You don’t need to own acres of land to create a beautiful garden. Stylish, well-designed gardens aren’t exclusive to those with a country manor or a large plot of land.

The reality for most of us, especially living in towns, is a relatively small back garden. But small doesn’t need to be boring. You can still have big aspirations for your small garden.

Follow my expert tips on how to maximise your outdoor space.

1. Create your wishlist of essential elements

Think carefully about what you want from your garden. Plan and design it to enhance the space. Cherry-pick a few key elements. Factor in your lifestyle and how you intend to use your garden. The adage, “Less is more” applies well here.

If entertaining is your priority, focus on the area to use for that. You may want less lawn and more of a paved area for partying. But if you’re into growing your own fruit and veg or flowers and herbs, beds are going to be high up that wishlist. Raised beds work particularly well in smaller gardens.

2. Use the space you do have cleverly

It’s easy to focus on your relatively small footprint of a garden. But it’s not all about size, it’s what you do with it! Look up. Use the height by installing climbers or trees which draw the eye upwards.

Vertical planted walls are a brilliant way of utilising limited space. You can buy pocket hanging gardens that you fill with your choice of plants. It’s a simple way to add colour or greenery to your garden boundary.

Hanging plant grow bags

 If you’re a bit handy (or know someone who is), wooden pallets can be upcycled into vertical planters pretty easily. They look good and are really inexpensive.

Pallet Planters

Invest in multi-use furniture. There’s no need to spend on seating and storage solutions when you can get a bench with built-in storage. It saves you space and money. Retractable washing lines also take up much less room than a rotary one.

3. Don’t be afraid to add colour

Be brave with the use of colour. Bold shades won’t make your garden look smaller. In fact, it can do the opposite. Darker colours can help to blur boundaries. I’ve transformed small gardens, simply by painting the fences black, navy or dark grey.

Dark coloured walls and fences can really enhance the look of the plants that grow up them. The green foliage really stands out in contrast to the dark structure behind it. Similarly, flowers look all the bolder.

4. Some simple planting tips

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that small gardens need small plants, pots and details. That can actually make your space look cluttered. Think big! Use large planters for dramatic effect. Plant trees to add height and encourage people to look up. These simple techniques will make the space feel bigger.

Incorporate some different dimensions for interest. Choose herbs for amazing fragrance. Include a variety of textures. Make your garden a sensory experience.

Keep planting simple. Repeat the same few plants for maximum impact. It may sound boring, but it’ll look visually stylish and stunning.

5. Switch on the lights

Use lighting carefully to create mood and allow you to make use of your outdoor space at night. Even if you can’t sit outside, adding illumination to the plants and space will join the indoors with the outdoors. That indoor-outdoor flow blurs boundaries and can make the space appear bigger.

Another simple trick is to add a mirror. That reflective light plays tricks on the eyes, making the area look larger. Choose a mirror that works with your style - a vintage mirror coupled with rambling plants, or sleek mirrored tiles for a more modern look.

These 5 simple solutions can transform your small garden. Need some more help with your garden design? Contact me for one-to-one brainstorming sessions.

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Discover how I transformed this overlooked garden