Small Garden Design: What You Need to Do
>> Thursday 21 April 2011
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.
