As summer approaches, everyone is looking forward to spending more time in the garden, but not everyone has a wealth of outdoor space.
If you only have a small courtyard, or a little patch of grass, you can still make your backyard look and feel spacious with just a few simple tricks.
How to make your small backyard look bigger
“Does your charming little garden feel more cramped than cosy? Don’t despair! Even the most petite garden plots hold hidden potential for creating an illusion of spaciousness,” gardening expert Fiona Jenkins said.
“By incorporating clever design techniques and strategic plant choices, you can transform your bijou garden into a visual oasis that feels expansive and inviting.”
Jenkins has listed 15 clever ways to maximise your small garden’s potential and turn your outdoor space into a “delightful haven that feels anything but cramped”.
1. Use foldaway furniture
Furniture is the thing that takes up most space, so getting tables and chairs that can fold away is a great idea. You can fold it up and move it out of the way when not in use, allowing you to enjoy your garden without taking up permanent space.
2. Mix and match landscaping materials
Mixing and matching materials around the garden can create different zones, add interest and enhance the feeling of space in your backyard. Consider creating a good mix of turf, flower beds, decking, and paving stones.
3. Add shelves
Putting up shelves is a great way of creating additional storage space and adding more plants to the garden without taking up any additional floor space, allowing you to add more life into your smaller garden.
4. Add privacy
A tiny backyard doesn’t have to mean no privacy. Screens, fencing, trellises and brick walls will create a border between your garden and your neighbours, making your space feel big and private for personal use.
5. Add a water feature
Water creates reflections, so adding a water feature can help to give the illusion of more space in the garden too. It will also make your space feel like a natural retreat, and the sound of running water can create a relaxing ambience.
6. Go bright
When choosing plants and colors for your small garden, go bold. Light and bright colors always make a space feel much larger and airier, both inside and outside the home. A great example is painting your fence and furniture a bright shade.
7. Consider your needs
When planning your small garden, consider the elements that are most important to you and focus on those. If you plan on sitting outside, use up the space with a large seating area. If you want to grow food, create a vegetable patch.
8. Use large planters
When you’re limited on space, using large planters is a great way to get more flowers in. You can plant multiple plants in each one, so it makes much more sense than using small pots. Large planters also look tidy and stylish, so they’re a great way to make use of the space.
9. Plant vertically
There won’t be much horizontal space in your small backyard, so you can add more plants by planting vertically, making your garden seem much fuller and bigger. User vertical racks and planters to create this effect.
10. Grow tall plants
Growing tall plants will create the illusion of a bigger space too. Jenkins recommends “thinking big” when it comes to small gardens and growing Verbascum, foxgloves, wild irises, honeysuckles, and jasmine.
11. Divide the space into zones
If possible, try splitting the garden up into various zones. For example, create a relaxing seating area close to the house, and plants further down. A small winding path through the plants will make the space seem bigger as it takes longer to walk down.
12. Use blue flowers at the edges
Planting blue flowers, like lavender and blue agapanthus, at the edge of the space can recede into the distance and make the garden appear bigger. Avoid planting red or orange flowers near the fence, as this can make the edges appear closer.
13. Keep clutter at a minumum
It might seem like an obvious one, but sometimes all you need to do to make your garden seem larger is get rid of the clutter. If you clutter the garden with plants and other objects, there will be less space for you to move around, making it feel cramped.
14. Use levels
Creating different levels in a small garden can make the space seem much more interesting, add depth and help it come across bigger. For example, a sunken pit could be used as a seating area, or a raised area for a secluded deck.
15. Keep everything trimmed
Finally, be sure to keep everything neatly trimmed, as no matter how small or large your garden is, overgrown plants and weeds can make it seem much more cramped. Remember to cut the grass regularly too.
Fiona Jenkins is a UK-based landscaper with over 25 years of experience in the industry. She currently works as a gardening expert for top trade-matching site MyJobQuote, offering her expert advice to tradespeople and homeowners.
