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Small Garden Design – Tips, Tricks & Ideas That Work!

There are many benefits to small space gardening.  If you’ve always wanted to try it you should really consider it.  If you’re like many and having to downsize, to downsize from a larger home with a larfer gardening area, you needn’t feel depressed!

This guide is for you!  It will also benefit anyone wanting a garden who may find themselves with the limited space such as an apartment or condo.

Small garden design is an art!

In the case of small garden design, you can create a special small garden space that can be breathtaking and will deliver many warm feelings.  At the same time, smaller means a lot less maintenance.

Remember…

…Small is beautiful so let’s get those creative juices flowing shall we?

First, let’s  realize the fact that in a small Garden the visual impact is key.  

So let’s take a look at ways you can maximize this impact whilst dealing with a smaller area.

Exposure to light: Light is a major consideration of the small garden design. The usual situation in a small garden is that it’s shady, due to surrounding buildings. A shade garden can be one of the loveliest, so don’t despair.

If your garden area is sunny, you have more choices of plants which will thrive, but there’s no shortage of shade loving plants. When planning your small garden design, choose plants that thrive in the exposure that best suits your geographical area.

Shady Area:  Shade Let’s take a look at this first.  The general rule of thumb is this… large-leaved plants do well in shade.

Here’s a few suggestions:

Hostas, of which there are many varieties and which look spectacular in a mix.
Begonias are another great choice for the shady, small garden.
Brilliantly colored flowers, such as fuchsias, lobelia and cyclamens offer color for three seasons in the shady small garden design.

Keep in mind that plants which do well in shady areas tend to be a more tidy plant.

Three positives…

If your small garden enjoys a southern exposure, this opens up a whole new World of possibilities!

There are numerous annuals and perennials you can plant.

Note:  When small space gardening, it’s best to group plants of the same type together.

This planting strategy works the best as it allows the plants to not only fill in for each other but also allows you to create depth and color transition…

…basically a work of art of sorts!  With the right plant selection and with just a few plants you can imagine how this has endless possibilities of simulating a great appearance. 

Here’s a tip from the pro’s.  

For most small garden spaces - Design the size of your garden with at least five plants of the same type in each grouping.

Plant the tallest plants at the back and stage them down as you reach the stone pathway, water feature or perimeter of the garden.

Did you realize that you can create illusions with colors, outdoor lighting and even Solar water features?

For example, in a long, narrow garden, a planting of pale blue phlox near your entry will appear to be farther away from the street or approach to your home. On the other hand, plants that are white in color jump to the forefront.

There are other techniques which can make your small garden design feel lush and magical all at the same time.

We like using hanging basket plants  which utilize above space plus they add another dimension.

Ferns, fuchsias, begonias and campanula add an exotic, tropical and full feel to your little garden.

Try out this tip for great visual effects:

Group pots of different sizes and styles together on a porch or around an entryway.  This has always proven to be a very effective technique.

Don’t forget to keep in mind the change of seasons!  As the seasons change, around here we simply rotate summer’s display inside and go with one of our favorites,  Mums for fall, followed by poinsettias in winter.

Trellises and espaliers are other options to consider for a small garden design.

Again it all depends on your climate.  If the climate and exposure is right, you can grow a smaller tree against a wall, training the branches such that the tree flattens along it as it grows.

Well there you go, there’s some good ideas to consider when planning a small garden.

In summary I would have to say that in many ways, a small garden allows for BIG IDEAS and in a way it can be a real show-stopper and huge blessing all at the same time!

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