Designing a new garden can be both fun and rewarding. However, it can be hard to know exactly what to do with small spaces. Should you ignore landscape design and just throw a few plants or a fruit tree in, or should you spend time and money employing a professional to come and sculpt it to perfection?
Unfortunately, there’s no real correct answer. Some people will prefer not to waste their time and money on a good quality, experienced landscaper, while others would jump at the chance to turn their small outdoor area into more than wasted space. With this in mind, I’ve put together a few things for you to think about with respect to getting the most out of small outdoor spaces.
Start With A Clear Plan
Planning becomes essential when you’ve only got a small outdoor space to work with. Before you do anything else, you need to sit down and think about the following questions:
- What sort of elements do you want to include in your landscape design?
- Who’s going to be using your outdoor area? Do you need to make it child friendly, or should it be designed for adult entertaining?
- What sort of budget do you have?
- How much time do you have for garden maintenance?
The answers to these questions will help you clarify exactly what sort of things you should include in your landscape design.
Don’t Waste Space
If you’ve only got a small area to work with, whether it be inside to create a small home office or outside to create a garden, it doesn’t make any sense to waste space. Make sure that you use every bit of your yard wisely. Having a clear plan in place before you start landscaping is the best way to make sure that you can fit everything you want in your backyard.
In my experience, one of the best ways to save space when you’re landscaping your new garden area is to make smaller garden beds, especially around fences or against walls. For example, if your initial idea was to make garden beds 1.5 meters wide, consider reducing them to 1 meter.
Use Vertical Planters
Vertical planters are probably the ultimate tool for landscaping in small spaces. Instead of wasting space with garden beds or pot plants, you can use vertical planters to add some colour to your garden. They can be hung from walls, attached to fences or even used as freestanding planters. If you’re a handy person I would recommend making your own personalised vertical planters.
It can be hard to decide what to do with small outdoor spaces. The key to getting the most out of them is to create a clear landscape design before you do anything else. Make use of clever design features, and employ the services of a landscape professional if you’re not confident in your own ability.