Now that spring has arrived, homeowners across the country are dreaming of warm afternoons and evenings spent outside. For those without ample land, turning your backyard into an outdoor oasis is just several simple steps away. If you're planning on landscaping this spring and summer, keep the following tips in mind.

Keep it to scale

If your space is small, the different areas of your yard—say, your patio and garden—will need to be moderate in size as well. An average size deck in a below-average size yard will make the deck seem huge, and the yard space minimal. Keep your deck or patio quaint and cut your garden back to the essentials.

Minimize

If you try and cram in too many pieces of furniture or kids’ toys, your yard will look cluttered and even more cramped. In order to maximize your space, you will need to minimize things like lawn furniture and yard accessories. Pick simple, streamlined pieces and try to look for moveable accents, like a lawn table or grill with wheels you can pull out from the garage when it's barbecue time.

Tidy up

An overgrown lawn and garden will make your yard space look even more condensed. The great thing about less yard is it takes less maintenance, so keep up with mowing, pruning and weeding.

Plant up

If you have a fence or trellis, plant things that will grow vertically, whether it be flowering vines, tomatoes or peas. Additionally, consider hanging plants or stackable garden planters to streamline what little garden grove you have available.

As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, our team has a wealth of real estate and home ownership information that may be of help to you. Feel free to contact us at any time to learn more about this important information, and be sure to forward this article on to any friends or family that may be interested as well.