Small Garden Design: What You Need to Do

For people who love plants, a small garden is a curse. But it shouldn't be. As a matter of fact, small gardens can be such a delight if you apply small garden designs that make your space look a lot bigger.

Sure, having a small garden is not as grand as having acres of land devoted solely for gardening. But when it comes to setup and maintenance, a small garden is a winner. You don't need a whole lot of plants just to make the garden filled with life. You only need a couple of key elements during your start up, and you're good to go.

There are a couple of things to consider before planting. The following should be included in planning your small garden design:

Budget constraints - Having a small garden may seem less costly than having an expansive one. However, there are still expenses involved especially if you want your garden to look its best. If you cannot afford to buy all the plants and ornaments you need at once, deal with the most needed at the moment. You can always build a collection of plants over the months once you have your budget sorted out.

Selection of plants - Some plants thrive in shady areas, while others bask under the sun. Consider where you're going to place your plants so that you won't have to risk them withering due to inappropriate conditions. You might also want to look into having perennials instead of annuals or biennials as the former thrive longer. This means you don't have to redo your garden design often since you can count on your plants to simply grow back again.

Focal point - Gardens are about not only flowers, trees and plants. They are also about focal points or centerpieces in your garden. A focal point serves as a balancing add-on to your garden. It helps emphasize your garden design by guiding the eye toward the midpoint. Without a focal point, your garden will simply look like a hodgepodge of plants lopsidedly placed on the ground. Without a center, your garden will look more of a jungle.

Layers or rooms - The problem with a small garden is that it can't accommodate all the plants that you want. By building layers, you get to place varieties of plants in smaller areas, thereby giving your garden character. Before you do the layering, ask your local gardening stores which plants grow tall and which do not so that you'll have a successful layered design for your garden.

Small spaces shouldn't deter you from making your small garden design work. With careful planning, you can have a miniature garden that rivals the bigger ones.

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Garden Design for Small Spaces

Gardening in small spaces is generally overlooked in garden design manuals. Garden design is often presented as a list of principles or rules and illustrated on a grand scale. Most of us do not have acres of land on which to carefully calculate the width versus length of our perennial borders. Many of us don’t have the time or the inclination to undertake the maintenance these acres of gardens would need.

Gardening in a small space has its limits, but it need not be limiting. In a small garden, the gardener can pay attention to detail. You can keep on top of maintenance, while still having time to sit and enjoy your small garden. In fact, many small space gardens are designed around entertaining and sitting areas, rather then the need to nurture plants.

Whatever your reasons for having a small garden, there is no reason it cannot be a well designed show stopper. Virtually any plant or garden style can be worked into a small garden space. The principles of good garden design still apply, but you’ll need to tweak them slightly.

Small Garden Design Challenges

The entire garden can be viewed as a whole. Some small garden spaces will be able to accommodate a hidden turn around a path or even be divided into garden rooms, but for the most part, small gardens can be taken in whole, in one look. This means that, more than ever, your garden will be viewed as a composition.

Limited space means you are going to have to make choices. You won’t be able to grow every plant you love. You will need to curb your inclination to buy a plant on impulse and assume you’ll find a place for it.

Color should also be limited, to give your small garden cohesion. Less is more. Cooler colors will make the garden appear larger. You can compensate for the limited color pallette with a variety of textures. The textural contrast will help blend the plant material and allow the garden to flow.

Every plant or feature will need to serve a purpose. There is no room for wasted space or underperforming plants. Plants should offer at least two seasons of interest.


Small Garden Bonuses

Design can be easier when you can take in the whole picture at once.

It takes less plants to make a dramatic effect.

Gardeners get to know every space and plant in a small garden. Any plant that is out of place or not thriving can be spotted and corrected quickly.

Small gardens lend themselves to being enclosed. You may not want to install a stone wall, but an evergreen or flowering hedge will give the illusion of a secret garden. A simple low boxwood edge transforms a small garden into a formal garden. Hardscaping and fencing enclose and define a space for entertaining or children’s play.

A small space garden lends itself to personal expression. Smaller gardens are extensions of your home and speak volumes about the sensibilities and tastes of the gardener. And if those tastes and sensibilities should change, it’s much easier to rework a small garden.

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