As summer is approaching and we start to spend more of our time outdoors, we might start to notice there’s a thing or two missing from our small garden. And it seems that, whenever we see advice columns, it seems that they presume we have hundreds of acres at our disposal, when in reality fast-growing cities have less and less green space, leaving us with small gardens – if any at all. But just because you don’t have a large outdoor space doesn’t mean it can’t be made to look beautiful and a space that you will enjoy.
Multipurpose furniture
The first thing you have to keep in mind when you are dealing with a small garden space is not to clutter it. But you do need a bit of furniture – somewhere to sit and to put down a cup of coffee. But that doesn’t mean you need to have a table with a set of chairs out all the time. Think of ways you can move the furniture out of the way when you’re not using it. For example, fold-up chairs that can be folded away and hung on the wall when they’re not in use. An alternative, and perhaps a more stylish solution, is a set that can be folded into itself, such as chairs that can be folded underneath the table when they’re not needed. That’s also a great way to make storage space available for a small garden.
Use vertical space
One thing that is the same in every garden is the vertical space. When you are outside, you have all of the space in the world to grow upwards. This means that all of the walls you have, as well as any trees can create space. If you have a small garden that is surrounded by walls, utilize them and make them a part of your garden. If you’re not sure which plants are best to fill out vertical space, you can always consult an expert in landscaping to get their opinion. But if you are not limited by the height of the walls, then try to plant tall trees with sparse branches, so that you get the feeling of height, without blocking the yard and making it feel claustrophobic.
Keep it light
When you create a small garden space, it’s important to remember that dark, dense plants will make the space look even smaller. This means that your best bet are light, airy plants that will give you greenery without cluttering the space. This also means that you need to maintain it, because plants – especially during warmer seasons – can wildly grow and overpower the space. This means that you need to only plant as much as you can maintain. This might mean not having the entire space covered by grass that can grow, but instead placing some ceramic tiles, that will ensure there is always an open part of the small garden. You should also keep in mind that not all of the plants you want need to be outside. Consider bringing some nature inside, like an herb garden in the kitchen, and decorative potted plants in the living rooms.
Having an outdoor space that we can use is not only a great value to the home, but it is crucial to our physical and mental health. The beautiful thing about nature is that with a little bit of our help, it will grow and transform into an oasis of peace and relaxation. There’s no need to seasonally change the décor, because nature will do it all for us, and we can just rearrange our indoor spaces to match. So make sure that this summer, you have a space to enjoy a cold lemonade or a morning cup of coffee in peace.
