this is the back of my house with a cement porch.

what is your budget? do you want complete privacy like on the left?

First I guess you need to know who owns the fences that are up now since I see the chain link on one side inside the wood fence. That awning needs to be replaced for sure . What do you want to do with the yard. I would plan on a seating area down there and maybe even the eating space . Do you have storage under the deck now? We need more info and also a plan showing sizes of the spaces.

A simple, clean solution would be keeping a vine trained or trimmed flat on the chain link fence. topiary yews spaced out along the sides and groundcover in between. Control the view with the topiary spacing. The back bed could be a flowering shrub, such as one of the Hydrangeas. It would be nice if the fence surfaces could be cleaned up and painted, but as they are neighbor's, it may not be possible.

I guess it depends what you want. Even though your yard is small I would want some grass. For me since you have a deck I would probably rip out the paving stones and add grass to that entire area.

I agree figuring out fence ownership is key. The best case scenario is when neighbours are willing to share the cost of replacing a fence so that it’s nice and consistent.

If that can’t be done then the green Yardvark mentions is a great way to cover the mismatched fencing.

I see you have a child so that will need to be addressed so they have a play spot too

My back garden is roughly the same size. I would strongly advise against grass. It will become a mud patch for much of the year. My garden is paved and usable all year. I also don't have to lug a mower about. A stiff broom is the only maintenance tool required. Furthermore tall buildings and fences equal shade so much of your 'grass' might well end up as moss. I would not remove the brick paving. You already have two side beds and an end bed. Get better fences, fill up the beds and you'll have a lovely space. In a small yard you also need to be very aware of where the sun is. My garden is only about fifteen feet wide but the two sides have completely different amounts of light. Make sure you have some seating on the sunny side.

ps much more of my garden used to be paved when the kids were small. Now they're gone the sides have been steadily nibbled away to leave not much more than a broad path.

An April evening in a tiny garden.

First main question to be answered before going on with any plans is: "Who owns the chain link fences?"

You can't plan anything until you know that.

floral_uk why do you think it would be mud? We live in wet Vancouver and our yard isn't mud. Tons of grass. Yes we do have a couple of tricky patches but nowhere near enough to sway me from having grass ever.

That said with a small space you could always do artificial turf. With kids I would never want only paved in my yard.

Read this book. It is perfect for you: Buffalo Style Gardens

Will you have a yard service or will you be taking care of it yourselves? How much time will you be investing? 2 hours a week? 45 minutes every month?

Whoever owns the CLF is lowering all the property values. If it is yours, take it out and replace with true privacy fencing. If some of it is not yours, plan on losing a bit of space by setting your fence line inside the CLF.

following

A S - I like grass too but I think it would be muddy because in a very small garden the same patch of grass is repeatedly walked on. Soggy mud in winter, bare worn patches in summer. That is my personal experience. A paved garden can have plenty of greenery and wildlife. My kids survived it. Before they grew up the paved area was bigger. We had a table tennis table and various ball games. They also had wheeled toys. As they got older the paved area got smaller and the beds got bigger as the gardener nibbled away at the edges and the kids went off out on their own.

Ps a garden that size doesn't need a yard service. Mine takes no more than a couple of hours a month to maintain. Maybe 30 minutes in winter. Remember, no mowing. All perennials or shrubs. Chock full so barely any weeding. Just basic occasional tidying.

Add nicer fencing, plant all dirt areas, if possible make a doorway under the cement porch and keep all toys put away unless in use, set up the porch area with seating etc., repair or do away with awning. If you get it cleaned up and all bed areas mulched it will look much better. Then you can come back for planting ideas.

Lovely, Floral. And charming stone work.

Yes lovely! AndJack how lucky you are to have that space in Brooklyn! Lots of great gardeners there, especially edible garden pioneers, so I hope you connect with them. To me the most attractive fencing is also the most reasonable—rolls of 6 ft bamboo screens from Home Depot or garden centers. They don’t last forever snd must be tied to the sturdier fences you have but will unify the space in a pleasing way. I don’t hate chain link as vehemently as others in an urban space, especially in back yards. It is so practical and easy to cover with plant material or what I’ve suggested. Chain link can be found under ivy dividing backyards of elegant brownstones.

Floral, I ADORE your garden!

Thank you. Here it is in a rare snowfall last February. We haven't had a single flake this winter.

We are lucky enough to have stone walls but they are topped by trellis. I would recommend trellis topped fence rather than bamboo. I don't know the OPs climate but in mine bamboo would last about three years, tops. With a suitably robust fence one can grow a host of shrubs and climbers long term.

Planters and trellises along the perimeter offer space-saving options for annuals and edible gardens. Plant along the existing fence or replace it, if budget allows. Accommodate family needs (seating area, storage, lawn, garden, etc.) with a balance of paved and planted zones to create a truly lovely and useful urban yard. Keep in mind your yard's exposure and your climate when choosing plants and consult with your local nursery for best results.

For more inspiration, visit the Urban Garden featured on our website.

Hi all, thank you for all your positive feedback. I love all the your ideas. I owe the chain link fence with the taller fence next to it. I would take down my chain link fence on my side. The other side is owed by my neighbor so I would have to put the fence on my property and not touch her fence. How do I hide the ugly metal door to my basement? The back of the house (awning needs replacement) I also agree no more grass due to a mosquitoe issue due to a neighbors overgrown yard. I rather cement it or put stone down. I love trees and flowers. How do I make the cement porch look more inviting? Do I keep the black rencing around it. I want a 6 feet fence. I don't think I can legally GO higher than that in NYC. How much do you think this project would cost to make it a beautiful addition to my house.

Thank you.

Depending on how well you get along with your neighbor with the wood fence, you might be able to put a 4x4 post on your lot line and just connect a board to theirs. If you can, use the same pattern on the fence on the other two sides. Get all the hardscapes done first.. Fence, patios, and beds. Then take new pictures and work on the plants.

The door to your basement, make it the nicest, easiest to use one you can buy. Paint or stain it a neutral color, that will fade into the background. You want it easy to use, because that will be the best place to store garden tools and summer things that you won't have out all year.

1. Glad you don't want grass in your city lot. Agreed, it is a mosquito magnet, and mosquitos are getting worse and worse because of the warm winters we have been having.

2. I really like your bricks and would not pave over them. You just need a good vision that will tie together a new fence, the bricks and your three large sides of beds.

3. Regarding your bilco doors to the basement, it brings up a question about the whole back of your house. There is a lot of mismatched after though happening. You need to think about the new awning and how you will repair the wall that is the base of your porch. Once the back of your house has more of a "look" to it, you can paint your bilco doors to become part of that scheme. Obviously the setting of the houses below are quite different than yours but they both match the doors to the look of the house and they have planting nearby. Perhaps you want to flank the left side of your basement doors with a planter so there is greenery on one side and steps on the other.

I'm obsessed with city back yards and find lots of inspiration just doing a google image search for "Brooklyn backyard ideas".

Good luck. It is a wonderful space.

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Just saw a Brooklyn garden story archived on Gardenista and thought of you. Simple but incredible.

Thank you Kendrah. I agree with all your advice. We have done nothing to the yard since we purchased the house other than clean it up every spring. I don’t like the cement porch but will work with it. We hired someone to fix the back of the house, take the awning down ect but he decided not to do it at the last minute.

personally I hate grass and yardwork. I'd keep the bricks down the center and just put some low maintenance plants, mulch, rocks, etc around the perimiter.

add a privacy fence and some festive lighting. in the center, add some outdoor seating and a coffee table or gas powered fire pit.

I have these chairs from Ikea that are surprisingly comfortable and really easy to keep clean. (they come in taupe too.)

Check this project. Looks like yours

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Search images for Charleston Gardens. Most homes in downtown Charleston, SC, have pocket sized paved yards. And they are inspirational! They will give you wonderful ideas of how to organize a small yard. Although the plant material will be different, you can replicated many of their ideas in Brooklyn! Keep us posted on your progress. I, for one, would love to see the transformation of your garden!

I will. Thank you.