought iron décor to the edifice of brick, which in turn becomes a haven for climbing greenery. 

Also, an obelisk design can create a wrought iron centerpiece as the aesthetic fulcrum of a small landscaping design.   This can be placed in the center of a garden or a patio, depending on the homeowner preference.   

Even the most rudimentary of elements can be transformed into paradigms of decorative aesthetic. 
Professional landscapers and partner masonry professionals can take something as simple as a short stairway and bring it down from the back door into the softscape below.  Just two or three steps are all it takes to add drama and interest.  Stepping stone pathways are also ideal for small landscaping because a few stones run between patios, gardens, and water features make the entire property look much bigger than it actually is.