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Small Gardens
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Make the Most of a Small Garden
Easier to maintain and adaptable to any home, small gardens have a charm all their own
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
Forget grand gardens, expansive rolling hills and giant ranches. A serene or functional garden can fit in any type of space. Here are average living spaces with gardens that are anything but average. They may be tiny and spartan, but they are fascinating. Care to take a look?
| Fences, gates and other structures can break up a smaller backyard into sections. This gives the garden a sense of being larger and allows you to create different experiences within one space. |
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Terracing is one of the greatest tools in a small space. It allows the gardener to add new soil in raised beds on a concrete base, gives varying light to different types of plants and adds dimension to a small backyard. Adding terraces visually expands a small plot into distinct, separate spaces.
This space may be small, but it lives large with a seating area, a charming water feature and a multitude of plantings. Water gives a sense of movement, and the lime-color plants add brightness to a shady corner.
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| A bonsai garden is a great option for a deck. The plants grow very slowly and look charming in a shelved display. The best part? This entire garden takes up only a few feet. |
| Do you have an open space without soil? Do you live in an apartment with plenty of hardscaping but no available planting space? Think pots, and think big pots. You can plant just about anything if the pot is big enough (at least 16 inches across), including small fruit trees and other edibles. Choose a single finish to unify the pots as a garden. |
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| Perhaps you have space for only one long bed of plants. One species planted throughout the bed creates a sleek, modern look that gives life and movement to a blank wall. |
| Is the cottage look more your style? Cottage gardens are perfect in a small space. Cluster 10 to 15 plants around your doorstep for a charming look. Go for plants with fragrance to create an experience every time you come home. Plants that work well in a cottage garden like this include catmint, Russian sage, lavender, rosemary and rose. 20 Ways to Get the Cottage Garden Look |
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Another classic cottage plant is the charming hollyhock. Situate this plant in the back of a small border to add height to your garden. When you grow hollyhocks from seed, expect to see your first blooms in the second year.
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| Perhaps you want to use your outdoor space to grow edibles. Grow garden veggies and herbs in a raised bed. The square-foot gardening system allows you to grow the most produce in the smallest amount of space. More about potagers |
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| Think up when you are in a small space. Trellises, arbors and pergolas are great for creating more growing space. More on vertical gardening |
| You can have a beautiful garden in a small suburban backyard, a townhome deck, a rooftop garden or a front stoop. Grow vertically, consider large pots and break the space up into rooms to make your garden special. I'd love to see your small gardens! Please share your garden stories and photos in the Comments section below. More: Give Your Small Garden Some Room Vertical Gardens Raise the Limits for Landscapes |
Comments
Becky Harris Smaller gardens are my fave. I never gardened more than when I had a little condo patio pseudo yard and I loved the way it bursted at the seams with all of the stuff I kept on squeezing into it. Ironically, now that I have a house and yard, I rarely garden!
13 months ago · Like
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Amy Renea Becky - I sometime regret NOT gardening more when we were in smaller spaces...less weeding - more chances for "abundance" -- lots of ways to hide little nooks and crannies. Small gardens are so lovely - can't get enough!
13 months ago · Like
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Rough Linen To me these are large gardens - mine is a tapering 6' strip which falls off to 45 degrees of rocks! But Becky is right, it makes it all the more precious, and my favorites are all crammed in somehow!
13 months ago · Like
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Becky Chapman We are in the process of moving from 2 1/2 acres to 1/5 acre. Small, cozy, and fun is what my landscaping is all about now! Thanks for the pictures and ideas.
13 months ago · Like
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deborahr We are also downsizing from over 8 acres to a 33x150 lot! The terracing actually makes it feel spacious, and provides interesting opportunities!
13 months ago · Like
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yapidekorasyon360 Very good ideas are gathered together; but I agree with Tricia, these are not small gardens for me either :))
13 months ago · Like
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Casart Coverings There's a small space between my house and the street which formally was enclosed by a tall legustrum hedge. I have turned it into a small garden with a fountain, a seating area at either end and a raised lawn. My study overlooks the fountain which attracts birds, butterflies and bees. It has become a "conversation" area for the neighbors walking or biking past. I often read the paper there and when family or friends visit, it's where we gather at cocktail hour. While I love French parterres, they require a lot of manicuring. This small garden is manageable, has opened up the front of the property and adds loads of curb appeal. 
13 months ago · Like
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kdepew Here in northern Nevada wiith a little "pocket yard" this wildflower walk along the north side is filling in again this year. 
13 months ago · Like
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litchfieldvu A little corner of a little garden, which I can see from my desk. Almost always shaded by stone walls and a mountain. 
11 months ago · Like
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wsohio Tiny Garden, Lots of produce. 
11 months ago · Like
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Casart Coverings Hey feebie and Amy glad you "liked" and here's an update on that small front garden of mine. Hurricane Isaac did a number on it via my neighbor's tree which uprooted, took another tree and 4 utilitiy poles (like dominos), 2 ligustrum trees, and blocked the driveway and street for 4 days. Here's what it looks like now. The first shows the culprit, the second shows the gap in ligustrum and the third shows the new "normal" with fountain unscathed and seating back in place. 
8 months ago · Like
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Ideabook published on May 3, 2012.
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