Belfast - Even the smallest outside space can be made into an oasis of calm, a bolthole where you can unwind after a hard day at work or entertain during the summer evenings. If you have a small garden, you need to plan carefully to ensure it meets your individual needs, says TV gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh, whose new book, Small Gardens, offers a wealth of tips on how to make the most of even the tiniest plot.
“Keep it simple,” he advises.
“You can make it interesting without it being fussy. Have good clean lines and interesting angles.
“Consider if it's worth having a lawn at all. Bear in mind if it's going to be big enough to be able to sit on and to be able to mow. Can you manoeuvre a lawn mower around it and easily dispose of the clippings? If the answer's no to all of this, then go for a different surface, whether it's gravel or paving or decking.”
Seating is likely to be the biggest priority, he observes.
“Look at your plot to find out where the path of the sun is because the most important thing for most people in the garden is where they're going to sit.
“Work out the place that will be most convenient, whether you want to sit in the sun or the shade. You may need your patio to be at the bottom of the garden rather than next to the house.
“Always make the seating area bigger than you think you'll need because once you put a table and four chairs out there and you've pulled them out you don't want to be falling over the edge.”
There are ways to make a small garden look bigger, he adds.
Hiding your boundary with plants can increase the sense of space, while placing a small statue at the end of a narrow path will make the distance seem greater
“Allow yourself some space. Gaps in an enclosed space encourage you to look through them into the space beyond, while looking from an open area into a densely planted one can give a sense of infinity.
“A blend of open and enclosed spaces will enable you to blur the boundaries of your plot and make your small garden seem more spacious.”
Focal points are also important and a few large features are better than many small ones in a small space, says Titchmarsh.
“Don't think that because you've got a small garden you can't have anything of stature.
“Tall plants are fine as long as they're not spreading out too much or shading the garden or filling it with lots of foliage.
“Tall plants draw your eye up and out into the world beyond and help to link the land with the sky.”
Small trees, neat evergreens and shrubs that can be pruned to appear tree-like in outline are perfect structural plants for small gardens.
Colour won't need to be so prevalent in a small plot.
“You'll need less colour in a smaller garden. What's more important is structure, form and perspective. I like to use evergreens because even in a tiny garden it gives it structure in winter.
“Highlight the colour by giving it a good green background with foliage. Use colour more sparingly and it can still be effective.”
Just because you have a small garden doesn't mean you have to go for dwarf plants, he adds.
“Don't feel that everything has to be squat, or you'll end up with what looks like a tray of scones. Allow yourself a couple of architectural plants.”
Water is also a good design feature to bring into a small garden because the reflective surface anchors the sky and allows light into your garden.
“The reflective powers of a plain sheet of water are great and you can make a rill (formal canal of water) or a stream in the tiniest of gardens and it's wonderful in bringing light in.” - Belfast Telegraph
Alan Titchmarsh How To Garden series: Small Gardens; Growing Bulbs; Wildlife; Pests And Problems, Roses; Small Gardens, published by BBC Books..