Small is beautiful. You don’t have to have a massive garden to make a big impact; get creative and introduce some bold planting ideas and you can create a space brimming with inspiration. Whether you have a small garden, balcony, window-box or even a terrace, bring your space to life with plants. These are my big ideas for a small spring garden.
Use vertical surfaces
In a small garden you need to maximise all available space by planting up; create a living wall. Breathe life in to plain walls and fences by adding planters; whether you simply place a planter at the bottom of a wall for a climber to grow up or attach containers to the wall for plants to cascade from, greening up your walls will soften and mask boundaries.
Depending on the aspect of your plot living walls can be a good way to introduce low maintenance greenery, like ferns for shady spots or herbs for full sun. Walls and fences are valuable assets in small gardens so use them.
Make sure you secure planters carefully and the wall can support the weight you are hanging off of it – compost can be heavy! If you share boundaries with a neighbour or are renting check you have permission before cracking on with your project and consider how you will water; in situ, dunking pots or irrigation? Be mindful if you are gardening on a balcony that any drips might go through the floor below.
You can also buy or make free-standing planters if growing directly against a wall is not an option; this is a good way to divide up spaces for screening and privacy, particularly useful in shared spaces or if you are overlooked by neighbours.
Vary plant heights; low-growing, ankle level plants are difficult to see close up so change this dynamic; introduce foliage to your eye level as well. Staggering plant heights will create a more immersive experience and make your space feel larger, fuller and more exciting.
Drought tolerant plants need minimal input so if you have limited time but love your garden try pretty pelargoniums, sedum or aromatic herbs like thyme, rosemary and sage.
Scent adds another layer of interest to a small garden and can transform spaces; deciduous honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, ‘Celestial’, height 3m x width 2m exudes sweet scent or for larger areas plant Star jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides. This evergreen is a treat for your senses; its exquisite scent is hard to resist but be warned, although slow growing it will really spread over time!
Pots of love
Pots are a perfect way to introduce flowers, edibles, grasses and perhaps even a small fruit tree into your garden, particularly if you do not have access to grow in borders. Pots keep your garden portable so if you are renting you can always take your plant pots with you when you move.
If you are gardening on a balcony then be mindful of weight; it can be surprising how heavy a terracotta pot full of moist compost can be so use lightweight materials. There are plenty of attractive pots on the market made from 100% recycled plastic, bamboo, resin or fibreglass. Check out Richard Jackson Garden’s stylish ceramic-style Cotswold Planters 37.5cm; choose from three tasteful colours, grey, aqua and sage.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking pots need to be small and neat; go bold, add drama. Use tall plants like Verbena bonariensis and pair with wafty grasses like Pennisetum. Add drama queens like foxtail lily, Eremurus robustus, foxgloves and lupins; these statement plants will never fail to impress.
Patio fruit trees are cultivated onto dwarf rootstock so will stay small, letting you grow fruit even if you haven’t got an orchard; from ‘Gala’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ apples to ‘Conference’ pears and ‘Black Amber’ plums and if you had a warm, sheltered spot you could even try a citrus tree.
For a bit of extra decoration you can top your pots with ornamental stones, glass or marbles; these not only look good but will help suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Plant supports provide an ideal structure to string up fairy lights. Solar lights will turn your little space into an enchanting den; you’ll be wanting to spend every evening outside.
Seat with a view
Gardening can be hard work so give yourself a break and make space to sit and enjoy the view. Time out in green spaces is so important for our mental health, it provides time to think, plan, reminisce and gives us a reason to stop. Choose a quiet spot in your garden and turn it into a snug. Whatever your style preference select a couple of chairs and a little table too so you can enjoy a cuppa, cocktail, entertain friends or sit back and read a book. Add a fire pit so you can enjoy the outdoors at night time too; don’t forget a cosy blanket!
A permanent sitting area means you are more likely to use it regularly; there is always the danger with putting garden furniture away that when the urge hits to sit outside you’ll feel the fiasco of setting everything up is too much to be bothered with so create a haven where you can stop and sit and feel more in tune with your own garden. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds; what do you hear?
If you have a cosy-corner you could install a wooden bench and dress with sumptuous comfy cushions or go for bistro table and chairs or for a chic look style it up with rattan rope or wicker chairs but choose the right furniture for your space, don’t put a large sofa and dining table on a small balcony; create the illusion of space by selecting smaller pieces that will make the space seem larger than it really is.
