Lessons in gardening: Small space gardening ✏️

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[Lessons in Gardening Week 4]
[Lessons in Gardening Week 4]
Hi Robert,
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a large garden, so this week we’ll be looking at how you can maximise the potential of a smaller space. A smaller garden, courtyard garden, patio or even a tiny balcony can be transformed into a tranquil, leafy haven - and this week we’ll show you how it’s done.
[Lessons in Gardening Week 4]
LESSON 4: GARDENING IN SMALL SPACES
If you are dreaming of a beautiful garden but you've only got a pocket-sized outdoor space, then fear not, because you can still enjoy colour and interest throughout the year - without making it feel cramped or overcrowded. There are lots of creative and efficient ways to put together a stunning smaller garden, and this week we'll be looking at these.
As we discussed in week 1, the first step is to set out your site before moving onto the planting, so revisit your garden sketch and mood board, and think about the styles that you've been inspired by. In a larger garden it's often possible to have several different areas within a garden, but in a small space, it's even more important to be focussed on what the primary use for the space will be. If you need a recap, then revisit the garden 'room', the sanctuary garden and the rewilding garden from week 2.
This week you will further develop your garden plan to identify focal points, and points of interest in your garden design, how and where you might incorporate container planting, and how to layer your plant selection to deliver height and interest.
[step 1]
Step 1
Designing a small space
How to make your space work extra hard, no soil, no problem, and if in doubt go vertical.
[Read this step in full]
Step 2
Planting a small space
Avoid a small space looking cluttered, how to achieve great pot displays and small garden planting ideas.
[Read this step in full]
[step 2]
CASESTUDY: SMALL GARDEN DESIGN
Designing for a small space
Our in-house designer Julia loves her small urban garden and this week she shares her tips and the things she loves most about her small gardening space.
"Don’t hold back on using plants that have large leaves - they add colour, drama, shape and structure and make the space feel lush and tropical and larger than it really is. Tree ferns, although space hungry, are very handsome in a darker awkward corner. Mine is in a tall pot. I painted the fence a matt charcoal black which really makes the greens stand out and also gives the illusion of more space."
[small border]
"Pots are great in a small space - I have a selection of good sized ones (so they need less watering) that are constantly moved about and tweaked. I try different perennials in them each year. If the plants are a success they will find a permanent place, if not they are often passed on to grateful neighbours. The space is too small for plants that are not happy. You can also put pots in amongst the planted small boarders not only to see how the plant works there but to create different height and levels of interest."
[julias garden]
Julia loves a jungle feel to her garden with large and lush foliage.
[Discover plants for a tropical garden style]
Small space gardening
Crocus tip
Julia has come up with a fantastic solution for growing tomatoes in her small, sunny courtyard garden. She tells us how she does it; "I have a small garden so can't afford a separate space to 'grow my own' therefore I try to mingle a few edible plants into my small beds and large pots. I have found growing a tomato plant up one of our [obelisks] works really well. It looks great too. The tip of the plant passes through the ring at the top of all our Crocus collection obelisks which provides the final support that the plant needs before pinching off the tip and allowing the fruit to fill out and ripen.
There's actually quite a lot of scope for growing edibles in a small garden, so if that's something you'd like to try, herbs, radishes, kale, potatoes and strawberries are a great place to start. Also, look out for the new, compact varieties of fruit, which do really well in pots."
Lesson 4: Small space gardening
Share your progress
Tasks for this week:
- Further develop your garden plan to identify focal points, and points of interest in your garden design.
- Plan how to layer your plant selection to deliver height and interest.
- Consider how and where you might incorporate container planting
Share your progress in the Lessons in Gardening group, on our FREE app Iris.
[Share progress]
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