How to Make Your Small Garden Look Bigger
Expand your garden's visual feel, if not your square footage, using these tricks of the landscaping trade
How to make more with less? That is a puzzle that, when cracked, gives you the magic result, ‘Small is Beautiful’. With so many of us living in urban areas, most of us have to make do with a small garden space. Our small urban gardens largely consist of spaces ranging from bungalow front yards or backyards to narrow side or front margins to balcony or terrace gardens in apartments. Cramming too may ‘garden features’ into a minimal space results in disordered, cluttered chaos. So what do we do? Do not despair: even those of us with modestly-sized outdoor spaces can take steps to make them look grander than they really are.
2. Create distinct zones
Just as indoor spaces are defined by rooms with distinct functions, the outdoors benefit from similar organised zones. Evaluate your garden and try to think of the best location for that must-have feature. A simple organising feature, such as a deck, a pergola or a boundary wall gathers disparate elements together, creating a composition of elements, rather than many individual elements. With such a composition, the visual impact is toned down.
Just as indoor spaces are defined by rooms with distinct functions, the outdoors benefit from similar organised zones. Evaluate your garden and try to think of the best location for that must-have feature. A simple organising feature, such as a deck, a pergola or a boundary wall gathers disparate elements together, creating a composition of elements, rather than many individual elements. With such a composition, the visual impact is toned down.
3. Soften the boundaries
High walls can feel overpowering in a small space but in this courtyard (essentially a small space enclosed by high walls) garden climbers beautify the walls with their green leafy texture. They also reduce the perception of height as they visually connect to the lower-level plants. The tall urn at the centre of the garden brings the focus to the garden itself and away from the buildings outside.
High walls can feel overpowering in a small space but in this courtyard (essentially a small space enclosed by high walls) garden climbers beautify the walls with their green leafy texture. They also reduce the perception of height as they visually connect to the lower-level plants. The tall urn at the centre of the garden brings the focus to the garden itself and away from the buildings outside.
4. Bring in the curves
Adding curves can make a small space feel bigger. When working with extremely narrow spaces such as side margins, for example, a curved meandering pathway creates pause points, and draws the eyes away from the narrow length and towards points of interests. In this garden, plants with variegated leaves, fine texture and broad forms help liven up the setting.
Tip: When using a mixed palette of foliage plants, add bits of flowering plants for bursts of colour. For example, in the garden pictured here, the orange lily provides good contrast to the green foliage.
Adding curves can make a small space feel bigger. When working with extremely narrow spaces such as side margins, for example, a curved meandering pathway creates pause points, and draws the eyes away from the narrow length and towards points of interests. In this garden, plants with variegated leaves, fine texture and broad forms help liven up the setting.
Tip: When using a mixed palette of foliage plants, add bits of flowering plants for bursts of colour. For example, in the garden pictured here, the orange lily provides good contrast to the green foliage.
5. Create a green cave
If your small garden includes enclosed fences or walls, soften those hard surfaces with plantings. Use containers overflowing with plants to camouflage these structures. Use greenery to create a canopy. It not only frames the seating space, but also creates an illusion of multiple spaces within a small area by creating various layers that are visually appealing.
If your small garden includes enclosed fences or walls, soften those hard surfaces with plantings. Use containers overflowing with plants to camouflage these structures. Use greenery to create a canopy. It not only frames the seating space, but also creates an illusion of multiple spaces within a small area by creating various layers that are visually appealing.
6. Use reflective surfaces
Additionally, sturdy wall surfaces also make for a perfect spot for mounting reflective surfaces such as mirrors, which give a small space the illusion of depth. You can make good use of all that wall area to create an endless fluidity in the garden space.
Additionally, sturdy wall surfaces also make for a perfect spot for mounting reflective surfaces such as mirrors, which give a small space the illusion of depth. You can make good use of all that wall area to create an endless fluidity in the garden space.
Additionally, use visually non-obstructive materials like glass or acrylic for railings for opening out the space. A transparent glass railing like the one pictured here makes the space look much larger by being visually unobtrusive.
7. Opt for a circular table
One of the most obvious ways to maximise room in a small garden is to choose a round table rather than a rectangular one. It takes up a lot less space and doesn’t have sharp edges you could bang into. A circular table will also give you more flexibility as there’s room for diners to squeeze around its perimeter.
One of the most obvious ways to maximise room in a small garden is to choose a round table rather than a rectangular one. It takes up a lot less space and doesn’t have sharp edges you could bang into. A circular table will also give you more flexibility as there’s room for diners to squeeze around its perimeter.
8. Reduce the clutter
For small balcony and terrace gardens attached to apartments, de-cluttering is the best way forward. Keep it simple, limiting the use of furniture to create that sense of openness and volume that these small spaces cry out for.
Use plants to bring greenness to the space. You can even opt for just two or three feature plants instead of many small plants. In case you decide to do so, make sure you select larger plants that have already matured (about four to five years old).
For small balcony and terrace gardens attached to apartments, de-cluttering is the best way forward. Keep it simple, limiting the use of furniture to create that sense of openness and volume that these small spaces cry out for.
Use plants to bring greenness to the space. You can even opt for just two or three feature plants instead of many small plants. In case you decide to do so, make sure you select larger plants that have already matured (about four to five years old).
9. Connect the indoors and the outdoors
To help create the illusion of more space outside, borrow some from the inside. Floor-to-ceiling windows or generous doors will help blur the lines between the two.
To help create the illusion of more space outside, borrow some from the inside. Floor-to-ceiling windows or generous doors will help blur the lines between the two.
10. Grow upwards
Limited your square footage may be, but if you decide to use the vertical surfaces you will have some extra height to play with. Vertical elements will help your garden claim this space for its own, enhancing the feeling of spaciousness. Not only can you emphasise the vertical with tall plants, in an urban setting you can actually grow things on surrounding walls or trellises.
Limited your square footage may be, but if you decide to use the vertical surfaces you will have some extra height to play with. Vertical elements will help your garden claim this space for its own, enhancing the feeling of spaciousness. Not only can you emphasise the vertical with tall plants, in an urban setting you can actually grow things on surrounding walls or trellises.
Read more:
6 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Balcony Garden
A Beginner’s Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
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6 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Balcony Garden
A Beginner’s Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
Tell us:
If you enjoyed this story, like it, bookmark it and share your thoughts in Comments below. Join the conversation!
The first thing to do when faced with a small garden is to decide what you absolutely can’t live without. This can be an outdoor entertaining space, a kitchen garden, a playground. Once you have decided on this, make that the priority.
Now that you have your priorities straight, make a plan or a list of activities, features, experiences that you would like your garden to have. You even have the choice of hiring a landscape architect or garden designer to help execute your vision in the most efficient manner. Being trained in the profession, they are best equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to turn your vision into a reality.