Many homeowners are spending more time outdoors tending to their garden spaces as spring has come in full bloom. However, those with smaller spaces can often struggle to make the most out of it. Fortunately, Viven Moseley is an expert in solving that issue. She is a garden and landscape designer who is dedicated to creating “beautiful outdoor spaces no matter how big or small”.
Viven set up her business Petit Jardin with the purpose of delivering “a straightforward design process for those who want to make the most of their outdoor space but are feeling a little bit lost on how to do that”. Now, she’s shared three game-changing tips to for homeowners who have small gardens to make use of.
1. Go Vertical
She told the Express: “If you’re looking to create an oasis of greenery but don’t have the space for chunky beds, having climbing plants or a green wall is a great way to find new spaces for plants. You could also add some tall pots to bring greenery up to your gaze, giving you that feeling that you’re stepping immediately into a lovely verdant space.”
2. Change up your ground surface and boundaries
Viven touched on the idea that things such as a change of a change of paving, how it’s laid or the introduction of some feature fencing can add “interest” to smaller outdoor spaces.
“You can draw eye to these elements and therefore create a sense of exploration within the space,” she added.
“Bright pots, sculpture and water features are all fantastic additions to enourage your eye to bounce around – distracting you from noticing the boundaries of your garden.”
3. Don’t cram too much in
Those who have smaller gardens might feel as though they are missing out, and therefore try and fit it in a number of things such as “a spot for dining, space for kicking around a ball and an outdoor kitchen”. However, Viven recommends against it.
She explained: “Once you add all that in, you might be left with skinny planting beds and a lot of hard landscaping to maintain. The chance are, your garden is probably sub-standard for football anyway and realistically you only cook outside a couple of times a year.”
Of course, she didn’t stop there, her words of wisdowm was to “focus on creating a space that is beautiful to look at throughout the year and meets your essential garden needs. You can then consider building in way you could rearrange the space or have dual-functionality.”