Think outside the box!

Avoid the ‘boxy’ look in a small garden using organic and geometric shapes. Designer Susan Morrison has some good advice

Avoid the cramped and boxy look in a small rectangular garden using organic and geometric shapes

Most small to average-sized gardens are rectangular. On its own, this uninspiring shape can make a space seem small and boxy, especially when fences, lawn and patio align with house walls and all the planting is pushed away, dotted around the garden’s perimeter. This not only makes a garden feel cramped, but there’s nothing to lure you out to explore it because you can see everything all at once. There are many ways a garden can be laid out to improve its appeal. For a small suburban garden, it’s best to stick with one of two general categories: organic gardens, whose lines are built around curves and meandering spaces; or geometric gardens, laid out along the more structured lines of rectangles, squares and circles. Setting up a series of garden rooms is an attractive, efficient way of organising the space. Dividing it into different areas, even subtly, creates a sense of multiple destinations and an overall impression of a larger space. While it’s seldom practical in a small garden to completely separate one area from another, a series of connected nooks partially separated by plant groupings, semi-transparent plants or structures brings a touch of mystery and discovery, and results in a garden that feels intimate.

Strategically positioned plants can create ‘nooks’ of interest in a small garden