Add decorative and functional elements to make a small garden seem more significant, such as adding mosaic paths for both art purposes and as an alternative to more conventional paving materials.
Use plants to soften complex features. For instance, using a combination of clipped and loosely planted planting can add depth and conceal everyday necessities like an outdoor trashcan or pool pump.
Mirrors
Mirrors can add many practical benefits to garden designs. They can create the illusion of depth and space, reflect light into shaded areas, and act as focal points or create themed designs – as well as versatile features suitable for various garden styles. When used wisely, garden mirrors can make for stunning features!
Mirrored walls can create the illusion of an expanded planting area while drawing attention to plants that might otherwise blend into the background, drawing them out of hiding and increasing visibility. This effect is theatrical if mirrors are placed along narrow walkways like garden paths. Mirrors may also be mounted to walls and fences to add visual interest; for instance, you could dress up a plain brick wall by hanging an ornate mirror frame from it for use as outdoor living room seating; alternatively, they can act as pieces of art when combined with intricate designs that complement plantings in order to enhance them both!
Position mirrors near beautiful features in your garden, such as water fountains or flower arrangements, to amplify their effect and reflect light into dark areas. This way, they will magnify their impact while also reflecting on it again.
Keep in mind, however, that mirrors can reflect and magnify sunlight, creating potential fire hazards if they’re not placed correctly. Therefore, it is vital to regularly check their heat output throughout the day as well as monitor birds flying into them as this could cause them to hit their heads against the glass and become seriously injured – to mitigate this possibility, you can place mirrors at a height which makes it more difficult for birds to approach them.
Vertical Planters
Planters or trellises with their diagonal lines help break up a garden’s overall shape and visually extend it, especially for smaller gardens with few planting beds. Furthermore, this adds variety to the space, which helps make it feel less cluttered and more welcoming.
Vertical gardening containers come in all sizes to fit virtually every budget, from plastic hanging pots to cedar wall systems. Many also build their vertical gardening structures using fences, trellises, obelisks, stacked pots, or bamboo tripods; as some vegetables like tomatoes and runner beans thrive best when grown on a trellis, so growing upward is often a more effective way to use a garden space than out. Leafy greens and strawberries also frequently thrive well when grown vertically.
Many of the same rules apply when planning a vertical garden as they would to any other garden, such as using various plants to add texture and color that keep the space visually appealing all year round. Pearce Butcher suggests utilizing an assortment of evergreen trees and shrubs for privacy when space is tight; she also favors plants with multiple seasons of interest, such as foliage, flowers, or colorful bark.
At her vertical garden in Los Angeles, she chooses aromatic plants like rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) or fragrant herbs like thyme (Thymus serpyllum) because their scent fills the air. Additionally, she likes including plants that showcase bark or seedheads during wintertime as well as ornamental grasses that retain color well even during the fall season – all creating gardens that offer year-round interest for small spaces.
Container Gardens
Many people assume they cannot garden in small spaces, but the reality is you can grow quite a bit, even in tight spots. Container gardens provide an effective solution to bring color and interest to any small space without taking up valuable real estate on the ground plane – perfect for narrow spaces, window sills, porches, and patios, as well as indoor use on sunny windowsills or as temporary living walls.
Success with containers lies in selecting the appropriate plants. Choose compact varieties that will be manageable for the space, like roses with low maintenance needs. Also, add ornamental grasses or fast-growing edible plants like radishes and lettuce so that you can harvest a fresh crop before the larger plants take over, saving precious growing space in return.
Add decorative touches such as boldly painted pots, metal planters, and even repurposed wooden crates to your container garden to make it more striking and memorable. Get even more creative by placing saucers under each container as water drainage to keep the soil from becoming waterlogged and soggy.
Companion planting can be an ideal way to combat pests and diseases in containers, including sweet basil and nasturtiums, which work to repel aphids naturally.
Raised-bed container gardens are another trend in gardening for small spaces that has gained increasing popularity, offering safe and convenient ways of growing produce in urban and suburban settings. Furthermore, elevated beds such as these deter slugs and snails from taking over your garden space so that you can fully appreciate it without worry over invasion by unwelcome guests.
Terraced Gardens
Terraced gardens can be an elegant way to take advantage of sloping spaces while creating a multi-dimensional garden space. Terraces can either blend seamlessly into their surroundings or stand out with bold design choices and stand out from them for added interest and distinction in your yard.
If the tiers of your terraced garden are made from concrete, stone, or wood, try matching them to the materials found throughout your home for a cohesive aesthetic. When placing steps between levels, make them more pleasing by using curved rather than straight steps – this makes for safer footing while remaining visually appealing!
Consider adding flowering plants between your terraces for an eye-catching effect, while ornamental grasses provide a hypnotic movement to your terraced garden design.
Setting aside small social spaces on each terrace can be an excellent way to provide seating areas, reading nooks, or outdoor kitchen ideas. A fire pit or covered area featuring banquette seating will add warmth and coziness, making the area cozy and welcoming.
Add a water feature to your terraced garden for an unforced, organic aesthetic that appears natural rather than contrived. Gravity makes sure the water runs downhill naturally, giving a sense of continuity that creates the illusion of nature at work in its flow.
Having a south-facing terrace can leave it vulnerable to sunburn and overheating so that garden shade solutions may be necessary. A pergola with several climbing plants will look lovely, while vines like wisteria or clematis could add charm. Or try creating a green wall that makes beautiful use of otherwise wasted vertical space!
Cottage Gardens
Most of us picture garden design as consisting of manicured hedges and flowerbeds with perfect edges. But there’s another time-honored garden style that embraces nature in its rawest state: cottage gardening.
Cottage gardens are all about creating the illusion of informality, spontaneity, and even chaos. While their structures may be minimal, what they lack in formality, they more than makeup for depth and lushness – creating an intimate setting where you can sit back and relax in comfort.
Delight your garden visitors by selecting flowers of various heights, textures, and bloom times. Tall, showy plants such as delphiniums, lupins, or agapanthus will add depth and dimension to the planting scheme – making sure it stands out.
Cottage gardens can also serve as an effective way to attract pollinators to your yard. Their colorful plants and flowers attract native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies from near and far. To increase your chances of drawing pollinators into your garden, plant a mix of blooming plants that prefer various growing conditions at different times of the year.
An effective cottage garden design can be simple and manageable in your backyard. Take inspiration from nature by using old farmyard items like water troughs on legs to form herb gardens, galvanized milk churns for flower borders, or mixing squat terracotta pots and wooden planters into a cohesive planting palette.