I live in London in a Victorian terraced house and it is narrow and cramped! My total garden area is a mere 4m x 7m max but that’s not even the open space which is only 3m x 4m. So I thought I’d write this post on 3 Top Tips to Maximise a Small Garden.
We inherited our decked garden when we moved in. There’s already a cheery tree in one corner and there was a bedding on the other. We eventually removed the bedding and put a 8ft x 10ft cabin in the back. We were left with around 4m x 3m open area to play with. Not much of an area but there’s potential nonetheless. It took many years to get the furniture right to maximise this space. I am happy to report that finally this year I got it right!
3 Top Tips to maximise a small garden
1. Corner sofa
This Beliani Messina corner sofa uses up the floorspace but feels open. It’s made of powder coated steel so it’s light, can stay out all year and can be moved around easily. The cushions are comfy enough and you can change the covers too. I have the white set with the green cushion covers so it doubles up as a green set too just by changing the covers!
Beliani have a wide array of outdoor cushions that provide splashes of colour and are water resistant.
My kids have been using this space whilst revising and as a family of 5 we have fitted nicely in here. Before this we had a 3 seater set and although it was nice, it did not offer as much seating space as this one. Whereas on this corner sofa, we can snuggle up comfortably without having to deal with sofa arms and chair arms.
We also used this space even in the winter with warm fluffy blankets also from Beliani. My kids drag them around the house and in the garden as they are so warm. I do put all the cushions away at the end of the day inside the cabin.
Now the table is rather quirky; my kids call it a cool bug. It has 3 different surfaces, 2 of which can be lifted up to bring them closer to the seats. The surface is made of glass but has a concrete-look covering. I move it to the side whenever we have the Solo Stove smokeless firepit on so we can sit around the fire toasting marshmallows or having a little barbecue. We love our Bonfire 2.0; it’s so easy to use, gives off a lovely warmth and most importantly is smokeless in minutes! We don’t smell of smoke at the end of the day!
In the evenings, I pop on two LED rechargeable lights. They have 3 colour temperature settings and are all dimmable. They do need charging fairly often depending on usage. And in our house they get used both indoors and outdoors.
Overall this set has been the perfect outdoor furniture yet in the last 11 years since moving into our home.
2. Potted plants
There’s nowhere to plant into the ground in my decked garden and dotting potted plants around the space makes it into a city oasis. I chose bushy evergreens, perennials and deciduous plants like bamboos, acers, jasmine, olive, lavenders, climbing honeysuckle, peonies, fats, apple, pear and blueberries so i don’t have to keep buying new plants every year. I am so pleased to see new growth this year especially with the acers and they look so healthy and full. Most of my potted plants are from Patch Plants.
I also added some herbs – it’s important to get good quality herbs as they just sprout every year. Having plants dotted around your garden space distracts the eye from the other gardens around especially when there is only literally a short wooden fence between you and them. You hear everything and see everything if you’re tall enough. So it’s important to screen your space off and feel a little enclosed to make the space more private, more yours.
For my outdoor containers, I have quite a few Lechuza self-watering planters which are great for when we are away in the summer. They have been fantastic in the winter too especially for my bamboos which need a fair amount of moisture all year round.
3. The Rug
This might surprise you but my Sabhaz area rug underneath the sofa pulls everything into one cohesive space. It brings all the elements together and centres the focus around the table. You feel like you have this central space surrounded by greenery even in the middle of a bustling urban city.
I chose this woven patterned rug to add different colours that mirror the other colours in the garden but in an understated way. It’s made of natural fibres and although it says outdoor and indoor, I put it away at the end of the day – easy enough to roll and store in the cabin.
I have been enjoying styling my garden with my Portmeirion Minerals collection. They are absolutely stunning and so beautifully made. The colours – Moonstone, Rose and Aquamarine and their natural textures go perfectly with the style and colours in my garden, especially the colours of spring. If you want to see some ideas for tablescapes with the Minerals collection and spring styling that I have styled in my home, go here.
The garden is now a really lovely, open and relaxing space even at only around 3m x 4m area. It’s a dreamy space in the spring when our pink cherry blossom tree starts blooming and then the blossoms rain down on us over a few weeks.
Whilst it’s only a tiny decked garden, we have made the best of the space for now and maximised it for our enjoyment as a family winter and spring. I can’t wait to use it more this summer and no doubt it will be seeing a lot of action in the autumn too!
I hope my 3 Top Tips to maximise a small garden has given you some ideas and inspiration.
I wasn’t paid to write this blogpost but I have worked with the mentioned brands above on Instagram and can attest to the quality of the products mentioned and I would highly recommend each one of them!
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