Landscape Designs for Small Spaces

Landscape designs for small spaces often require more forethought and planning than what's needed for larger spaces. A small garden can include the traditional cottage garden or a contemporary spot at the back of a semi-detached situated amongst a conurbation; inner city roof terraces also lend themselves to landscape designs for small spaces. Invariably, for those with busy lives, perhaps with a full-time job and family to juggle, maintaining a garden comes way down on your list of priorities. So it is important that any landscape designs for small spaces take this factor into account. Naturally, that same family you are juggling will often need to use your small garden for their own individual agendas: a place to store the family bikes, somewhere tranquil for al fresco eating and a safe place for your children to play. Landscape designs for small spaces need to take all these activities into account.

Garden Design Requirements

To get the best from any garden design, you are going to want to write your ideas set down so that you can play around with different ideas. There are lots of computer-based programs you can use for drawing, although pen and paper are often just as good for the initial layout ideas. If you are intending to employ a professional garden designer you need to locate one whom you are able to work with and who is prepared to work within your overall budget while, at the same time, implementing your ideas. Before you get to the point of employing a professional, make sure you know what you realistically want from your garden and how much you can realistically afford to lay out on putting your ideas into practice.  

Don't forget that you will need somewhere to store your summer garden furniture, your family bikes, the lawn mower and all the other paraphernalia that goes with outdoor living. Another thing you need to consider is whether you want your garden lit and, if so, the kind of lighting you intend to use. Planning permission is something you must remember not to overlook with any neighbourhood objections taken into account. Neighbors opinions are important when it comes to landscape designs for small spaces. After all, you don't want to fall out with your neighbor and, if their objections are particularly valid, you could find that your planning application could be refused.

Plants as an Integral Part of the Design

Keeping plant colors to just two or three can encourage your landscape designs for small spaces to be more effective in terms of an illusion of space and an overall greater impact. Rather than choosing plants with a wild array of different colors entirely, work your way through the different hues associated with a couple of base colours. Add texture and height to compensate for your lack of ground space: this will provide additional interest and carry the eye upwards. Soften the backdrop of tall walls and fences with espalier shrubs or fruit trees. The art of espalier has enabled even the smallest patio to provide room for a fruit tree or two to grow.

The key to using plants as integral parts of landscape designs for small spaces is to repeat just a few varieties. For instance, you can mix and match apple, pear and plum trees espaliered against your boundary walls then, following your choice of colors, pick just two or three varieties of plants and stick with those, planting them within your design to maximum impact.