How to make the most of a small garden

Need to make the most of a small garden and use the space to your advantage? Want to make it feel and look bigger so you can relax and eat outside? Whatever you’ve got in mind, we’ve got some great ideas for you.

Not everyone has a large garden, especially if you live in a city. No matter; you can do a lot in a small garden. You just need to think differently.

Small garden ideas

Our first recommendation is don’t overcomplicate your layout and garden design. Fussy curves and intricate paving will make the area seem cramped and too busy. Instead, keep in mind that ‘less is more’; accept that you won’t be able to accommodate everything so work out what you really need to include.

When customers ask us about small garden ideas, we recommend they factor in these 3 elements:

1. Garden furniture for dining and relaxing

2. Accessories to pull everything together

3. Visual tricks to add perspective and intrigue

Here’s some detail to help you work out what’s best for you.

Garden furniture for dining and relaxing

Gardens are made for dining and relaxing. With a little ingenuity, both are possible without compromising on important features - even in a small garden.

Focus on dining: this option has the emphasis on dining but not at the expense of chilling and taking it easy. Depending on space, a garden bistro table for 2 or slightly bigger table plus 4 chairs, should allow you enough room for a lounger or small sofa.

Focus on relaxation: a small modular sofa set with height adjustable garden table or integrated gas firepit table is a brilliant less formal option. Another casual dining choice is an armchair (or cocoon chair) with a small table alongside.

Sun shade: either a through-table or wall / fence mounted cantilever parasol are ideal solutions for protection from the sun’s rays.

Furniture material and structure: high-quality garden furniture is generally weather resistant. This means that with very little maintenance and some well-fitting covers, your furniture can stay outside thus avoiding the need for storage. (Just take your cushions inside during the colder months.) Good choices for garden furniture are rattan garden furniture, teak or aluminium. They open up different style opportunities, whether you wish to go the funky contemporary or elegant traditional route.

Accessories to pull everything together

Accessories are as important for your outside space as they are inside your home. With small gardens, it’s all about balance. Huge features in a small garden will dwarf your space and make it feel cramped. On the other hand don’t go too small so you avoid a cluttered look. You need accessories that work well in a small space.

Take lighting for example. A string of fairy lights suspended from a tree or along the fence will instantly add interest at night. Maybe a group of 3 hurricane lamps in the corner of the patio or a few tea lights on your dining table too. Just keep in mind the ‘less is more’ maxim. This includes keeping to a choice of one or maybe two colours.

Visual tricks to add perspective and intrigue

A classic design trick is to play with the perspective, essentially deceiving the eye into viewing the space differently. With long, narrow gardens, you want to create a few focal points in the middle of the garden instead of right at the end. This will help to make the garden feel wider and more spacious. You could alter the orientation of the paving or position your seating area closer, perhaps just off to one side. Wide gardens, conversely, need depth so position larger elements in the foreground, with smaller ones in the background. Again use your garden furniture, especially single items like single egg chairs, with pots located further behind. The distance between them will then appear longer, giving you a greater illusion of depth.

A mirror, fixed to a fence or wall, is a great trick to make a space seem bigger. Ideally, it should reflect something interesting (so, angled away from the bin store) such as shrubs, trees or flowers. Go for acrylic instead of glass for the sake of safety, and train climbing plants (or artificial wall screens) to blur the edges of the mirror to further the illusion.

Finally, create a bit of mystery and the illusion of a bigger garden by hiding a small section of it. A garden parasol or some trellis can screen an area off while hinting at something beyond.

Find a theme

Having a theme or style, and sticking to it, will help bring cohesion and harmony to a smaller outdoor space. It could be a dominant colour or maybe a memento from a holiday that constitutes your theme. Go Bohemian, or be influenced by different cultures - Asian, Mexican, African, etc. Just don’t over do it. Keep pots in the same style but have a couple of different shapes and sizes. Your cushions will be best in plain colours so you can include other accessories such as a highly patterned rug.

Bring colour and light into your small garden

Using light colours will give your outdoor space a less-cluttered look and even make it feel larger; cushions, fence panels, plants, table accessories, etc, can all bring light into our garden. Reflect natural light in a dark or enclosed space with sparkly or polished surfaces. Or, go for a glass or ceramic table top.

Small garden, big plans

Don’t let a small garden cramp your style. Choose the right furniture to suit both your needs and your outdoor space. Together with the right amount of accessories – cushions, lighting and garden ornaments – you’ll create exactly the kind of welcoming outdoor environment you need, whatever the season.

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Have further questions about different types of garden tables we stock? Our friendly, knowledgeable team are always on hand to help, just give us a call or visit one of our showrooms in Wakefield or Newcastle.