GARDENING IN A SMALL SPACE

Many of us dream of an enormous English country garden with perfect borders, immaculately mowed lawns and a beautifully tended vegetable plot. However, in reality we often don’t have the luxury of owning acres of land, or the time and energy to devote to hours of gardening.

Smaller gardens can be just as satisfying as large rambling plots. You might just have a terrace, a balcony, a courtyard or a small front garden, yet you can still create a plethora of colour and foliage. And don’t forget the smallest of gardens – the window box – always a pleasure to see either in a block of flats or a small country cottage.

Maximising Your Space
Gardening in a tiny area is clever gardening. How to fit all the plants you love into that set of patio containers? How to fill your window box with tasty herbs and vegetables for the kitchen?

Before you start buying plants draw up a plan of the available space. You don’t have to be a garden designer to do this, just make sure you accurately measure the area to avoid disappointments later on.

Then ask yourself the following questions:
How much space do I actually have?
Do I want flowers, herbs and vegetables or all three?
How much sun and light does the area get?
Do I want a low maintenance garden?

Design
Now comes the fun part! You may already have an idea what you want in your small garden, or you may have no idea whatsoever! Do your research. Read as many books and magazines as you can on small space and container gardening to see what works. Make a list of what appeals to you and already your garden will start to come to life.
Once you know what you’d like you can start to put the plants onto your plan. If you’re unsure about something you could take your plan to a local garden centre and ask the advice of one of the staff.

When creating your design take into account:
The location of any pots, containers and hanging baskets
Colour – a block of colour will have more impact in a small space
Garden furniture – don’t let this overpower the space

The Practicalities
To make the most of limited space you’ll need sunlight, water and good quality soil. Bulbs are good for cramming into a small space and give a wealth of year-round colour. Vegetables can be mixed with flowers – no need for formality! Strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, beans; they’ll all sit well amongst the flowers. Consider the many dwarf varieties of plants available on the market. What about a trellis with a climber to add height?

A word of warning is to be careful of expanding roots in containers. Before buying your favourite shrub make sure it won’t grow too big or you may have to donate it to someone else.

And finally, sit back and enjoy! Who knows - you may be able to squeeze in a water feature.