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Published: 08/08/2016
Top tips for making the most out of your small garden
If you love gardening as much as we do, you will definitely agree that a small garden is better than no garden at all! Although small gardens can be quite difficult to manage because of the limited space available, the outcome can be a very beautiful and peaceful mini garden that you can be very proud of.
Before we get into the top tips that you can use to make your small garden beautiful, let's talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with small gardens in general.
The greatest challenge for a gardener when faced with a small gardening space will obviously be the lack of space. Gardening is akin to an art form and gardeners are like the artists. Limiting the space in which an artist can create their art can have negative effects on the final product, some might say. We, on the other hand, see this challenge as an opportunity to be creative and find ingenious way to hack the small space that is available to us!
Think of it this way: anyone can make a huge garden look nice, but it takes a true artist to make a small garden shine!
Another challenge might be presented by the limited choice in terms of vegetation. When choosing plants for your small garden it's important to take numbers into consideration. Most plants will not like being planted too close together, so make sure you do a lot of research and choose plants that don't mind being crowded together. This will create lovely displays of multicoloured plants that will give your small garden a cottage garden vibe.
If you think that less is more when it comes to plants and vegetation in your garden, you might be better off choosing more small bushes and trees such as Bay, Magnolia and Lilac.
One of the greatest opportunity that comes along with a small garden is experimenting with different textures, styles and plants. Try turning your garden into a butterfly friendly garden and sit back, relax and enjoy nature's wonderful spectacle enfold in your backyard.
With that being said, let's talk about the top tips to make the most out of your small garden.
Layers, layers, layers
The best way to optimize every inch of available space in a small garden is to layer your planters. This way you will be able to grow more plants and make your garden appear bigger!
There are different ways of incorporating layers into your garden, our method of choice being different size planters.
Planters are great for a number of reasons. First of all they are aesthetically pleasing and can add texture and visual interest to your garden. Secondly, they will maximise the ground space you have available for growing plants.
These types of planters work really well with herbs and spice plants that you can mix in to your salads as well as with colourful plant combinations!
Go vertical!
When space is limited the best option is to go vertical. Vertical herb gardens are very popular at the moment while still being an incredibly practical solution for small gardens. A white frame vertical garden, for example, would look lovely against a plain brick wall and create a rustic cottage effect that will also add depth and dimension to your garden.
Not to mention that it's a great space saver and can help mask walls that don't look very nice.
Another useful tip for vertical decoration is to add outdoor fairy lights on the walls or fences of your small garden! Vertical details in general attract the gaze upwards which great because it creates the illusion of a grander space. Plus, fairy lights are lovely to look at and will add a special touch to your garden.
Attract wildlife
Another way of making your garden appear bigger and maximise your available space is to create an environment that will attract wildlife. You can easily do this in the city as well by adding some bird-friendly garden furniture. We recommend adding one of these gorgeous Victorian urns in a corner and creating a lovely little bird bath. Add some bird feeders and a birdhouse around it to create your very own bird sanctuary.
Having birds in your garden is a sign of good luck and prosperity, not to mention a very relaxing scene to look at while enjoying your morning coffee in the garden!
You can also choose to plant flowers that attract butterflies (particularly Butterfly bush, Aster, Alliumn and Bee Balm) and turn it into a butterfly garden!
1. Shelly Victorian "Tazza" Style Reproduction " Urn in cream, 2. Keats Victorian "Tazza" Style Reproduction Cast Iron Urn Black
The final touch
For a lovely final touch to your small garden consider adding some garden furniture. This will automatically make it appear bigger! We recommend using some metal frame furniture, as it tends to occupy less space and it looks less chunky than wooden garden furniture. Metal garden furniture is also not as high-maintenance and can easily be left out during the winter months. Metal outdoor furniture is also great because it can easily be folded and tucked away if you need the extra space.
