Small gardens can be just as challenging as working with a larger plot, if not more so. There are so many demands on our outside spaces, whether for entertaining, for play, or just for relaxing, so the design has to be very carefully thought out.

The garden can be made to appear larger than it is with the clever use of multi-layered effects, with hard landscaping creating different levels and raised beds, and clever planting that also makes use of the vertical space to create visual depth.

Depending on the way that you want to use your garden, it can be anything from a courtyard garden with a Mediterranean theme - to remind you of lovely holidays spent abroad, through to a garden with a clean contemporary design that is very grown up!

That doesn’t mean that the children will be left out. A well thought out design can incorporate a children’s play area in one corner of the garden that will grow with them. The play area can also include hidden storage so that outdoor toys can easily be tidied away at the end of the day. It can be concealed with clever screening of tall planting, or perhaps by incorporating into built-in seating.

Colour me beautiful

When thinking about colour schemes, less is usually more. Too much colour in a small space could make the garden feel cluttered and a bit claustrophobic. Different shades of one or two colours would give a far more impressive finish. The use of too many varieties of plants would have a similar effect – better to stick to a more limited plant list. Ironically, larger, bold planting can work better in a small space than lots of tiny species.

You may not have room to grow all the plants that you love, so just pick out your very favourites, provided of course that they will grow well in your soil and conditions.

Don’t forget of course, it can also be an advantage to have a smaller garden as it is easy to keep on top of all those gardening jobs so freeing up more time to spend sitting and enjoying the view!