How To Make A Small Garden Look Bigger: 11 Experts Tip To Maximize Space

Finding ways to make a small garden look bigger can sometimes be difficult, but with the right expert advice, smart planting and simple design tips, it can be easy to make a small garden appear bigger instantly.

Even the smallest garden can provide an element of happy escape, especially with tips and ideas from small garden experts to maximize space and allow for more functional use.

From a little trick with exterior mirrors to hide dividing lines, here are simple ways to use limited space more creatively to make small gardens appear larger and lusher.

Sometimes it's the smallest adjustments that make a room feel bigger, when you're thinking about how to enlarge a small living room or enlarge a small bedroom.

“Designing a small garden can present many challenges,” says James Scott, CEO of FSGD The Garden Company. "They are often oddly shaped, shaded or neglected, and can be difficult to access. However, design solutions to these issues can be very powerful."

Get inspired by these expert gardening tips from professional gardeners and members of the Society of Garden Designers to transform your small space.

1. Blend the lines

Protecting the edges of a small garden can instantly make it appear larger by reducing the amount of space available.

"A garden will always seem bigger when you can blur the lines, so you don't know exactly where the garden ends," says Eliza Gray, landscape designer and founder of Eliza Gray Gardens. "Shrubs and vines with multiple stems can make a space feel bigger. I often place an evergreen shrub in a corner to adorn a fence or wall and grab attention."

"By using vegetation such as hedges or vines, fences and walls are removed so that the view doesn't stray to the edges, but rather imagines the property continuing beyond the plant," explains Sam Proctor MSGD, garden designer at Chiltern Garden. before.

2. Welcome to reflective surfaces

Using mirrors is an old decorating trick used to make a small space seem bigger by changing the perspective. As such, mirrors are great for exploring how to make a small garden bigger.

“You can use reflective surfaces around the edges to make a space appear larger,” says Matthew Haddon, gardener and landscaper and founder of Haddon Studio. "Traditionally mirrors have been used, but they need to be offset so the viewer doesn't reflect on themselves, but stainless steel can be used to illuminate a room."

3. Rethink furniture placement

Rearranging furniture is not only the best way to revamp a living room on a budget, but it can also be the answer to instantly make your garden feel more spacious.

"Consider placing the main area a bit further from the house so it's surrounded by plants," Sam suggests. "

Being surrounded by greenery and not just the exterior walls of your home will instantly soften your look and create a sanctuary in the space that doesn't seem as restrictive as the walls.

4. Things are getting worse

Avoid cluttering the small space so it immediately feels more open and therefore larger. "Don't try to cram too much into a small space," warns Mateo, as this can make it feel cluttered and closed off.

“Unlike a larger garden, you have to decide how you want to use the space – for relaxing, eating, entertaining or making pottery – and then design it around a single, cohesive theme. Creating a lens unit will add clarity to the overall feel of the space."

Apply the same principles to decluttering the home, look around and try to reduce the amount you have in the limited space. This simple action will draw more attention to the items you have and add a lot of meaning to the room. Creating clearly defined areas for each target helps lighten the overall impression.

5. Use vertical space

In any small patio, it is important to find vertical solutions to make the most of every inch of space. From climbing plants and living walls to using hanging baskets to hang plants, look to maximize your available space.

"Don't forget the vertical plane," says gardening expert Jane Passingham of Eliza Gray Gardens. "A pergola, trellis or series of vertical posts will change the flow of the garden and create an interesting, enveloping space, and in some cases also add privacy."

"The best way to work with a garden or small garden would be to focus on vertical integration," says Alex Kantor, tree, shrub and fruit tree expert at Perfect Plant Nursery. "If you use the space you have and grow crops, you can increase the area of your garden. Try stacking pots to save space, or even building shelves for plants."

6. Think big about features

It may seem counterintuitive to use larger gardens and plant ideas in a small garden, but it's actually more important not to feel overwhelmed with space. “Large features and plants often work better in a small space than in many small ones,” says Matthew.

Eliza gives a reason for this, adding, "Smaller 'tiny' accessories can make a garden feel separate and sparse." I feel smaller by default as it starts to feel cluttered and messy. "Don't be afraid to think big with features like jars," advises Eliza.

"Avoid using small containers or lots of decorative items, as they can be cluttered," says Sam. "Add a large garden or a decent sculpture, as that sense of scale makes the space feel larger."

7. Borrow perspective

Consider whether your property has a view beyond to expand your small garden. Instead of obscuring the view and encroaching on the yard, you can open yourself up more to the possibilities beyond.

"If there are trees or views beyond the 'rental yard,' go for it," advises Sam. stamp."

8. Choose bright colors

Just as you use color to make a room look bigger, you can apply the same principles to an outdoor space with color. Light and bright colors generally make any space feel more airy and open compared to the dark colors that appeal to you.

"With art, it's the frame that grabs our attention, and a good frame should bring out every detail perfectly," says Marianne Shillingford, creative director and color expert at exterior paint maker Cuprinol. "In the garden, it's the fence that surrounds our gardens, patios and plants, so choosing the right color is crucial."

Marianne suggests choosing soft grays and greens instead of the typical cedar colors for small abstract gardens. “These colors will soften and blur the frame of your garden and make it appear much larger than it is,” says Marianne.

In addition to painting the fences with lighter colors that stand out, you can also apply color to penetrate your plant for added effect.

9. Minimize materials

“Be sure to keep the materials in a small space, no more than 3 different shapes for cohesion and unity,” says Tina James MSGD, Garden Design Manager at Preston Bissett Nurseries. "Keep the plant palette as minimal as the repetition of plant patterns and colors."

It's a well-known rule of interior designers to use the number three works for any space; Whether it's pendant lights in hanging groups or scattered cushions on a sofa, the power of three is the perfect balance when designing an interior. The same goes for blueprints and gardens.

“Simplify hard materials,” suggests Sam. “Remember to only use two or three. For example, stone, clinker pavers and gravel to unify the space and let the plants do the talking.”

This theory is not sufficient to work with multiples of three, two is too symmetric and therefore the magic number three is appropriate but not very prescriptive.

10. Avoid tight edges on the edges

Although it seems logical to frame a small property with narrow borders, you can make the space look smaller by drawing attention to borders and limited flower beds.

“Pushing the planting in the garden towards the edges of the garden will increase the lack of space instead of keeping an eye on the garden,” says James. "Deeper borders allow for lusher planting to create more visual interest with layering."

11. Diagonal design

Whether you're exploring garden design from scratch or rethinking how your current garden works, the key to making it more spacious is to take a different perspective and literally give it a new perspective.

"The traditionally accepted method is to design diagonally to have a larger feel in a small space, because if you look from corner to corner, the room appears longer than your main axis, which runs from front to back. back,” he explained. Matthew.

"I always like to design small spaces because they have the potential to really 'wow' the client," says James. “A well-thought-out garden design can make a positive difference in how a customer enjoys a small space. It can become a calm and intimate paradise or a special place to receive family and friends.

"As a professional designer I know I have to justify every design decision and in a small garden there is no place to hide from the design decisions that are made. Every detail shows up and needs to be carefully taken into account."