How To Make Your Garden Look Bigger

Having a beautiful outdoor space to retreat to can be as therapeutic as taking a walk in nature, and creating your own dream garden is not just an option for those who live in the countryside. Whether it’s edible, pretty, or a mixture of both, having a small garden has become more and more popular in the past few years as section sizes have gotten smaller in built up areas.

In this article we share some simple tips on how – with just a little effort – you can transform your small garden and make it feel like a more spacious place to enjoy. The garden pictured is our small space at home which isn’t the most orderly but it is functional and we have managed to fit a lot into a small area.

Two garden beds with kale, tomatoes, fennel, lettuce, parsley, dill, sage and we did have peas that have now finished. Behind the beds are a plum tree, peach tree, apple tree, mandarin tree, perennial basil, okinawa spinach, rose geranium, (from Urban Bounty) lemon balm, clivia, marigolds and dahlia.

The Garden of Small Beginnings

Well, you’re probably wondering what the garden of small beginnings means. Right? The answer is simple. Remove any large features in your small garden that use up a lot of space; incorporate a small garden irrigation system – a wall mount garden hose reel will free up some considerable floor space for you! Large features end up making your already limited space feel cramped. Maybe you’ve installed an outdoor sitting set of ten, how about you set up for four? Remember, don’t dwarf garden features like pots and pavements since you will achieve the opposite effect.

What to Grow in a Small Garden

Achieving a balance of what to grow in a small garden will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. To achieve the perfect balance, plant fewer plants that will help you maximise your space. How do you do that? Try experimenting with hardy plants like the clivia which has lovely orange flowers at certain times of the year.

Do you remember we mentioned you shouldn’t dwarf the pots? Here’s why. Large pots planted with lots of plants have the visual effect of making a small garden feel bigger.

Another simple way of maximising your small garden is to use your wall to your advantage. How about you try planting climbers. You could try scented plants like the star jasmine or foliage plants like the Virginian creeper.

Declutter your Small Garden

Similarly to how you get rid of junk in your homes to create more space, tidy up your small garden. Remove any pots, furniture, garden hose, and if you do not want to get rid of them safely keep them in your small garden storage.

Paint using Light Colours

Small gardens, especially in cities, get limited amounts of light. Therefore, it is essential to paint the walls surrounding your garden with light paint shades. Light colours help the sun brighten up your small garden. Poorly lit gardens can give you a claustrophobic feeling since the space feels small.

Install Mirrors

Making use of outdoor mirrors is another genius method of making your small garden feel bigger. The reflective abilities of the mirror give you the illusion that you are in a bigger garden space than you are. It is important to note that proper placement of the mirror is required. This is done to prevent birds from injuring themselves once they see their reflections on the mirror.

Safety advice: Make sure the mirror is not in direct sunlight as you can risk starting a fire.

Play With Shapes

You would be surprised at how the shapes in your small garden can make a big difference. One of the best small garden landscaping ideas we found was to have a circular lawn in your square-shaped small garden, such as putting a curved path of stones that will trick the eye into thinking that it is bigger than it is.

Think Vertical

If you own a small garden and you find yourself with a limited amount of ground space, no problem, just go and explore the vertical space of your small garden. Good examples would be growing vertical climbing beans or even sweetcorn. You can even plant the tallest flowers you can get your hands on, instead of planting bushy flowers.

Carefully Choose the Colours

When choosing how to grow a small garden, colours have a specifically interesting duty here. Exactly like owning a small apartment, where you look to influence people’s perceptions by choosing complementary colours. For example, you can opt for pale-coloured plant blooms just so you give a lighter appearance to your small garden design. 

Avoid Clutter

Nobody likes hoarders, especially when it comes to building a big world in a small garden outside of your house. Try to keep the garden furniture light and foldable and organise all the essential garden tools nearby.

Emphasise Entryways

By adding a few plants and flowers near the entryways, you take your friends’ eyes away from the small garden that you own. When the entry is inviting and lively, it can create a massive change of perception for the common eye.

Use All Available Space from Your Small garden

Do not forget to use the sides of your walls, the fence, and all the shed space you have. Window boxes are also a great way to add more space to your garden, flowers look glorious in window boxes and add colour to your garden and home.

The best idea, if possible, would be to install a small garden irrigation system so you can plant all the tomatoes you want and not worry about raining or weather. Instead of this, you can use tools like a wall mount garden hose reel to enable you to water plants anytime by yourself.

Conclusion

Just because you own a small garden, it doesn’t mean you should feel frustrated about it, or that your friends have bigger gardens at their homes. All you should care about is making it perfect for you and your family, by using all sorts of small space tips that can trick the eye into perceiving it bigger than it is.

Ranging from colour schemes to carefully chosen plants, the ideas can be wild, and we challenge you to come up with your own.

In a nutshell, this might seem like a lot of work, but it is a simple job. The entire process of how to make a small garden look bigger involves very simple steps that are easily achievable. Just follow the expert advice we have given you, and you are on your way to achieving your dream garden.