Create a cottage garden in the smallest space

In his new book, The Modern Co age Garden, Greg Loades shows us that you can squeeze in beautiful, dramatic planting in even the tiniest of plots

We live in a world where the mantra ‘more for less’ surrounds many of us post financial crashes. Although this may be regrettable in some areas of society, we'd do well to consider this approach in the garden when space is limited. Look at established plants that take up the most space and consider if there's room for two different plants where you have one.

Finding opportunities to grow a wider range of plants can be the start of trying out the modern cottage garden style. A traditional herbaceous border plant grown in isolation can be transformed by planting a contrasting new perennial next to it and vice versa. Established clumps of herbaceous perennials can be lifted and divided in early spring or autumn to reduce the plants' spread and allow for a new plant next to it or in the middle of the clump. Perfect pairs

Planting around the edge of other plants is a good way to incorporate spring bulbs into a planting scheme. Pair them with perennials that have attractive foliage in spring, such as pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain' or Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', to create a layered display.

Adding height around the margins of lower-growing plants is also an easy way to make a big impact with two plants where there was only space for one. Hollyhock, one of the most gorgeous classic cottage garden plants, grows superbly in soil that drains well, tolerating drought exceptionally. Plants that produce flowers neatly on slim stems will add lots of impact in a tight space, and there may be none neater than this classic. Also try planting some around the edges of dome-shaped perennials such as Euphorbia characias or hardy perennial sedums for a mix of old and new at different heights. Plant them with tall grasses for an ethereal blend of traditional flowers and contemporary texture.

Another plant with slender flower stems that’s useful for squeezing into a mixed planting when space is tight is Sisyrinchium striatum. Where I grew up, it had the unflattering common name of pigroot, which sounded more like a foul-smelling weed than pretty perennial. Its spires of dainty flowers, cream with a buttery-yellow centre, are a real summer treat and reach a similar height to wispy strands of Stipa tenuissima and many achilleas. Sisyrinchiums can freely self seed, but just take out the ones you don't want and transplant the ones you do to an advantageous position in spring. It’s a splendid foil for short wispy grasses in a small space, and because of its fairly short, unobtrusive leaves it can be planted among grasses so the two can appear as if they were one plant.