Make your own urban green space
YOU DON’T NEED A BIG GARDEN TO ENJOY A GORGEOUS GREEN SPACE. URBAN RESIDENTS AND APARTMENT DWELLERS CAN GET GROWING TOO
IN cities, urban and suburban areas of contemporary Ireland new homes are often smaller than those we used to build. And so it is that the gardens attached to them are smaller also.
The good news is that rather than lamenting the days (and gardens) of yore, we are becoming more inventive about how and where we garden.
Small courtyards, balconies and roof spaces are being transformed to become havens for us and wildlife. New products and ideas are emerging to supply this evolving market. It’s fun to imagine the possibilities of greening a space which at first glance may prove to be unpromising. And inspiration for this greening has never been so easily available.
Here are my thoughts on the possibilities for smaller garden spaces:
Make use of vertical space and reach for the skies with tall, thin, columnar planting or living ‘green walls’. Green walls are all the rage and extend the possibilities of using all available surfaces for planting, creating extra habitats for wildlife while insulating buildings during winter and framing windows with foliage.
If you favour traditional styles, a well-planned formal garden with a strong evergreen skeleton such as a low box hedge box can be striking and often plays well in a limited courtyard space. However, try to allow for some seasonal colour in the planting, even if confined to urns and terracotta pots.
Where garden space is at a premium, greed is not good. Don’t try to use too many ideas, features or plants to achieve too much. Edit your ideas, allowing room for the plants and features you love. Less can be more.
Repeat planting unifies a garden. So limit your palate, plant in groups of five or seven, and further
‘Our urban jungle is a daily adventure’
down the garden repeat the arrangement.
Use illusion techniques to play tricks with space, light and perspective. Try painted murals, mirrors
set into a hedge or gates that open to nowhere — lead your visitor up the imagined garden path.
In smaller spaces, don’t just let the garden ‘happen’ or evolve over time. It is vital to develop a plan using lines such as pathways to lead the eye around the space. Create a journey, simple sweeps, or even a circle. Try to lead, rather than let your sight be arrested at the closest point. Take charge of how visitors will view your creation.