Spring is just around the corner and homeowners are looking to transform the most compact of outdoor spaces, according to new research from Forest Garden – the UK’s leading manufacturer and distributor of wooden garden products.
Using data from Pinterest, Forest Garden found searches soaring over the last month for ‘small garden’ terms, with ‘small back garden’ up 100%, ‘small city garden’ up 90% and ‘small garden design’ up 100%.
Jenny Davis, Head of Marketing for Forest Garden, said: “Homeowners are making use of every inch of their outdoor space.
Here, Jenny shares Forest Garden’s guide to maximising every inch of your garden, to create a space that adds value to the rest of the home.
Designing a small garden
Less is more in a small garden but that doesn’t mean everything needs to be small. A lot of small elements can create a very cluttered feel, so you may be better off choosing bigger more dominant features and planting to balance the space – but at the same time, don’t overwhelm the space. Think simplicity.
The sky’s the limit
Vertical space is hugely important in a small garden where often you have more space upwards than you do outwards. Think about growing plants on walls, training them upwards or hanging them from a structure such as trellis, our living screen planter (great for rental properties as it doesn’t need to be fixed to a wall) or our vertical slatted wall planter.
Vertical structures that can serve multiple purposes are ideal, think privacy screening that can also provide support for climbing plants.
Multi-functional fixtures
Clever multi-purpose usage of areas is going to be the ideal situation. A space that works for two different purposes. Think about storage under bench seating rather than free-standing garden furniture. Raised beds or linear planters that can also act as dividers.
Forest Garden’s fold-down garden bar provides a brilliant entertaining space and when not in use can be folded away almost flush with the wall.
Finishing touches
A tree is always an asset to an outdoor space, even in a small garden. It leads the eye, attracts wildlife and can look really pretty adorned with solar lights. Garden designers always champion trees in small gardens.
Mirrors and reflective surfaces are also useful in giving the illusion that the space is bigger than it really is.
Jenny added: “When it comes to small garden spaces and courtyard gardens, every choice and every inch counts. Applying key design principles can turn even the most compact courtyard into a lush, inviting hideaway with focal points leading the eye and space maximised through the use of vertical gardening.”
