Everyone wants their backyard to be the envy of the neighborhood, and often the first-place people turn to is the garden. Often referred to as the soul of a home, a garden can be enjoyed from numerous vantage points – most likely including your own windowsills. And while you probably won’t have the time – or space – for a traditional garden with expanses of lawn and rows of flowers, there are still plenty of ways in which you can have a compact patch design that will look stunning in your own backyard.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your garden space, don’t worry – we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you make more of your outdoor space.
1. Create a Mini Raised Bed
If you’ve got a small outdoor area, one of the best ways to grow plants is in mini raised beds. With just a few boards and some simple tools, you can create raised beds for growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables. These beds can be as much as 12 inches tall, providing enough soil depth to support deep-rooted plants while also allowing you to reach across the bed to work with your plants without stepping on the ground. Creating multiple beds allows you to separate plants by type and need, making it easier than ever to keep up with watering and weeding requirements for each type of plant or flower.
2. Use Lattice Panels to Create Vertical Gardening
You don’t have to call Versailles home to design a stunning outdoor space — even with a petite patch of green, the creative planters and unique ideas here will make your small garden fit for a king.
Lattice panels are an affordable and easy way to create vertical gardening space. You can train vines and climbing flowers to grow up trellises or fences.
3. Planting The Same Type Of Plants In A Small Area Helps Them Look Like A Cohesive Design
Although each plant has its personality and characteristics, when one grows in a small area, it can look like a cohesive design. And there’s no better way to make your garden look like a unified design than by using the same plants together in the same area.
The trick is finding plants that complement each other and don’t compete for light or nutrients. When picking plants for small areas, look for species that are well-adapted to their conditions — native perennials are usually easier to care for and more likely to thrive in a small space.
4. Think About Using Plant Boxes On Your Deck Or Patio, Too
When you’re working with a small space, it can be easy to forget that your plants need room to spread out. If you don’t plan and end up overcrowding your garden, you could start to see some of your plants suffer. To ensure that your plants have plenty of space to grow, try using plant boxes. Not only do plant boxes give your flowers and greenery extra space to take root, but they also make for a great decoration that will make your home look even more sophisticated.
Think about using plant boxes on your deck or patio, too. These areas are great places for entertaining guests, but they might look a little bare without any décor. Plant boxes are an easy way to add color and vibrancy to these outdoor spaces so that you can enjoy them all summer long.
5. This Is A Great Way To Add Some Visual Interest To Your Garden Without Adding A Lot Of Colors
Another great way to make your garden look larger is by maximizing the amount of color you use. Just be sure that you are pairing colors that go together well. You want the colors to compliment each other rather than compete with each other.
If you have a small garden, one of the best things that you can do is add plants that naturally repel pests. This can help keep your yard clear from unwanted pests, and it will also help your plants grow better.
Section: You can add flowers in bright colors instead if you want more color in your space.
Try to limit the number of plants of one particular genre, like succulents or cacti, as it can make your garden look dull. In this case, you can add flowers in bright colors instead if you want more color in your space.
6. If You Have An Upstairs Deck, An Easy Solution Is To Fill It With Containers Of Plants
This will provide a green space that can be enjoyed year-round. You can also create a patio by adding furniture, paving stones, and even a fire pit.
A deck or patio is an ideal spot to grow herbs, veggies, and flowers — all of which can be grown in containers.
If you prefer the look of potted plants in the garden, use pots designed for small spaces. They come in many shapes and sizes, so you can choose the container that suits your needs best. For example, some pots are square while others are long and narrow, making them perfect for growing herbs.
7. Get Creative With Containers
You can also paint the pots or containers where you will put the plants and flowers in any design that you like. This will make it easy for you to personalize them based on your preferences. If you have kids, this is something that they will enjoy doing since they get to be creative when designing their containers.
8. Create A Theme For Your Garden
If you want, you can also create a theme for your garden so that everything that will be included in it will follow a certain style or pattern. You can have an English garden, a fairytale-themed one, or even a jungle-inspired one if you like animals and plants from the wild. The possibilities are endless depending on what theme you choose to go with for your small garden.
9. Don’t Overdo It with Outdoor Furniture
If you decide to include furniture in your garden design, think about its functionality first and aesthetics second. For example, an outdoor sofa is great if you like entertaining or spending time outside with family and friends but it’s not practical if you just want to grow plants or vegetables there. Be sure to leave enough room for the plants so they can thrive.
10. Combining Plants With Different Textures
Small gardens don’t need a lot of fuss and flowers. As you can see here, by combining plants with different textures, colors, and shapes, you can create an interesting landscape that’s easy to maintain.
It’s important to find the right balance between hard landscaping (the permanent elements) and soft landscaping (the plants). If there’s too much hard landscaping, it will look stark and uninviting. But if you have too many plants, they may become overcrowded or outgrow their space.
11. Create A Water Feature
For many gardeners, a water feature is one of the most desirable elements within a garden. Water features can be large or small, fountains or ponds, and they can be made from a variety of materials. They are easy to install, but it’s important to get the right design for your style of garden.
A water feature doesn’t have to be expensive – simply buy a small pump from a garden center and use a large pot as the base. Fill the pot with pebbles and stones surrounding the pump, then place some larger rocks on top to make it look more natural.
Alternatively, you could purchase a small fountain made from stone that only needs to be plugged in to work.
12. Use String Lights Or Lanterns Instead Of Lighting Fixtures
Illuminating outdoor spaces is important so they can be used after dark (and many solar-powered lights are now available). But when it comes to your garden, it’s best to use lighting sparingly. Instead of a floodlight on the side of the house or a large chandelier over the patio, try simple string lights around trees or potted plants and votive candles inside lanterns at night. It will create a more magical, intimate garden setting.
13. Create A Cozy Reading Spot, Even When Space Is Limited
Whether you have a small patio area or a balcony, you can create a cozy reading spot even when space is limited. We love this solution with how the curtains create a sense of privacy while still allowing light and air to flow through.
This way you can bring backyard charm inside and enjoy the cozies no matter what time of year it is. You’ll need an old table or crate turned upside down, some pillows and blankets, a few plants, and some fairy lights too. This would be a great addition to the corner of your living room or on your porch. It’s really easy to achieve and adds such a whimsical touch that everyone will adore.
Here Are Additional Ideas On How To Make Your Small Garden Eco-friendly:
There are many ways to maximize the use of your garden, whether you want to plant a little extra for your own personal use or organize a community project that could help feed the hungry. And who knows? You might even get the neighborhood kids involved! These are all things that demonstrate how important it is to consider just how small our gardens can be. And as such, there are many ideas here to help you get started.