Four ways to style a small garden or outside space

A VIRTUAL HOP AROUND SCOTLAND THIS EASTER

In these unprecedented times, everyone is being asked to Stay At Home so why not use the wonders of technology to transport yourself to a virtual Scotland enjoy the country this Easter from the comfort of your own home.

CHEEP THRILLS

Start the morning off right and enjoy a Daily Bird Song with Speyside Wildlife. Featuring a different garden bird each day, listeners can experience lovely bird songs from a variety of feathered friends. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Speyside Wildlife will be giving pointers and videos to help identify bird songs and calls. See speysidewildlife.co.uk. Or spot puffins birds using Shetland’s wildlife cams from Sumburgh Head. See www.shetlandwebcams.com

IT’S A WILD LIFE

The Loch Ness monster has been avoiding social contact for an impressive 15 centuries! Monster seekers should spend time trying to spot Nessie over on the live cam overlooking Loch Ness. Visit www. visitscotland.com/ycw2020 or join the conversation by using #YCW2020.

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR

Inspiring inquisitive minds, Glasgow Science Centre is doing #GCSAtHome, bringing a bit of science into homes every day at 10am via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Meanwhile the team at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, has launched #DynamicEarthOnline across Facebook and Twitter and on a dedicated page online.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SCOTLAND

Now, more than ever, movies and TV are a great way to escape our daily routine. Take a look at the VisitScotland film tourism guide and dedicated page on film and TV locations to find inspiration.

SOCIAL DISDANCING

The lively Macgregors Bar in Inverness is hosting a daily #LifeAtFive livestream on Facebook. Get up and dance with the #CovidCeilidh movement on social media. Kickstarted by fiddler Duncan Chisholm to help comfort and entertain everyone at home it has quickly become a collaborative effort in the folk community.

WONDERING how to style a small garden? Whether you have a roof terrace, balcony, small back yard or patio, you can still create a dream design with some thoughtful planting and innovative additions, says award-winning designer, Ula Maria.

“Try to understand your space and what will grow there, the light levels, how much sun you get and where the shade falls, as well as the type of soil you have to work with,” says the former RHS Young Designer of the Year, whose new book, Green, offers design ideas for small spaces.

“Don’t be too scared to bring in larger plants, because they always seem to make a small space appear grander,” says Maria. “If you have a balcony garden, you may just want to include tall-growing perennials or something that will make a big impact.”

Here, Maria shares tips on four styles for inspiration...

1. BALCONY GARDEN

Merge florals inside with the balcony outside, she suggests, maybe in the form of a chair covered with a floral material which echoes the flora and fauna on your balcony. “It’s important to make the transition between inside and outside seem as seamless as possible,” says Maria.

Place houseplants close to the window of your balcony to enhance that connection and blur the boundary between outside and in.

2. CONTEMPORARY MEDITERRANEAN

Use materials such as graphic tiles, presenting them in a contemporary way, she advises. Look for companies which sell reclaimed tiles and furniture for ideas. “You don’t have to do a whole wall. You could cover one section of a wall, creating an artwork,” Maria suggests.

If you have a busy wall, you may want to play safe with planting, sticking to green rather than going for a eye-popping colour contrast. “Try not to introduce more than two colours at a time, and see how it works. Ferns are good stalwarts. If you are using busy tiles, keep the planting simple.”

3. ROMANTIC IDYLL

Create layered planting with soft, gentle hues, and use fragrance to create a small romantic space, she suggests.

This space has been assembled by an artist, layer by layer, using antique furniture, sculptures and planters to blur the boundaries of the garden and planting in layers to create different heights.

“Layers create interest because you have something to discover in every corner. Hydrangeas are great because they have these big, soft blooms. Ornamental roses also look brilliant, along with campanula and ivy, to create a fairy tale garden.”

4. INTERIOR APPROACH

This style is for those who want their outside space to look like an additional room, featuring comfortable seating framed by flora and fauna. “There may not be many plants but there should be enough to create a sense of a garden,” says Maria. “It’s ideal for people who are too busy to maintain many plants.”

An inward-focused space enables you to forget what happens outside its walls. Outdoor rugs have also become a trend in recent years, giving the sense of extra outdoor living space.

If you’re worried about storage of garden cushions, consider buying furniture with in-built storage inside the seating framework, Maria suggests.

Green by Ula Maria is published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £20