PLOTS TO CONSIDER
Got a garden project in mind but drawn a blank when it comes to ideas? These ones should get the creative juices flowing, writes KATE BURT
ARE you at the early stages of planning for a garden makeover or improvement later this year? Are you still hunting around for the right ideas and inspiration to incorporate into your revamp?
Start here by picking out the images you like and saving them to your own garden project ideabook.
These ideas are aimed at little gardens or terraces, but many can be adapted for larger plots, too.
1 CHAMPION PURPLE AND GREY
THIS winning colour combination is perfect if your taste is contemporary and restrained. The smooth, battenstyle fence is also a shortcut to a contemporary-looking garden.
This garden also shows how a little change in levels can go a long way to adding interest to a small plot. Just two shallow steps and that neat but only slightly raised bed really helps to define the seating area, while also leading the eye towards the friendly yet ordered planting scheme beyond.
Sticking to one main colour for your planting is great if you’re not a very confident planter. You might not get your beds looking as professional as these award-winning ones, but you can have a go by choosing lots of lavender, dotting in taller blooms, such as alliums, as here, and filling the gaps with low-growing evergreens. 2 INVEST IN EXCELLENT LIGHTING WITH a tiny garden, patio, roof terrace or balcony, you still have options for creating a special space.
If you can’t add different levels, have no chance of a lawn and barely have one flowerbed, consider spending wisely on really good lighting design.
With the right planting, whether in pots or growing up walls, as here, you can give your outdoor space drama and probably even induce garden envy from those with roomier patches.
It’s worth getting professional design advice about how best to create an impact with lighting, though if you’re on a tight budget, even investing in a few uplighters and spiking them into your beds or pots will go a long way.
Chances are you’ll still need a pro to get the wiring in place, ideally before the space is finished and planted, so wires can be tucked away.
3 ADD A FIREPLACE
An outdoor fireplace is arguably even more special in a tight spot, as you’ll enjoy it from every part of the garden. It’s also a good way to get more use out of your plot, as it’ll remain inviting even in cooler months.
Don’t forget to factor lighting into your plan, so you really will make more of those short days.
There are so many choices for design. You could plan for something built and designed into the rest of your space, like this, or even invest in an outdoor freestanding wood-burner or chiminea.
4 EMBRACE GRAVEL
GRAVEL, as an extensive garden surface, can be underused. We tend to think more about choosing between lawn, decking and harder surfaces, such as paving. But if you want something softer than the two latter options, but aren’t sold on grass or its artificial cousin, then gravel could fill the gap and give your garden a Mediterranean accent.
5 LET DINING TAKE CENTRE STAGE
THINK about how you use – or, most probably, how you dream of using – your outside space. If sitting around a table is a big part of the dream, but you feel stuck by the available space, consider sacrificing other potential uses for your plot.
Do you really need an area of lawn, a conventional patio or a shed? Would they get anywhere near as much use as a lovely big dining area?
Writing a wish list for your garden is a great place to start. You might discover priorities or possibilities you didn’t even realise you had.
6 WEAVE IN SOME CURVES
GARDEN designers can often see our angular little gardens in ways we couldn’t even imagine. So don’t feel thwarted by the shape or size of your space, because there are almost certainly ways these can be radically rethought. Turning a square or rectangular plot into a circular or curved one is a classic example. Again, try sketching out your garden and be bold with your pencil.
7 LEARN THE POWER OF SCREENS…
IN the same vein, consider how a well-placed trellis or panel could give your garden new structure and secret areas. Even a weeny plot can have different ‘rooms’.
8 ...OR STRATEGICALLY PLACED BEDS
BUILT-IN planters or, indeed, giant freestanding ones can also help to divide your space.
You could create a reading nook where you’ll be hidden from view, plus a socialising space closer to the house.
Kate Burt is deputy editor at Houzz. Visit Houzz.co.uk for design inspiration and home improvement advice.