The entire look of your yard may be well-designed, yet you might be wondering about those awkward, empty corners. Don’t worry, by trying the simple projects below, you will find amazing ways to turn these small spaces into focal points that attract everyone’s eye.
One of the best things about these ideas is that you can create them easily with old items you already have around your home. Old bicycles, dry tree stumps, and rusty metal buckets can all be creatively reused.
Interpreting green plants and vibrant flowers into the garden, these upcycling projects promise to bring an exciting new makeover to your outdoor space. There’s no need to look any further; spend your time looking at some of the brilliant ideas right here.
All the garden design ideas shown here are unique and can be implemented by anyone who aspires to build a charming year-round display. The list is pretty interesting; save these ideas and make one for your garden right now!
#1 Wine Barrel Spilled Pot Idea
This charming display is an easy way to create a playful visual impact in your garden border or a tight corner. The illusion of a spilled flowerpot instantly adds a sense of whimsical movement to your landscape design.
You can use an old wooden bushel basket or a barrel half tipped onto its side. Arrange annuals like vibrant magenta lobelia and pure white impatiens as if they are pouring out.
Line the bottom of the container with landscape fabric before adding soil and plants to help them flourish. This design works wonderfully when nestled against larger shrubs or tucked into a mulched flower bed.
#2 A Small Landscaping With Metal Items
This inviting yard corner showcases an amazing collection of repurposed metal containers, each bursting with vibrant greenery and blooms.
A classic black wheelbarrow takes center stage, thoughtfully filled with rich soil and a beautiful pink hydrangea plant. Nearby, a vintage galvanized tub and an assortment of metal pails create a charming, multi-level display of smaller plants and herbs. A wrought-iron plant stand adds elegant height and visual interest to the arrangement.
To create this look, gather various metal containers and drill drainage holes in their bottoms. Fill them with your favorite plants and set them on a bed of bright white gravel for a neat, finished appearance.
#3 A Small Flower Garden
This neat and tidy corner design shows you how to bring color and structure to a small, paved-over area near the driveway or walkway. A low picket fence helps define the garden’s border, giving it a classic and welcoming feel.
The clean edge is created with scallop-shaped landscape curbing stones, clearly separating the planting area from the pavement. You can plant tall, vibrant yellow flowers, like loosestrife, along the back fence for dramatic height.
Place a chartreuse hosta or other low-growing foliage in the foreground to create a beautiful color contrast. Use brightly colored mulch to keep weeds down and make the whole area visually pop.
#4 Beautiful Plants With Old Tree Stump
Transform an unsightly tree stump into a wonderful, rustic pedestal for your most colorful plant displays. This is a brilliant way to recycle a garden obstacle and give it a brand new, artistic purpose.
You can simply place a large container of bright pink impatiens right on top of the cut surface for an immediate burst of color. Allow trailing greenery, like creeping jenny, to spill over the stump’s rough edges for an organic, lush look.
To create this beautiful scene, find a solar-powered lantern and place it next to the stump to provide soft light at night. Nestle the arrangement in a mulched bed and surround it with various types of beautiful, interesting foliage.
#5 Simple Flower Pot
This beautiful galvanized wash tub instantly creates a wonderful centerpiece for a cozy corner garden display. The rustic metal finish contrasts perfectly with the delicate purple calibrachoa planted inside, creating a charming focal point.
You can add a small wooden birdhouse and a weathered sign to a stake in the tub for an extra layer of rustic charm. Plant tall, striking flowers like the creamy white foxglove shown here behind the tub to add vertical interest and texture.
To create this simple scene, ensure your tub has drainage holes and place an empty nest or small bundle of twigs on top of the flowers. Mulch the surrounding soil heavily to keep the planting area looking tidy and well-defined.
#6 A Small Flower Garden
Turn a sunny garden corner into a bright, abundant space that evokes the feel of a farmers market with this cheerful design. The key to this look is blending lots of varied color and texture, making the area feel wonderfully lush and full of life.
You can use old wooden signs with simple lettering to add a whimsical, curated touch to your garden beds. Elevate some of your containers on a simple ladder to add vertical dimension and showcase trailing flowers.
Use eye-catching, unique plants like the globe thistle pictured here for a stunning texture against the backdrop of vibrant annuals. Plant low-growing, silvery foliage along the border to create a soft, inviting frame for the rest of the flowers.
#7 Lovely Birdhouse
Create a sweet, welcoming garden vignette by grouping several rustic birdhouses and diverse galvanized containers. This design is perfect for an awkward, sunny spot right up against a fence or the side of a structure.
You can use old wash tubs, buckets, and even a galvanized funnel to create different planting levels and visual interest. Plant tall, spiky grasses and bright red or white annuals in the containers for a beautiful contrast against the dull metal.
To make the wooden birdhouses, attach them to sturdy posts of varying heights and secure them within the largest tub. Surround the base with contrasting mulch and a few smooth river stones for a polished, finished look.
#8 Recycling Old Ladder Idea
Turn an ordinary old wooden ladder into a striking vertical garden display with this brilliant upcycling idea. The vibrant lime green paint on the ladder makes it an energetic focal point, contrasting beautifully with the gray siding and bright pink flowers.
You can secure small boards to the rungs to create instant tiered shelves for your potted plants. Use matching galvanized buckets as planters to maintain a cohesive, rustic style.
Plant cascading pink petunias in the buckets so they tumble down the front of the ladder. Place a large Boston fern on the very top step for a crowning touch of deep green foliage. Finish the scene by displaying an initial on a small garden gate to truly personalize your space.
#9 Kid-friendly Project
This playful corner is a fantastic, kid-friendly project that uses painted rocks and simple garden whimsy to bring a smile to your face.
You can involve little ones by having them help paint small garden rocks to look like cheerful ladybugs with big, happy eyes. Use a brightly colored, broken terra cotta pot or a small plastic planter, turning it on its side to create a little cave or tunnel. Inside the opening, arrange yellow and blue painted stones into a delightful sunflower shape.
This is an easy way to decorate a bare patch of soil near a path or patio. Scatter a few small, fun plastic animals or metal garden accents nearby to complete the whimsical scene.
#10 A Stone Landscaping Idea
This beautiful garden corner shows you how to use various stones and gravel to create a stunning, low-maintenance landscape feature.
You can define the border between the grass and the path with simple brick edging to maintain a neat appearance. The combination of larger slate stepping stones and smaller gray and white river rock gravel adds wonderful texture and contrast.
Install solar lights along the pathway to safely illuminate your beautiful garden space at night. A wooden fence provides a great vertical canvas for hanging quirky garden art, like the painted sun and moon design.
Encourage climbing vines to grow up a small trellis on the left to add a lush, natural curtain of green.
#11 A Vintage Garden
Embrace the beautiful vintage garden look by combining weathered architectural salvage with a mix of lush plants in a corner space. The two tall, distressed wooden shutters leaning against the fence create a dramatic backdrop and add wonderful texture.
You can frame the garden bed with a border of rounded, natural river rocks to keep the mulch and soil contained. Vary the height of your plants, placing taller blooms like Salvia at the back and silvery Artemisia in the foreground.
Use old galvanized buckets and small terra cotta pots to hold plants and give the area that desirable rustic feel. A simple wooden slab acts as a perfect riser to elevate some of the small containers.
#12 Simple Yard Corner
This clever design transforms a plain corner into a welcoming rustic focal point using simple farm-inspired elements. You can lean a pair of unfinished wooden fence sections against the house, which gives height and texture to the space.
The large, black metal star is a striking, bold accent piece that defines the entire scene. Use a vintage black milk can to hold a charming arrangement of bright purple petunias or other colorful flowers.
Accent the look with other antique pieces like an old wagon wheel to reinforce the country style. Frame the planting area with natural stones and use black mulch to make the greenery and flower colors really stand out.
#13 Rustic Garden Art
This stunning corner transforms a basic fence junction into a unique piece of rustic garden art using clever vertical elements and repurposed pieces.
The tall, white-painted screen door, backed with chicken wire, adds immediate height and serves as a wonderful, shabby-chic backdrop.
You can anchor the look with a large, dark vintage milk can to provide a grounding vertical mass in the corner. Cluster various galvanized containers, like a wash tub and smaller pails, at the base to hold a mix of red and white geraniums and trailing greenery.
Use old wooden crates or boxes to vary the height of your planters and give the display some dimension. This setup is incredibly easy to achieve using salvaged items and simple flowers.
#14 Painted Yellow Tire
This creative, budget-friendly display uses a painted yellow tire to anchor a cheerful and eclectic garden corner. You can reuse an old car tire by simply cleaning it thoroughly and applying a few coats of bright, exterior-grade paint.
Plant a vibrant mix of colorful annuals and textured foliage, like coleus and impatiens, right in the center of the tire. A low, curved picket fence adds a quaint border, neatly separating the focal point from the surrounding yard.
Fill the area with light-colored gravel to create a clean base that beautifully highlights the yellow tire. Place a colorful glass birdbath on a stand nearby to attract feathered friends and complete your delightful, repurposed garden nook.
#15 Ground Flower Display
This vibrant ground flower display creates a lively, welcoming scene right up against your home’s foundation. You can use large and small natural stones to create a beautiful, irregular border that neatly defines the planting area.
The mix of intense colors, including bright pink petunias and electric blue lobelia, provides amazing contrast and visual energy. Place a few small pieces of garden art, like a decorative glass gazing ball and small stone statues, throughout the bed to add personality.
Vary the height of your plantings, featuring taller stalks of lavender and deep red cockscomb for drama. Upcycle a galvanized milk jug or vintage pottery to hold extra potted plants on an elevated ledge.
#16 A Fairy Garden
Create a magical, enchanting corner with this charming fairy garden design nestled amongst larger landscape stones. This project is a delightful way to bring a touch of childlike wonder and fantasy into your yard space.
You can use flat stepping stones to create paths and platforms for your tiny, decorative houses and mythical figurines. Add small details like miniature mushroom statues, a tiny garden wheelbarrow, and little pixie figures to make the scene come alive.
A miniature white picket fence helps define the small world and adds to the storybook feel. Use a large, natural boulder as a backdrop to give your tiny village a dramatic, mountainous landscape.
#17 A Spiral Stone Garden
This amazing spiral stone garden creates a dynamic, multi-tiered focal point that adds architectural interest to any garden corner. You can construct this beautiful feature using simple wire fencing or hardware cloth shaped into a rising spiral.
Fill the wire frame with clean, light-colored river rock or decorative stones to form a gabion wall. The spiral shape creates separate planting pockets perfect for different types of flowers or herbs.
Plant vibrant red geraniums throughout the structure for a stunning contrast against the neutral gray and white stones. To build the walls, secure the wire mesh with wire ties and fill the gaps with stones as you go up.
#18 A Small Vegetable With Lovely Garden Markers
Add a fun, whimsical touch to your small vegetable garden by creating these adorable, painted rock markers. This project is a fantastic way to designate planting rows while injecting personality into your edible garden space.
You can easily paint smooth, natural rocks to look like the vegetables they represent, such as a cucumber, pumpkin, eggplant, carrot, and potato. Use exterior-grade acrylic paints and a clear protective sealant to make sure your designs withstand the weather.
These bright, friendly markers are especially great for getting children excited about gardening and harvesting their crops. Place them nestled in the soil near your newly planted seedlings to instantly cheer up the whole corner.
#19 Welcome Decorated Outdoor Fence
Create a warm and inviting entrance to your yard or garden with this charming welcome fence display. A small section of crisp white picket fencing instantly defines the corner and serves as a lovely backdrop for other decorations.
You can hang a decorative welcome sign in the center and flank it with personalized burlap flags on tall, black metal stands. Use light green ribbon to add a fresh pop of color and tie the whole look together.
Place a small window box planter filled with greenery and natural fiber above the welcome sign for a subtle, organic touch. Attach solar-powered lights to the tops of the fence posts and on a shepherds hook to provide a gentle, glowing welcome after sunset.
#20 A Succulent Garden
Create a striking and space-saving display with this amazing tiered succulent garden built from simple concrete masonry units or cinder blocks.
This design is perfect for a sunny, tight corner, turning an ordinary wall into a showcase of texture and color. You can stack the blocks in a staggered pyramid or stair-step fashion to create individual planting pockets at various heights.
Fill each block opening with a mix of gritty soil and a variety of beautiful, low-maintenance succulents and small cacti. The neutral gray concrete perfectly highlights the vibrant greens, reds, and purples of the plants. Use a layer of colored mulch at the base to keep the area tidy and complete the structured look.