Woohoo! While I'm away enjoying my R & R, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce today's guest poster Hugo! I for one am loving this article because I have *the smallest* lot on my street. I live in a historical district that was built long before roads and garages, and even before the general concept of a grassy lawn was popular. So, Hugo's words definitely
resonate with me, and I'm putting some of these ideas in my to-do list! Alrighty- onto the Guest Post!
Hi, my name is Hugo and I am a garden design writer from the UK. I often contribute to Bridgman.co.uk with outdoor living tips and I can be found on Twitter at GardenT1ps. Thank you so much to Kayla for giving me the opportunity to write this post, I hope you enjoy it!
Many people, especially those in inner city neighbourhoods, have small gardens which are often difficult to plan out. However, this provides you with the perfect opportunity to avoid the bland garden of two linear borders surrounding a lawn and do something a little different which is carefully planned and unique in its design.
The most important part of developing a small garden is to ensure that your outside space will suit your needs. This means that if you have children, you might want a small sand pit or veggie patch. If you’re a young and professional individual, you might like to create a chic entertaining space where you can relax and drink coffee with friends. Meanwhile, if you’re laid back and homely, you might want some small and quiet nook in which to relax, read a book and let the stress of life fade away.
In a small garden every component will be under great scrutiny and it’s therefore very important to ensure that you make investments into good planting, structures and furniture. Look for quality furniture that will stand the test of time & that can be folded or stacked when not in use to save on precious space.
Vibrant planting around a relaxing area, whether in containers or borders, will maximise the focus on this space. In a small garden this will be particularly useful, helping you to put your space to good use whilst creating a great feature for you to use. Windows and window boxes should also be utilised, bright colours help add vibrancy to your garden, and a mixture of flowering and trailing plants will give it that extra boost.
There are many other ways to maximise your small garden space, including taking steps to disguise the true size of your oasis, as well as making the most of all areas. Even in the smallest of spaces you can make the area look larger by adding height. If you can’t grow horizontally, grow vertically - Add a trellis or an arbour and plant climbing plants. This will add a burst of colour and you could even install a swing or seat under the arbour to utilize all of the space.
Mirrors can also be very helpful in small gardens, as are any reflective surfaces, helping to increase the amount of light that is bounced around and make a space appear far larger.
Whilst your garden may be small there it forces you to use the space more effectively, and if you want to really take advantage of any outdoor area, utilising height is a must. Tall planting, pergolas, trellis covered in plants, vertical gardens and even strings of lighting positioned high will lift the eye line and ensure that every possible space in a garden is used. And, by creating specific feature areas, such as benches for reading or garden areas for entertaining guests, you can maximise the function and space that you have available.
Flikr image - Dlytle
