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Make Small Outdoor Spaces Appear Larger

For many of us, the days of the traditional quarter acre blocks are gone and we are living in houses with smaller and smaller outdoor areas, as we try to maximise our living space inside the home.  However, just because outdoor spaces are smaller, this does not mean that we have to put up with cramped-feeling gardens.  There are some tricks that will help make any small garden feel larger.

Get A Successful Small Garden with Good Design

The key to having a successful small garden is to use every inch that you have as efficiently as possible.  This is primarily achieved by having a clever garden design.  This can be done for you by a landscape architect or garden designer or you can do it yourself if you are so inclined.  With a small garden, you are trying to achieve a space that is full without looking cluttered and vibrant without looking like too much is happening within it.  If you are doing your garden design yourself, don’t forget to include the plants at their full-grown size, not just the size at which you will buy them at.  It is also important to remember to include the pathways that you will use when traversing the garden.

Once you are happy with the design on paper, stand in your back yard and imagine how it will look.  Think about things such as the colours that you have elected to use, the heights of the plants, the heights of any other features within the garden, and how the layout conforms to boundaries such as the fence and the house itself.

Clever Planting Can Make Spaces Larger

One trick that you can use is clever planting.  By using one layer of plants at ground level, and another layer of taller plants, you can create visual interest and avoid the landscape looking flat and boring.  Also, take advantage of your surroundings when considering your plantings.  If there are good looking trees or plantings visible from past your fence line, then incorporate them into your planting scheme.  When doing this, however, remember to keep the plants on your side of the fence below the fence level so that you can actually see the vista!

Screening your fences is also a good idea, as they are reminders of the limited amount of space that you have to work with.  This can be done by using by climbing or creeping plants, or by using shrubs or hanging plants and planter boxes.  Also consider using plants in pots.  This will give you the flexibility of changing your garden layout as needed or desired, and it will also create an illusion of depth in the garden.

Other Useful Design Tips in Small Gardens

Some other design tips that you may find useful include:

• using curves in the garden rather than straight lines will create the illusion that it is bigger than it really is.
  
• use raised garden beds for layers of colour and foliage – the material that you make the garden beds out of will also contribute to the overall feel of the garden.
  
• feel free to use the colours that you like in your garden but remember that too many colours will create a feeling that is overwhelming and busy rather than calming.
  
• use a focal feature such as a water feature, sculpture or pond to add to the appeal of the space.
  
• go without a lawn – use bark, pebbles, or gravel for a low maintenance option that also saves water.
  
• stick to one theme throughout the garden such as Japanese, cottage, etc – a multitude of themes will only create a confusing look.
  

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