Top tips for smaller plots
● Sunken or elevated areas in a small plot are an effective means of suggesting space. Raised beds, sunken patios and steps add interest and actual distance.
● Based on the principle that dark colours leap out at you whereas pale tones recede, a pale planting scheme and lightcoloured materials used in a confined space alter the perception of size, lengthening the view.
● Use trompe l’oeil – literally ‘to trick the eye’ – to create faraway views or use mirror reflections to create the illusion of additional garden areas.
● False-perspective wall trellis adds three-dimensional illusion with slats that are set to narrow towards the centre. Fix trellis alone on a blank wall, a small wall pot at the centre or for greater impact, add diagonal trellis to each side.
● Where there’s no space for a pergola, a good alternative is a line of decorative uprights linked by ‘swags’ or looping ropes along which climbers can be trained.
● Exaggerate the natural perspective of a chosen view by narrowing a path or border as it recedes, thereby suggesting greater distance is involved.
● This technique only works with simple designs, in small areas that are easily stage-managed, and from one viewpoint – seen in reverse, it can look odd.
● Benches or built-in seating (inset) with removable top panels can easily do double duty as storage chests for cushions and other garden paraphernalia.