It can sometimes feel as if all things gardening related are aimed at people with palatial outdoor spaces, but it's simply not true: in fact, there are plenty of beautiful small garden ideas out there that will help you figure out how to make a small garden look bigger.
So, whether you're looking to make the most of your balcony, small lawn, or patio, don't despair! All you have to do is take the time to research the sheer number of garden ideas (and garden trends) available, so that you can maximise every last inch of your own little oasis.
How to make a small garden look bigger
Still not sure how to plan a garden? And a small garden at that? We have everything you need to get started.
From oversized planters to playing with perspectives, vertical gardens to zoning, we have everything you need to transform your small garden into the ultimate place to sit and watch the world go by.
1. Go big
You might think that the easiest way for how to make a small garden look bigger is to fill it with lots of small plants and pots, but nothing could be further from the truth.
'The temptation with a small garden is to go for lots of tiny things,' says garden designer Jacquie Felix-Mitchell. 'Instead, do the opposite and go bold.
'Two very large planters in a courtyard, planted up with olive trees is far more imposing than lots of wee geraniums in pots.'
2. Work to a 45-degree angle
When it comes to making a small garden look bigger, one of the very best things you can do is design your outdoor space so that everything sits at a 45-degree angle.
'Design the garden on a 45-degree angle, or meander a path through the space so as to throw the eye side to side rather than straight to the back boundary,' says award-winning garden designer Matthew Childs.
'It won't just make the space feel bigger; it will make the garden layout much more interesting, too.'
3. Draw the eye upwards
Drawing the eye upwards is key when it comes to how to make a small garden look bigger. The show gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show did this incredibly effectively by using plenty of Allium crisophii.
These bee-friendly garden plants, with their long stems and large showy globe-like bunches of tiny flowers, will definitely add some oomph to your outdoor space.
4. Plant some trees
Think a small garden means you can't have trees? Think again: planting a tree or two can actually help to maximise your outdoor space.
'Having a tree in a small garden space can be the feature that ties the garden together,' says Dan Ryan, the parks and garden manager at Gatton Park. 'I would always recommend using one or more and being brave with it because almost no garden is too small – even flats with balconies.'
He adds: 'Many trees are happy growing in pots and that can also be used as a method to slow down the growth rate or max size. You just have to be mindful of the watering in our increasingly dry summers.'
Multi-stemmed trees, crab apple trees and olive trees are all among the best trees for small gardens.
5. Opt for a multi-functional firepit
The best firepits can work in any garden no matter the size, although it's worth considering a multi-tasking option (a firepit that acts as a coffee table when not in use, for example) if yours is on the small side.
'No matter how small your outdoor space is, it’s a valuable asset and to fully utilise it take inspiration from the current trend of the garden being an extension of the home,' says Matthew.
'Your outdoor space should be as comfortable as your living room so planning out the space ergonomically so that it doesn’t feel tight or cramped is important. The key to this is simplicity – and you can maximise your space by making elements multifunctional, too.
'For example, a firepit could double up as a coffee table if you cover it with a wooden top. Built-in benches and seating, too, can also be a great space saver.'
6. Play around with the perspective
By playing around with the perspective of your garden you can trick your eye into thinking it is bigger than it is while incorporating your budget small garden ideas. If you have a long and narrow garden, you want to make your eye travel around the space and not just down to the end. To make a narrow garden feel wider, focus on angling things off-centre so you move your eyes side to side. This can be achieved through the orientation of your paving and creating a focal point on one side.
For gardens which are wider than they are long, place a focal point at the back of the garden so your eyes are drawn downwards. To create an illusion of depth, place larger items in the foreground and smaller items in the background.
7. Use oversized paving slabs
The clever use of paving slabs can help with how to make a small garden look bigger by tricking the eye and making your patio paving ideas work harder. Using larger slabs means you have fewer grout lines, giving a continuous cohesive surface which makes the floor look larger than it is.
'Go big to trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it is by using large unit sizes for paving slabs,' says Matthew.
Jo Oliver-Singh, director at The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse adds, ‘Fewer grout lines also mean easier cleaning in general, plus the slabs can withstand the harsh chemicals often found in some cleaning products.'
When considering what material to use for your paving slabs, porcelain is a great option. 'Porcelain is the perfect material for use outside as it is virtually maintenance-free,' says Jo.
'It doesn’t fade in the sun or grow moss, and it is anti-slip as well as being quick and easy to install. Porcelain paving is a sound investment because it is also scratch, frost and chemical resistant.’
This will allow you to enjoy your small garden for longer because the slabs won’t need replacing and your garden will feel bigger than it is.
8. Stick to brightly coloured flowers
When planting flowers and plants in your garden, you need to be more considerate with your easy garden ideas if you have a small garden. ‘Using bright-coloured flowers will make your garden appear bigger,' says Wendy Rea, expert florist and business manager at Direct2Florist.
'Deep green trees or dark-coloured flowers may look beautiful in the right space, but if you’re wanting to give the illusion of a larger garden then avoid these colours as they can make the space feel more enclosed,'
It is important to not overcrowd the small space when planting your bright flowers so you don't overwhelm the space. To add dimension to your garden, place taller plants and flowers at the back and smaller ones at the front.
'Using a colour scheme, or general theme with your flowers can create a more cohesive look, rather than seeming overcrowded,' adds Wendy. 'Planting flowers in masses rather than positioned in singular pots, for example, can give the illusion of a bigger space and not look so spare or awkward.' Flowers like tulips, fuchsias and primroses provide a beautiful sea of colour.
9. Extend greenery with window boxes
No matter how big or small your garden is, a window box can be used to maximise the limited space and add some extra greenery to your small garden. Once you have discovered the tips for window box planting, to achieve this look you can use an actual window box, or even use a garden console table or shelf below the window if the windowsill is too narrow.
Adding greenery and colour right up to the windowsill will add the feel of more space and a bigger garden, because the foliage is extended right to the very edge of your home. As mentioned earlier for a small garden using flowers in lighter colours like pale pink and blue to fill your window box will make the space look bigger compared to darker colours.
10. Ensure the furniture isn’t too big
Using furniture that is too big for the garden instantly makes the space feel smaller than it is because it limits the area around the furniture to move around and use. Garden furniture ideas which are too large overwhelm the space and reduce the number of different zones you can create which is useful for creating the illusion of a bigger garden.
‘Similarly, having too much garden furniture in your space will also make it look small. Filling up your garden with too much furniture will make it look cluttered, and while having lots of garden furniture helps make your garden look better and provides you with more living space, it's vital that you choose the right garden furniture for the size of your garden,’ says Rian Habergham, garden expert at Leisure Bench.
11. Layer your lighting
When thinking about your garden lighting ideas, think about it as carefully as you would for the lighting within your home. Use a range of lighting to create various pockets of light, and will help with how to make a small garden look bigger by giving the illusion of multiple zones for you to explore.
‘Work out which elements of your outdoor space you wish to highlight, both for practical and aesthetic reasons,' says Mara Rypacek Miller, managing director at Industville Ltd. 'Layer your exterior lighting and use multiple sources of light, including small lights to guide walkways, up-lighting for highlighting beautiful plants and trees, low lighting for ambience and wall lights and pendants in areas for eating and socialising.’
Make sure each light source can be independently controlled, so you can only light the areas of the garden you want to. Similar to inside the house, you can install dimmer switches outside to control the mood of your outdoor living space.
12. Extend living space with decking
‘In a smaller garden, decking can be a good way to maximise the usable space in your garden. Laying the decking in a diagonal pattern can create an illusion of a larger area, whilst ambient lighting around a decking area in a small garden helps brighten the space and give the appearance of a bigger garden,’ says Allan Jeffrey CCO at Ultra Decking.
If you have a garden space and you’re thinking about how to plan a small garden but you’re not particularly green-fingered. Decking is a low-maintenance option which not only looks good but opens up more options to use the space for outdoor entertaining.
Garden decking ideas made of wood work especially well in a small garden due to its rustic nature and it will blend well with the natural environment, giving the illusion of an extended space that merges with the rest of the garden, making the overall space look bigger.
13. Blur the boundaries
Blurring the boundaries of where your garden ends and the next space begins is a simple way for how to make small garden look bigger. One easy way to achieve this is by using wild, cottage garden ideas. The informal planting at varying heights will make it unclear how far your boundaries truly extend.
14. Disguise exterior walls
Use garden paint ideas to allow walls to fade into the background. A simple, but effective, trick, is to paint an exterior wall in green. Your eye won't notice this amongst the trees, grass and planting, especially if you train a climber across it.
As Matthew, advises that 'painting fences a dark green colour, training climbing plants up them, and creating deep planting borders in front.' This, he says, won't just help you inject some 'imagination and intrigue' into your garden; it will also 'allow boundaries to visually disappear.'
Learning how to paint a fence isn't tricky, but make sure you do your prep work so you're not repainting every summer.
15. Play with proportions
Proportions can play a large role in how to make a small garden look bigger. One way of doing this is through your garden shed ideas. A narrow, smaller shed, in the same garden as large flowers, tall hedges or climbers, and big pots will disrupt the proportions of the space.
The shed will seem like a larger version further away than it is in contrast to the closer larger objects and plants.
16. Take lighting up high
Outdoor wall lights help highlight the best parts of our outdoor spaces and disguise what we need hidden. Another way in which they make an impact is by making your garden appear larger than it is.
String your festoon lights as high up on your fence or wall as you can so your garden will appear wider and taller. Up close, your fences will appear higher, and from further away it'll look like the lights are at a normal level, and they are just further away.
‘Illuminating your outdoor space is not only practical but is sure to wow any guests that visit your home, and make the garden appear bigger. You can also consider dusk till dawn lights, which conveniently provide light without pressing a button, using photocell sensors that detect natural light levels and switch on accordingly.’ says Julian Page, head of design at BHS.
17. Paint surfaces all one colour
If you're playing with things such as outdoor kitchen ideas then you're likely to have quite a few surfaces in your garden. Walls, fences, worktops, and so on. Help these blur into one another by painting these all the same shade, as a mix of colours will seem messy and cluttered, visually closing off the space.
Enhance this effect by choosing any tiling you need in the same colour as the paint. Choose a light, cool shade to bounce around light and help the space look even larger again.
18. Trick the eye with a mural
Clever use of outdoor wall decor ideas will show how to make a small garden look bigger. One fun way of doing this is by painting a mural. Paint on an extension to your garden - or what you wish your garden looked like! As well as tricking the eye into the garden going on further than it does, you're guaranteed year-round colour with little maintenance aside from cleaning.
'Light and bright colours always make a space feel much larger and airier,' says Fiona Jenkins gardening expert at MyJobQuote. So any painting you create will give the feel of more space if lighter, paler colours are used, especially those that match the colours already in your garden.
19. Add mirrors
You've heard the phrase smoke and mirrors? Create the illusion of extra space with simple garden mirror ideas. 'Mirrors are great for making any space look bigger and your garden space is no different' says the team at Gardening Express. 'A large feature mirror will give added size, or even consider putting mirrors along the whole length of a wall to double it – just make sure no one walks into the mirror!'
Matt Jordan from The Greenhouse People recommends, ‘Place a weather-resistant mirror strategically on a side wall or fence to avoid reflecting the back of the house and encourage light in more shady corners. A garden mirror works best when it’s cleverly surrounded by foliage to keep up the illusion. Window-effect mirrors can work particularly well but with any design, always make sure to place a mirror out of direct sunlight so you don’t end up accidentally starting a fire and fix it properly in place.’
If you're working with narrow garden ideas, a mirror placed right at the end will make the space appear even longer, too.
20. Plant vertically
'To create more ground space, and to make the grassy area of your garden larger, plant vertically,' advises the team from Gardening Express. 'This removes the need for borders around the edge of the garden, meaning these can be filled in.'
You could try planting a living wall, or using hanging baskets at different levels to add colour and depth to your space. 'Venetian fence panels are particularly effective for this use as the gaps in between the pales allow vines to grow up in between the slats and will eventually create a green screen. Attaching plant pots or shelves to fence panels will also help maximise space that may have otherwise been overlooked,' recommends Leigh Barnes, garden expert at Jacksons Fencing.
21. Remove bushes
Take out bulky shrubs and bushes. 'Big bushes commonly found around the outside of garden spaces can take up a lot of space,' explains the team from Gardening Express. 'Consider removing these and replacing with a fence, if security is needed, or grass the new space over and use planters full of colourful flowers to help increase the curb appeal.'
This doesn't even have to be an expensive process. Clever use of free garden ideas will help you fill out your space for less.
22. Create zones
Learning how to plan a small garden will help you in making the most of it. 'Applying certain zones and differing the furniture and flooring of the area could give you the illusion of extra space,' say the team from Gardening Express. 'Furniture lying around the garden can make it look cluttered and therefore smaller.'
'But with distinct zones, where your BBQ and table and chairs all look at home and will give a more organised, and larger feel.' You could also use outdoor rugs to perfect this step and therefore how to make a small garden look bigger.
'Start by finding the areas of the garden that catch the most sun and create ‘zoned’ areas to maximise light and warmth,' advises Catharina Björkman, Scandi lifestyle expert at Contura. 'This can be in the form of a table and chairs, outdoor sofas, or even sun loungers.'
'You can effectively zone a blank or bland space – no matter the size - by creating different levels, separating areas with planters or flower beds, strategically placing furniture, or dividing between lawned, gravelled, paved or decked areas. Clearly define these spaces using seating or large pots, for example. This will give each area structure and a definite ‘extra room’ feel.’
23. Build bespoke seating with storage
For a savvy furniture solution, you can't beat a bespoke built-in design. A smart garden bench built to suit the exact measurements you require is the ideal way to make your small garden feel bigger simply by way of using the space at its full potential.
A bespoke garden bench takes functionality one step further by updating the base to become a storage compartment. Multifunctional and making the most of valuable garden space, what's not to love for a small garden?
24. Check boundaries
Check the deeds to reclaim any extra space. It may be that previous occupants of the house have put a fence further into the garden than your boundaries state. By checking your house deeds, you may discover that you have more space around the edge of your fence, meaning a boundary move might be just what you need.
To make use of the boundary to give help you work out how to make a small garden look bigger. Angela Slater from Hayes Garden World says, 'If you have a rural garden, try and incorporate the landscape into your garden by blurring the boundary with a low mixed hedge or inconspicuous fence. Or Hide the boundary fence or wall with plants growing up a trellis or tall plants which give good coverage such as bamboo.'
25. Incorporate potted plants to add interest
Balcony garden ideas are great examples of what you can do with even the smallest outdoor spaces. Group together plant pots in lots of different sizes and all kinds of finishes for an eclectic look. The result is a fresh and pretty display that brightens up your balcony garden, even when looking at it from the inside.
A good trick is to plant shrubs at different heights, to add depth and create the illusion that the space is more generous.
‘Pots are a small garden’s best friend, especially if you don’t have a lawn or flowerbeds,' says Matt Jordan from The Greenhouse People. 'Anything goes when grouping pots; mix up different heights, widths and materials to create a luscious corner.
Plants which are happy in pots include wisteria, raspberry canes, peonies, palms, coleus, hydrangeas and hostas.
26. Upcycle a ladder
If you don't have lots of floor space for your potted plants, why not try repurposing an old wooden ladder as a plant shelf?
'There are plenty of creative ideas for space-saving statement features, like turning an old ladder into a showcase for your plant pots. All it might need is a lick of paint and hey presto!' says Matt.
It's a trend we spotted at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in Gardena’s garden, which was created in partnership with sustainability ambassador Lynne Lambourne. Everything was centred around the theme of innovation and zero-waste, which means a lot of items were repurposed and reused in the space – including the rustic white hand-painted ladder seen above.
FAQs
How do I make small garden look nice?
Adding planting not just to the ground, but vertically too is a clever way of making your garden look more attractive. For a contemporary look that fits in with $ urban garden ideas$ and banishes any bare walls, a living garden wall works perfectly. An easy way to create this is by attaching a wooden pallet to a wall and filling it will plant pots until you can no longer see the pallet. You do not need a lot of space for a garden wall so it works perfectly for a small garden.
Rian Habergham from $ Leisure Bench$ says ‘Keeping your garden interesting but uncluttered is essential when making a small garden look nice. For example, make sure that your furniture isn't too big and there isn't too much of it, but create different zones and sections to add dimension.’
Using a variety of plants and flowers to create lots of different areas of foliage with multiple colours, will also make a small garden look nice and create the illusion of a larger space with lots of plants.
'Maintaining openness is the key to giving the illusion that your garden is bigger than it is. If you have sectioned off any part of your garden for a seating, patio or floral area, glass balustrading allows for clear views of your garden and lets natural light into any closed spaces, unlike conventional wooden, concrete or metal railings,' says Andrew Taylor, managing director at $ Specialist Glass Products$ .
What colours make a garden look bigger?
Using light, bright colours will make a space feel larger and airier compared to dark, warm colours. While this of course applies to areas you might be painting or furniture, it also encompasses planting. The cooler, lighter flowers and plants will make your garden look larger than it actually is.
'You can also make your garden look bigger by painting the fences in a lighter shade. You can even go a step further and paint your garden furniture in a lighter shade to help make your garden look much bigger,' says Fiona Jenkins from My Job Quote.
Using even one, or a combination of these tips should help your petite space feel all the larger. Enjoy!