Gardening and Landscaping: Tips on Working with a Small-Space Yard

Landscaping doesn’t just beautify your surroundings, it increases the value of your home, too!  When done right, landscaping improves the aesthetics of your home by creating dimension, adding texture and color, and giving an appearance of wider space.  Not only that, gardening as an activity is also viewed by some as a form of therapy.

But not everyone has a home with a large yard with which to experiment and have fun with in terms of landscaping and gardening.  When confronted with a small space to work with, there are certain things you can do to maximize space and create a beautiful garden.

Use Vertical Space

What you lack in horizontal space, compensate with vertical growing space.  Make use of vertical plant stands.  Hang pots.  You can set your favorite collection against a vertical surface such as a wall or fence.

Create a View

Small doesn’t necessarily mean less.  Create a view or a focal point in your garden.  This could be an arbor or pergola, mini-fountain, or a collection of garden decorations.  This acts as a welcome distraction and focuses the viewer’s eye on to the featured view rather than on the size of the garden. 

Choose Plant Height Carefully

You want your garden to look spacious so take special note of potential obstructions.  Keep hedges height to an appropriate level for areas that you want to look more open.  Avoid fountain walls that block views.

Keep it Simple and Coordinated

When you don’t have much space, having too many plants in all shapes, sizes, and colors may look too overwhelming!  Be sure to stick to a common theme in your garden.  Maintain a minimal plant palette, and don’t go crazy with colors; for your garden beds, stick to simple but strong geometric shapes.   

 

Furnish Wisely

Bulky furniture is a no-no.  If you really want to make use of space, go for dual purpose elements like planters that can also be used as seating.  Benches may also double as storage space.

Proportion

Make sure the entire garden is cohesive and coordinated in terms of size.  To create the illusion of a longer garden, larger plants can be placed at the foreground, followed by the smaller plants behind it.  This creates a ‘receding’ effect which makes your garden look vast. 

Small space is not a hindrance to landscaping and creating a cozy garden.  The key lies in the placement of the different elements which work to deceive the eye.  Don’t forget to make sure your garden matches the style and look of your home.  Your garden elements could be based on your wooden shutters, brick walls, tiled roof, or chimney.  Everything should work together beautifully.

Rebecca Johnson, Realtor

http://rebeccajohnson-realtor.com/