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Gardening in Small Spaces
 Here, an apple tree has been espaliered onto a fence rail. |
With proper planning almost no space is too small to create a miniature garden oasis. With a little guidance, inspiration and judicious plant selection any gardener is sure to discover the tremendous possibilities presented by even the smallest outdoor locations.
With space at a premium the small garden designer must first exercise discipline. Each plant or element must earn its place in the scheme of things. Plants that are unhealthy or unsuitable must be removed or given a new home, and only healthy, vigorous plants should remain.
Your next step is to create the "bones" or structural elements of the garden. Structure should draw one’s attention to visually pleasing aspects of the garden, and distract from less attractive features (e.g. telephone wires, tall buildings in urban settings, a neighbor’s bright orange jungle gym). Below are some tried and true techniques for creating an effective garden skeleton.
- Small gardens are almost always adjacent to the house. Make sure that your small garden structures are in harmony with the house’s style.
- The simplest way to unify a small garden is to enclose it. Use tall hedges and groups of trees to hide the outside world.
- Avoid fences with horizontal lines. Fences built above eye level with vertical lines work well.
- Add a variety of levels to your small garden using berms, terraces and steps.
- Consider traffic patterns. Create paths that wind through the garden to create an illusion of more space.
- To make your garden space appear larger draw, your visitors’ eyes downward with interesting pathways. Herringbone brick or other horizontal patterns make paths look wider.
- Use a variety of shapes. Too many square elements will give garden visitors a boxed in feeling. Make sure to use diagonal and circular elements.
- Water features bring light and life to dark corners and soften outside noise.
- Create mini garden rooms by constructing a path that winds throughout the yard forming distinct areas.
- Separate these garden rooms from one another using plants and trellises.
- Create doorways between each garden room with arbors, statuary, and plants.
Putting things into perspective is another important part of small garden design. Below are a few guidelines to follow that may further enhance your small space.
- Deepen shallow spaces by gradually reducing plant height toward the back of your garden.
- Narrow the ends of pathways to make them appear longer.
- Place strong warm tones nearest the foreground of your landscapes and soft cool pastels in the background. This gives plants an illusion of fading into the distance.
- Keep in mind that plants or other features that are assertively upright will lead eyes up and out of the garden.
Cultivating a successful small garden requires selecting the proper plants. The following tidbits of information should help the small garden owner make appropriate plant selections.
- Ironically, using dwarf plants in a small garden is discouraged. Filling a small garden with small plants lends to it a "dollhouse" effect.
- Avoid using too many evergreens. They can make your garden look dark.
- Be careful not to create excessive shade.
- Plants that drop messy fruit will add to maintenance.
- Avoid buying trees with large root systems.
Plants for Small Spaces
Deciduous Trees
- Birch
- Crabapple
- Crape Myrtle
- Kousa Dogwood
- Stewartia
- Styrax japonica
- Sweet Bay Magnolia
- Thundercloud Plum
- Weeping Cherry
- Japanes Maple - Bloodgood and weeping
- Trident Maple
- Redspire Pear
- Redbud
- Sourwood
Evergreen Shrubs
- Dwarf Azaleas & Rhododendrons
- Emerald Green Arborvitae
- Rheingold Arbovitae
- Gold Thread Cypress
- Hinoki Cypress
- Weeping Hemlock
- China Girl Holly
- Boxwood
- Nandina
- Repandens yew
- Soft touch, Hoogendorn and Helleri Holly
- Blue Star Juniper
- Dwarf Alberta Spruce
- Little Red Holly
- Dragon Lady Holly
- Aucuba
- Steeds Holly
- Otto Luyken Laurel
- Mahonia beali
- Weeping Hemlock
- Hicksi yew
- Skypencil Holly
- Yucca
- Japanese Black Pine
Deciduous Shrubs
- Caryopteris
- Clethra
- Crimson Pigmy Barberry
- Roses
- Winter Jasmine
- Little Princess Spirea
- Anthony Waterer Spirea
- Miss Kim Lilac
- Deutzia
- Edward Goucher Abelia
- Daphne
- Fothergilla
- Clethra
- Pia Hydrangea
Be sure to check out our archive of Garden Journal articles!
