Urban density is a fact today and is in continuing growing. Moreover, the tendency is that a today house is increased in size, which leads naturally to a decrease of the property size.
Think only to townhouse and coach home or the skinny 33-foot lot found now commonly in almost every region. In fact, even large property lots are stuffed, full of huge houses leaving just a little room for a small garden.
Small Garden Tips
This is reality and we have to deal with it. However a home small garden can still make a great visual impact. A few tips can help you in your enterprise.
After all, a small garden requires more privacy, a thoughtful design, a lot of creativity that can create sufficient home outdoor living space and last but not least enough planting space for flowers, veggies, beauty and colour.
1. Choosing the Seating Area
If you wish to create your own small garden, start first by choosing the seating area in the right location, a location that is easy accessible from your home having in the same time, a sense of place within the space context.
First tendency is to choose your future seating area as close as possible to your home for ease of access. Not completely wrong but if you have your seating area away from your home, you have also the possibility that you actually go into the garden not just stepping out onto your patio.
Make the most of the limited space that you have around your house. After all a small garden is still a garden and can increase the value of your property. So, create a seating area as large as possible. DO NOT make a seating area too small only because you don’t have too much space around your house. That is a common mistake and most of the homeowners tend to do it.
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For a proper design of the seating area size determine first your chairs and table sizing, add space for a comfortable movement of the people around the table and then add room for barbecue and containers.
If the ground allows, build the seating area lower or higher than the surrounding ground level providing in this way, interest and increasing also the place sense for the seating area.
However, if you have space just for a seating area and nothing else, then perhaps you should learn how to become a container gardener so you can provide interest and color within a property limited space as a small garden.
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2. Privacy
Privacy is an extremely important issue in any garden regardless of the type and the size of it. Especially for a small garden. In fact, a small space garden has little or even no privacy due to its close proximity to the street or its neighbors. However, privacy screening can still be accomplished. Privacy is also important for your home, not only for a small garden.
a) Choose your trees carefully to provide privacy to your house by selecting only species that will reach the mature height needed for privacy without any interference with surrounding homes or without creating a maintenance problem.
b) Where is not enough space for trees and they can become a nuisance for your neighbors, you can choose lattice screens. Lattice screening can be in fact, built directly around your seating area. They can be ornamented with small climbing vines adding in this way interest and color. Lattice screening is a smart option, better then raising the garden perimeter fencing height.
c) A green living wall can also be a smart option to provide privacy to your small garden and house not to mention its great aesthetic look. Although some research is needed before starting to build green living walls, they are definitely a good choice. You have also the flexibility of changing plant material. Green living walls are highly customizable and can provide both privacy and charm. They can even be planted with your preferred veggies.
d) Metal screens can also be a smart choice being highly decorative. You don’t have to choose an expensive metal screen. Industrial materials, metal fencing or even old farm items can provide quite inexpensive options.
3. Colours
Colour choices are personal but the rule of thumb says cool colours, especially blue will recede apparently into the background, making your small garden seems larger.
Instead warm colours like red will make the garden space seem smaller by advancing the background. Of course, those two concepts are important for any design concept but it is recommended a harmoniously blend between cool colours and warm. In this way you can obtain interest and drama. However, you should use a predominate colour scheme that will maximize the space’s effect.
4. Plants
The plant’s leaf size can also affect visual perception of the garden space, especially in a limited space. For example plants with large leaves such as “hosta” will make the background to advance, making your garden space seem even smaller.
Instead, plants with small leaves will make the background to recede. Your garden space will seem larger.
5. Building Up
The old proverb “if you can’t build out then build up” can be successfully applied to the small space garden.
Building or better said, growing up with vines allows an increased range of plant material to be grown in a reduced space while simultaneously providing both interest and privacy screening.
You have many options such as, kiwis, grapes, clematis, etc. However, keep in your mind that many of them require a proper maintenance.
But the results deserve the efforts. A garden, even a small garden can increase a lot the value of your home.
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