Small Garden? Make It Look Bigger With These Tips

The reality is that if you live in an urban area, you will be relatively limited regarding the square footage of your property. However, we all have the fantasy of owning a home with a large, lush garden, a sprawling lawn with overflowing beautiful big borders, areas for dining and lounging, and possibly even a pool. Therefore, the desire to make your small garden appear larger is something that is at the top of the list for many homeowners, and some really basic design ideas will help even the tiniest of gardens feel like they have more space than they do. One of the most important things that you can do to make your small garden appear larger is to make sure that you have enough sunlight.

We hope that these ideas for small gardens, which may be as straightforward as propping up a mirror and growing plants around it, as well as changing your layout in a way that creates the illusion of more room, will motivate you to get the most out of your backyard space.

Check if your plans for a small garden are realistic

Before we get into all of the fantastic ways to make a small garden feel like it has more space, the best place to begin is with a practical plan and a list of what you want your garden to include and what you want to use for. This will allow us to get into all the other great ways to make a small garden feel like it has more space. Consider which aspects are required practically. If you would like to hold get-togethers in your yard during the warmer months, constructing a patio is an absolute requirement, and you can do away with the lawn totally. Alternately, if you are an experienced gardener and want a lot of space for plants, you should remove the patio and replace it with several raised beds or borders that are nicely constructed. This will give you more room for plants. A landscaping contractor will be able to give you further advice around this. 

Do not fall into the trap of trying to build a vast garden only in miniature by filling it with scaled-down reproductions of every garden design element that is available. This will only lead to frustration and disappointment. You may discover that you need to make a modest compromise, but you should avoid falling into the trap of trying to create a vast garden by only using small plants and space. This will just give the impression that it is smaller and more constrained. In the long term, if you take the time to carefully select each element of your landscape, you will end up with a setting that is well-suited to your way of life and that gives the idea of having more room than it actually does. It is without a doubt the case that “less is more” is applicable in this situation.

Build zones

Creating a few distinct zones in a garden is all that is required to make it look like it has more space than it actually does. You can start by using edging that separates flower beds.

If there is space available, you can construct a barrier to create a corner that is hidden or partially disguised. This will give the idea that there is more space available than there actually is, in addition to adding an air of intrigue and fascination to the place. This could be accomplished through a taller planting, an ornamental divider, or a more compact tree with several stems.

Instead of considering the entire space to be a single room, you should divide it up into a few different, more manageable rooms. Have a dining area that is separated from the front section of the garden as well as the back section by a patio or decking, a box hedge to split the grass, or a trellis to create a zone between the two sections of the garden.

Do not overlook the importance of vertical space, either.

When creating gardens for spaces that are actually limited on the ground, remember to think vertically about the layout. Use the walls of your garden to add more plants, and position trees along the borders so that they will grow upward rather than outward. You can eliminate the requirement for borders in your garden by lining the perimeter of your garden with climbers or even creating a living wall. This will provide you with additional space at ground level for grass or a patio.

Big plants in small gardens work

When you have a small backyard, the natural tendency is to immediately think small. This includes thinking of small plants, small pots, small borders, and small decorative items. On the other hand, going big in a tiny garden can frequently give the impression that the garden is much larger than it actually is.

Think big. Having a small garden with narrow borders could give the sense that the space is even smaller. On the other hand, having courage and thinking big can have the opposite effect. In addition to that, make sure there is a considerable amount of plant life. If you want to make things easier on yourself and cut down on the amount of labour required, go with pavers that have larger sizes.

As a result, choose for larger plants that are contained in larger containers, and make sure that items like your decking or patio pavement are also on the larger side. Smaller designs with more intricate details will look better while larger designs, such as pavers and planks, will work better and feel less congested.

Build in different levels

Not only will the addition of levels to a small garden quickly offer more interest to the space, but having sections that are even slightly different heights will give the appearance that the garden is larger than it actually is. Either by integrating a sunken area that can be used for seating or by adding a single step up to a decked area that is tucked away at the very end of your garden, you are able to create a comfy seating space in your garden. You have the option of doing either of these things. Your environment will have a feeling of depth as a result of this, in addition to establishing those vital zones that we talked about before.

Experiment with different points of view.

You would be surprised at how much you can do to trick the eye into thinking that your garden is larger than it actually is, and it is something that you should definitely try. If you are dealing with a garden that is already pretty long and narrow, constructing a path may not be the greatest option because it will merely serve to make the area look even smaller. However, if you are working with a garden that is already quite wide and long, installing a path may be the best idea.

If you want the eye to be brought across the space rather than simply straight down it, add interest at the borders and pick for curved lines rather than anything that is too straight or rigid. This will help attract the eye across the area rather than just down it. If you want the viewer’s attention to be directed across the room rather than just along its length, use diagonal lines. Even a border that is only a few feet wide but is packed with a big number of plants of varying heights is a good approach to ensure that the viewer’s attention is drawn all the way around the area rather than just to the conclusion of it.

Green should be used to muddy the lines.

If your garden is already on the small side, you should avoid installing any concrete walls or fences because doing so will only help to make the area feel even more constricted. This is especially important to keep in mind if you have a vegetable garden. Cover the walls with greenery, whether you do so by choosing to do so with magnificent climbers that flow haphazardly over your fence or by choosing to do so with something more limited and contemporary, such as a living wall.

Also, do not forget about the hammock; it is the finest piece of outdoor furniture for a small space because it does not take up any floor space, it moves with the sun, and it is simple to put away when you need as much space as possible for guests.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, the old saying goes

Just as mirrors have a tremendous effect on interior rooms, they will also immediately give the appearance that your outdoor area is larger. This is a very simple design for a modest garden that will not break the budget. Use a large antique mirror and train climbers to grow around it so that it becomes a part of the garden if you want your garden to have the feel of an English country garden. This will give your garden the appearance of a traditional English country garden. You also have the option of “doubling” the space by constructing a wall at the back of your garden that is entirely made of mirrors.

Utilize different textures to add interest.

When only a small amount of space is available, the most effective way to add interest to the space is to focus on using different textures. Choose plants for a garden design that go well together yet have distinct textures, and use containers to further enhance the space’s overall attractiveness. Observe how the use of greenery, as well as terracotta, wood, and stones of varied sizes, all work together to produce a magnificent presentation that would not look out of place in a little garden.

You should make use of things like timber trunks, sculptures, or even upside-down pots to build different levels because you will want to have a range of heights as well as textures. One tip that can be helpful is that you should use things like timber trunks, sculptures, or even upside-down pots.

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