Beautiful gardens are not exclusive to rich people. You do not have to have much space to make the most out of your garden. Having a small garden does not mean you have to miss out on a space you can enjoy; it just means you must think more carefully about your garden design. To help you, we have compiled a list of things you need to consider when designing your small garden. We want you to make the most out of your space.
Know your limits
When designing a small garden, you first need to know your limits! You must remember that you do not have space for everything. When scrolling online for garden inspiration, you must ask yourself two questions. Is this a priority for my landscape? How much space will that feature use? These questions will make you aware of your area's preciousness and help you prioritise what is important to you in your limited space.
Designing a small garden is accepting that you can’t have everything. Kitchen bars, vegetable patches, wildflower meadows, hot tubs and fire pits are all beautiful features in a landscape design. However, if you have a small space to work with, you need to accept that you can’t have everything. When designing a small garden, you need to ask yourself first: what can you not live without? Do you love to host friends? Then you may like to build a kitchen bar area. Do you have green fingers? Then perhaps you should prioritise a vegetable patch in your garden.
Less is more
After you’ve narrowed down the main features you would like in your garden, the next thing to remember is that less is more. Sometimes people feel they need to overcompensate for the lack of space with lots of decorations. You can make your garden appear bigger by leaving an adequate distance between the main features; this will not only enlarge the area but also make it seem more expensive. For example, adding lots of statues, hanging baskets, and furniture will only make your space more cluttered. Being selective as to what you include in your design is the key ingredient to a beautiful garden.
Another thing to consider is the size of the features you include in your garden. If you are after a water feature, perhaps a water fountain would take up too much space in your design. Instead, you could opt for a water wall alongside your property’s boundary. Making these small changes can save you a lot of functional space.
Create zones
One trap people with small gardens often fall into is not splitting your space into different zones. Only having one zone with a fence surrounding the area is boring. People assume that not breaking their garden into sections will make it look bigger - this is not the case. What happens is you draw attention to the boundaries of your garden, making it very obvious how small the space is.
With a small garden, you need to include decorative aspects. One good way is to create a partition that only sticks out from your boundary by a couple of metres. A partition, such as a trellis, is open enough to see the rest of the garden still. Also, if you want to add colour to the space, you could include some plants and flowers on your trellis.
Use levels
Creating different zones in your garden does not need to be extravagant. It could be as simple as making a different level. For example, why not seat your guests on raised decking if you are after a designated seating area? If you’re after a bit of luxury, why not dig out a section and include steps leading down to a fire pit area? Creating different levels does not need to change your existing plans; it modifies them to create a more open space.
Use Vertical Space
Designing a small garden requires a simple understanding of human perception. When you enter a space, your eyes naturally focus on specific features. As a designer, your job is to manipulate where people’s eyes will focus in your garden.
One clever trick to manipulate perception in your small garden is to utilise vertical space. Although your surface area is limited, you can use high features to draw your attention upwards. For example, hang fairy lights high above your seating area to make the space seem taller. Another idea would be to create a living wall on the exterior of your house. Your house will always be taller than your boundary fence; therefore, you can make your living wall taller. Whilst relaxing in your garden, your space will feel bigger.
Big Tiles
When choosing to pave their small garden, people make a common mistake: picking small tiles. One misconception about designing a small garden is that the tiles must be small because the space is small. Fitting as many tiles into the area does not fool people into thinking your garden is more significant than it is. Choosing large format tiles for your paving will expand the space. With large tiles, the grout lines are thinner and longer, which messes with our perception of the area.
Make storage decorative
Ultimately, your garden is more than an area for relaxation. Designing a small garden does not mean you have to choose between a beautiful garden and a functional garden! Your landscape should also be practical. In most landscape designs, you must include some form of storage. Using every bit of space wisely when you are limited would be best. So, why not decorate your garden shed with hanging flowers? Why not purchase outdoor furniture with built-in storage? Moda furnishings offer a wide range of garden accessories that could benefit a small garden.
Make the most of your view
If you are lucky enough that your garden overlooks a nice view, do not waste it! Even if your view is as basic as some open fields, it can make your small space feel bigger. A higher garden level might make the landscape feel included in your outside space. Perhaps a flower meadow sits outside your property; why not incorporate those flowers into your garden design too? Coordinating the colours of your garden with the existing landscape will make it feel like an extension of your outdoor living space.
Do you need further advice on garden design? Ultimately, every garden is unique, and there are many ways to make the most out of your small garden. Investing in a garden design has many benefits, which we have summarised in one of our latest articles. Sometimes it can take years of experience to know how best to design a landscape suitable for your needs. If you are unsure about your garden design, we would always recommend consulting one of our designers - for more reasons than one. Contact us today to start your garden transformation!
