How to Create Space in the Garden
The garden is a sacred space in our homes, often only really accessible in the summer months. Its seasonal nature makes it all the more enthralling when it is used, whether as a place to socialize or simply a place to reflect. Nearly nine in ten of us are lucky enough to have access to a garden – and with spring coming again, now is the best possible time to get that garden looking its best. But how might you do this, from a space perspective?
Now, let’s dive into the topic of creating space in the garden. Gardens are wonderful places to relax, entertain, and enjoy nature. However, if your garden is feeling cluttered or cramped, it can be difficult to fully enjoy the space. In this article, we will provide you with practical tips and advice on how to create more space in your garden, so you can fully enjoy all that it has to offer.
Start with a Plan
Before you start making any changes to your garden, it’s important to have a plan in place. Take the time to assess your current garden layout and think about how you want to use the space.
Consider factors such as how much sunlight and shade different areas of your garden receive, and which areas are most exposed to wind and weather. Once you have a clear idea of your garden’s strengths and weaknesses, you can start to plan out how to optimize the space.
2. Declutter and Organize
One of the most effective ways to create more space in your garden is to declutter and organize. Take a critical look at your garden and identify any items that are no longer needed or that detract from the overall aesthetic.
This could include old pots, broken furniture, or overgrown plants. Once you have identified these items, you can either dispose of them or find a new home for them outside of your garden.
Next, think about how you can organize the remaining items in your garden. Consider using storage containers, shelving units, or hooks to keep gardening tools, outdoor equipment, and other items neatly organized and out of sight.
3. Create Beautiful Outdoor Zones
Creating distinct zones within your garden can also help to create the illusion of more space. Consider dividing your garden into different areas based on how you want to use the space. For example, you could create a seating area for relaxing, a dining area for outdoor meals, and a play area for children.
When creating these zones, it’s important to think about the flow of traffic through your garden. Make sure that there is enough space between each area to allow for easy movement, and that each area is easily accessible from the others.
4. Use Vertical Space
If you have limited ground space in your garden, consider using vertical space to create more planting areas. This could include using trellises or fences to grow climbing plants or hanging baskets to add color and texture to your garden.
You can also use vertical space for storage or seating. For example, you could install a wall-mounted bench or create a vertical garden by attaching pots or containers to a wall.
5. Incorporate Mirrors
Mirrors can be a clever way to create the illusion of more space in your garden. By strategically placing mirrors in different areas, you can reflect light and create the illusion of depth. For example, you could place a large mirror against a wall to create the illusion of a doorway or window.
When using mirrors in your garden, it’s important to consider their placement carefully. Make sure that the mirror reflects something visually appealing, such as a flower bed or feature tree, rather than something unattractive like a garden shed or compost bin.
6. Choose the Right Plants
Choosing the right plants for your garden can also help to create the illusion of more space. Opt for plants that have a vertical growth habit, such as bamboo or tall grasses, rather than plants that spread horizontally.
You can also create a sense of depth and layering by planting a variety of different plants in your garden. Choose plants with varying heights and textures to create interest and depth.
7. Removing Hedges and Trees
This might sound like an obvious point with regard to making space, but removing larger plant life from your garden can give everything much more room to breathe. This is particularly obvious where trees planted in the middle of your lawn are concerned; cutting such trees down gives you a large area of lawn space back, and removes shade from parts of your garden in the process.
But there are subtler ways in which space can be created through hedge removal. You might have hedges as boundaries for your garden, which are admittedly aesthetically pleasing as well as effective at maintaining privacy. However, they grow out as well as up and remove dozens of accessible square feet from your garden footprint. Replacing your hedges with fencing can give you those square feet back, allowing you free movement right up to the boundary line itself.
8. Planting the Right Flowers
Thinking even smaller, your flowers and plants can have their own impacts on the sense of space in a garden. Unkempt and crowded flowerbeds can make a lawn feel cluttered, and draw the eye away from open space.
Even just weeding can have a powerful effect with regard to space. But taking this a step further, planting bright flowers against slender plants can help create a vibrant and diverse flowerbed that accentuates the space available to you outside.
Where your flowerbeds are placed will also, naturally, change the feel of your garden. Rows of beds can serve to narrow your garden down, while boundary flowerbeds again shrink your lawn footprint. The final decision on placement can only be yours, though, owing to the unique shape of many gardens.
9. Building a Patio
The footprint of your grass is not an extremely vital factor in creating space in your garden. Indeed, adding a patio to your back garden can help make your outdoor space feel much larger, just by virtue of more of it being used. Flattening out some garden space for a paved section allows you more room to entertain – and it can be decorated with further useful items like chimineas or brick barbeques.
10. Designing Paths
Further to building out a patio, you could extend paving to pathways that circle focal points of your garden – be they trees, flowerbeds, or other points of interest. Doing this dramatically increases the walkable space of your garden in fewer kinds of conditions, and makes you more likely to enjoy your garden from new angles.
Conclusion
Creating space in a garden can be challenging, but with the right techniques, it’s possible to maximize the space you have and create a beautiful and productive garden. By using proper plant placement, optimizing your soil, incorporating edible landscaping, using containers, and practicing good maintenance, you can make the most of your garden space and enjoy a bountiful harvest.
FAQs:
Can I still have a beautiful garden even if I have limited space?
Yes, you can still have a beautiful garden even if you have limited space. By using techniques such as companion planting, vertical planting, and using containers, you can maximize the space you have and create a beautiful garden.
What is companion planting?
Companion planting is a technique of planting certain plants together that can benefit each other, such as planting basil near tomatoes, which can repel pests and improve flavor.
Can I use raised beds in a small garden?
Yes, you can use raised beds in a small garden. Raised beds can help you create a more controlled environment for your plants, which can lead to better growth and yield.
How often should I water my garden?
The frequency of watering your garden depends on several factors, such as the type of plants you’re growing, the climate, and the soil type. Generally, it’s best to water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between watering.