Making The Most of Your Garden: Even in a Small Space*

With the need to utilise every square inch of land to make sure the ever growing population has somewhere to live, gardens are getting smaller and smaller and you often feel you don’t have enough space to truly make the most of your green space! However, even if your garden is currently unloved today I’m going to share some solutions to use what you’ve got.

Working with Suttons, my top-tips will make a smaller garden look bigger and at its best during the summer, so you can go out and enjoy your garden, even if there is only room for you.

Grow Vertically
If your garden is small but you would like to grow more plants, then why not try picking plants that grow up rather than spread across the ground?

Squash, beans and some varieties of cucumbe can be planted on a trellis, or if you fancy trying pole beans you can use a bean tepee plant supports. Pole beans are a great planet to try with children as you can start them off in a cup before transplanting them into your garden. Once in the garden bamboo can be formed together, so that the beans can grow to at least 5 feet tall. Whether you’re using a trellis, or a tepee, be sure to guide the fruit or vegetable carefully they’re fragile and their stems can break

Or you could try bringing your garden into the 21st century with upside down planters. By growing your plants upside down you save on valuable ground space by hanging from the fences and it gives your garden a futuristic aesthetic.

Maybe as a quirky alternative try tiered planters that will usually sit alongside your wall as a feature.

If you’d like a more traditional look and feel within your garden, why not try spillers, which flow outwards and trail over the sides of your planters. And if you’d like a mixture of various plants, then why not try fillers placed amongst the spillers this will give you a big block of colour and create a secret garden look and feel.

Create a Focal Point
Even with a small garden you can still create an interesting focal point to pull the eye. Focal points also give the illusion of space by creating defined areas within your garden and immediately direct the eye towards it, just like the mirror trick in the small sitting room. Here are some suggestions of quick and easy focal points;

A cluster of plants
You can either go for one colour only or make it a rainbow. Personally I feel a bright arrangement makes a great focal point as it really catches the eye. Or you could go for lavender as it’s a great smelling plant.
A bird bath
Not only will this draw the eye of anyone entering your garden, but it’ll also draw the wildlife.
A bench
This is a great idea if you’re short on space as having a bench gives you the option to sit down in your garden. It solves the problem of not having space to move around freely as you’ll be able to enjoy your garden in comfort.

Gardening Efficiently
There are a few little tricks to making sure that you’re making the most of the available space in your garden. First, make sure that you’re attending to your priorities. Replace plants that have died with new plants as dead foliage stands out more in smaller gardens. If there are ornaments you don’t care about you should get rid as they’re taking up valuable space and will make your garden look smaller. Alternatively, if there’s a small gap between ornaments or flower pots, then why not try planting a flower bed, that will help you to save space, but will also direct your eye to somewhere new within the garden.

These are just a few of the ways you can make the most of your small garden. If you’re sensible there are so many ways to use space effectively and actually make your garden look bigger. However, sticking to this guide will help you on your way to make a visually and physically spacious garden for you to enjoy.