Photo Credit:
Teona Swift via www.pexels.com

No matter what sizer your garden is, every outdoor space can be turned into a paradise. Over the last year, we’ve needed to make the most of what space we have, and with small gardens, you can end up feeling a little enclosed. We’re here to help you make the most of your small garden and turn your outdoor space into a spacious secret hideaway. 

Utilise Your Fencing and Walls

Many people don’t bother to use the walls or fencing in their garden, but they are the perfect place to build up and turn that unused bare space into living walls.

There are many ways you can achieve these vertical gardens; plant creeping vines, affix pallets full of plants to the fence or create a cascading effect with potted plants. A living wall will not only give you added privacy and spice up the look of your garden, but it will be a talking point for any visitors you have.

Add Year-Round Seating And Storage With A Small Log Cabin

You’ll be more likely to stay outside when it gets dark and the temperatures fall if you have a small log cabin in your garden. Garden log cabins are a fantastic addition to any sized garden and can give you that all-important extra space for your home. Buy Sheds Direct have a brilliant range and lots of advice to help you to understand which log cabin is best for you.

With large windows and plenty of ventilation, they are perfect for enjoying the summer in style as you look out onto your gorgeous garden, but many people don’t realise they can be excellent for use all year round. There are plenty of heating options you can add to your cabin so you can enjoy it on even the coldest days of the year.

Create A Secret Garden Vibe With Sections

Divide your garden into sections using different items as barriers; try a trellis, arches, bamboo screens, miniature trees, or walls of foliage. Decorate each area with various plants or garden furniture, and if you opted to invest in a log cabin, you could create a maze of wonders to walk through before arriving at your little log cabin.

Plant decorative grasses in front of your barriers to soften their appearance and add a layer of depth to give the illusion of a larger garden.

Lighting

Add to the atmosphere of your garden with copious amounts of lighting. Don’t stick to the same type either; place inground lights along pathways and in front of any seating, hang colourful ornamental individual lights from shrubs or trees, and string vintage style bulbs across your living walls.

Choose solar-powered lights that can be left out all year round to give your garden a warm, inviting glow even on the gloomiest of wet winter nights.

Diagonal Paving

Laying your paving diagonally will give your garden the illusion of being much bigger than it is. A simple trick of the eye, but the character it gives your garden is impressive. Using mixed and broken slabs can also provide this illusion when placed in a disordered pattern in the same way it does with diagonal paving.

Choose lighter colours for your garden to maximise the illusion of space, as darker colours can make a small garden feel cramped and dank.

Keep It Bright And Colourful

Brightly coloured plants lift compact spaces and help it to appear larger; use whites, blue and light purples for the illusion of a bigger garden. Bring light into the dark corners of your garden by plantings flowers with pale yellow, vivid orange or golden petals. If you’re looking for a more intimate vibe to your garden, add plenty of hot colours like bright reds or deep oranges and yellows.

Add Tall Trees For Privacy

Small gardens are often overlooked; for added privacy in your garden, add some tall trees that don’t take up too much of the space at ground level. Canopy trees are an excellent choice for privacy without sacrificing that much-needed space. Regular pruning of the lower stems and branches will help keep them from taking up too much room.

Compact And Chic Furniture

You might be worried that adding any furniture to your small garden will be a mistake, but fret not as there are plenty of compact options to choose from. Beautiful bistro sets can give your garden a stylish European aesthetic with the added benefit of being perfect for breakfast and coffee without taking up too much room. Add a tiny outdoor glass vase with fresh flowers from your garden in the centre of the table to complete the look.

Round off your new furniture set with fashionable accessories; a rug under the table, small cushions, a little chiminea, and hanging candles above for an intimate aesthetic.

Add A Feature

Add a feature is a beautiful addition to any garden, but a huge one will dwarf a small garden and make it seem even tinier.

Consider a miniature water feature in one corner of your garden to add character without overpowering your outdoor space. A water feature will make a great focal point and create a tranquil environment for you to relax in after a long day.

If water isn’t of interest to you, small sculptures are an exciting alternative. They don’t have to be traditional; an unconventional design that creates music when the wind blows through it will create a serene ambience in your garden to get your guests talking.

Bring The Local Wildlife Into Your Garden

Bring your garden to life with a few extra touches; bird boxes, feeding stations, birdbaths and hedgehog houses will have your outdoor space bustling with activity. Plant plenty of flowers in flower beds and pots to draw bees and butterflies into your cosy secret escape; choose plants that will bloom in spring, summer, autumn and winter to provide plenty of food throughout the year for your bee visitors.

There are thousands of plants to choose from to give bees support all year, but they do have some favourites you can plant in your garden.

• Spring: Bugle & spotted deadnettle
• Summer: Lavender & foxglove
• Autumn: Bugbane & ivy
• Winter: Hellebore & winter heather