 | Landscaping A Small Garden Is Easy Isn’t It?
Many people mistakenly believe that a small garden is easier to design and easier to landscape than a larger garden. It may be true that you will require fewer features and plants but the planning can take even longer because you will need to be more selective and you may need to be more creative and show more ingenuity. Also, remember that blindly following any guidelines (yes, even those given below) may not always produce the results you want and sometimes working beyond the general rules of small gardening can produce exceptional results. Gardening should be about using your imagination and creativity, and this is no different in a small garden.
Planting For A Small Garden
The method of planting you opt for should play a big part in landscaping any garden, especially a small garden. As a general rule you should try to stick to two or three colors and two or three types of plant. This doesn’t mean you have to do this, but a confined space with tens of different species of plant can look out of place. Use variations on certain species and combine your different colors with the different plant types you have in order to have more freedom when choosing plants. You don’t need to include green as one of your colors. While it is normal to use small plants in small areas this doesn’t have to be the case; you should keep the size of plants comparative to the area around the plant. You may have a tiny garden but placing tiny plants next to a six-foot fence will make the space seem even smaller.
The Illusion Of Height
Using different levels in your garden can give the illusion of having more space. This is easily done by raising plant beds to different heights or simply using progressive height planting. Plant larger plants at the back of the beds and smaller plants in front. If there is a tall fence or wall behind as well this will effectively give you four heights in your garden design - the ground, the low plant level, the high plant level and the backdrop level.
Creating More Space Than You Have
The color of your fence or wall also plays an important part in the appearance of a small garden. Light colors will give the illusion of more space while dark colors are not as confining as you might think. In some instances, a black fence can actually create a feeling of more space, almost as though there is more there but you can’t see it. Using mirrors is probably one of the oldest tricks in the small garden trick book. The reflection of the plants appears as though your planting extends much further than it actually does. This will make your garden look bigger when done correctly. Try to avoid placing mirrors where visitors to your garden will see the reflection of themselves. Even though they will be aware they are looking at a mirror anyway, if they see a reflection of themselves, the illusion will be lost.
Use Your Imagination And, If Necessary, Break All The Rules
Water features have a similar effect to mirrors and using a small fountain or maybe even a garden pond will produce much needed light and detract from any claustrophobic feelings that a small confined garden may create. The most important aspect of any garden design is the use of your imagination. Test theories before you try them if necessary and if something works but breaks all the rules then go for it.
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