'A side yard is an area of land located on the side of a home, typically between the main building and the property boundary or adjacent structures,' explains Kevin Lenhart, design director at Yardzen. 'Side yards are typically transitional or utilitarian spaces, used for things like storage and utility infrastructure, or simply as a passage between front and back yards without entering the home. If they are not used for essential storage, and they don’t have an entry point from the front yard, they often go underutilized. These skinny pass-through zones actually can have a lot of potential.'
Anthony Wyer, founder and creative director of Sydney-based landscape design practice Wyer & Co agrees that 'The side yard or passage can serve a valuable purpose in landscape design, acting as a transitional zone between indoor and outdoor areas while offering an opportunity to showcase plantings and create privacy. As these areas are often narrow and limited in space, approach planting creatively and consider climbers and bamboo for screening instead of traditional hedging. Organic shaped steppers can provide structure underfoot, allowing the garden to reveal itself in an interesting way.'