Garden expert Frances Tophill shares her secret for choosing plants for a small garden

When it comes to tackling a small garden, gardening expert and presenter Frances Tophill has shared her top planting tip, and it appears when it comes to plants size really does matter.

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Now that BBQ season is almost upon us, it seems safe to say that many of us are on the lookout for small garden ideas to make our outdoor space look bigger. However, if you are planning a trip to the local garden centre to spruce up your plot with new plants, Frances advises going big, or go home - literally.

‘Don’t plant little plants – that’s the biggest thing,’ Frances explains. ‘If you put miniature plants in a small garden, then it will make it look like a miniature space.'

According to the presenter who regularly shares her expertise on 'Love Your Garden' and 'Gardeners' World' don't be tempted to cram your garden with lots of small plants, instead create an optical illusion by using larger trees.

'If you plant one or even two trees and put them at the edge of the garden, then you won’t be able to see down to the bottom of your garden,' she explains. 'It gives the impression that the garden will go on a little bit further than you think,’ she adds.

'If you plant small plants in a small garden, you can see the whole boundaries all the time. Then, because you can see the boundaries, you know they’re there, so it feels cramped. Obscure the boundaries with trees or big tropical-looking plants, then you can’t see where the edges are. It will feel so much better.'

When it comes to choosing trees at the garden centre, Frances suggests opting for ones that are ‘no more than 3 or 4 meters high and have a ‘nice shape,’ to make the space feel like an oasis. While trees don't come cheap, you only need a couple to make a statement, depending on the size of your garden you will probably only be able to fit in a couple anyway.

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So step away from the mini plants, to make a pick impact in a small space follow Frances Tophill's small garden plant tip and scale your greenery up.