Design Solutions Transform a long thin garden into an exciting journey with plants, paving and seats
Turn a long lawn into a zig-zag of plants and paving, says Louisa Gilhooly
Q How can I make my narrow garden feel less like a corridor?
A LONG, NARROW garden can make you feel a bit claustrophobic. The tendency to use straight paths, lawns and borders (in this case a long row of looming conifers) just emphasises the awkward proportions even more, giving you ‘tunnel vision’.
While you won’t be able to change the actual dimensions of your garden, it is possible to make it feel wider and more balanced. One clever design idea is to play with the perspective – tricking the eye into viewing the space differently.
With long, narrow gardens like this one, leading the eye across the space instead of allowing it to travel straight to the fence at the far end will make the garden seem wider and more spacious. Laying the mid-section of paving at 45 degrees to the fences works well, as does using a layout that travels diagonally across the garden, creating a dynamic ‘zig-zag’ effect.
Another way to remove the bowling-alley effect of a long, thin garden is to deliberately conceal the far end. This can be done using semi-transparent plants (such as tall grasses), attractive trellis or screening, to create a sense of mystery and prevent the garden from being revealed all in one go.
For a real sense of adventure, divert the path so it traverses the garden from left to right and back. Have it plunge into the planting, cross a small pond or rill on stepping stones, or around a corner – rather than simply laying it straight up the middle.
Divide the garden into different zones for sitting, relaxing and eating so there are pauses, stopping points and hidden spaces to discover along the way.
Tall fences and walls can make a narrow garden feel gloomy rather than private, so paint these in cool shades of pale grey or sage green to reflect the light. Containers or sculptures in polished materials such as stainless steel also help to bounce light, and can act as useful focal points to lead the eye.
Height is important here because it draws the eye upwards, but in a narrow garden choose trees and large shrubs carefully, avoiding those with a huge canopy that will dominate the space and rob you of light. Multi-stemmed trees provide height and interest without taking up much space on the ground, leaving plenty of room for underplanting with bright foliage and seasonal bulbs. ✿
Conceal the far end of the garden from view, using plants or screening