Garden Small ?

 

Size does matter, most of us have a smaller garden than we would like and small garden blues aren’t nice.

Gardens of the small variety make it hard to grow all the plants we would like, or indeed for most of us we buy the plant then find out after a few years that it takes over the garden and has to come out.

And small garden design issues lead us to little choice in all areas  of gardening, from what plants, materials, lawns and patio furniture to have.

A small garden at the front of the property often lads people to pave or tarmac it over as car parking space.

If your gardens small there are many solutions so don’t worry, for instance boundaries become more of an important feature. Fences, trellises and walls make great areas for climbing plants.

Box hedges can be used to create form and direct the eye, this will work with larger flowers and pathways, try designing a central circular feature to add width.

Raised features are good to add dimension, raised bed around a seating area or in the middle can give a sense of being submerged in the garden. Raising the garden in steps facing your window is a good idea as it brings depths. You can plant the steps up to form a bank of flowers which will grab the attention.

A tip for small garden design when thinking about planting is to only use three main colours in you scheme.

Besides green! think of three of your favorite colours plant them in waves in your raised beds and you will have a display to be proud of.

Try using your cubic space, with trellis planting tubs and hanging baskets, an arch over a gate is another opportunity in a small garden to gain growing space.

Build in features to your garden such as a wall with a BBQ built in and the use of planters and pots will be of benefit.

Create illusions with hidden areas and opened fencing, it’s best to keep the lawn to a minimum or not have one at all. Think about gravel areas, water features and what you most want. This is usually a seating and or dining area.

Build a plan up around this central point, use a software package, or you can do it the old fashioned way with some graph paper and a pencil.

Most small gardens have high walls or fences around, it is a good idea to take a note 3 times a day if possible what the micro climate is like. What I mean is how much Sun does the small area of your garden get ? When does it have the Sun for and how long it is in shade or Sun, are parts of the garden exposed to the Sun, wind or frost.

 

Plants and a Small Garden

 

Firstly lets look at plants for walls, here are a few suggestions;

 

Plants for a North and East Facing Wall

 

Actinidia, Akebia, Celastus, Fallopia, Hedera, Hydrangrea, Jasminum, Pyracantha.

 

Plants for South and West Facing Walls

 

Abutilon, Aristolochia, Campsis, Celastrus, Clematis, Hedera, Passiflora, Wisteria.

Above are great for walls, large plants and small garden? yes we can as Mr. Obhama says, but be warned regular pruning required!

 

General Plants Suitable for Small Gardens

 

A lot of Conifers are low growing, these include, Aurea nana, Rheingold and Filifera Aurea and blue star.

Evergreen shrubs, well for a small garden your spoilt for choice, Hebes are popular espescially variegated varieties. Hydrangers and Cotoneasters too.

 

Water Features

 

Water features and small garden areas work well, adding a feature and ambiance to small gardens with the sound of water flowing, they don’t have to be ponds see below for some ideas.

Patio Furniture Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

Storage is the key, the above set is ideal as is the one below.

 

 

 

Stowaway patio furniture works well in a small garden as it “stows” down to a small areas easily stored in a shed or even in the house.

Finally if you can’t build in seating feature the try a fold away bench like below, it work well in small gardens and can again be folded away and put in a cupboard in the house.

Let us Know 

 

Do you have any questions? let us know by email, perhaps you have idea and small garden tips and advice you would like to share? let us know and we will publish you and link to your website.

This small garden feature is updated regularly by the patio furniture website Peak Garden Centres