• Gardening

Maximize Your Space: Stunning Designs for Small Gardens

Hello!Many of us grow our fruits, vegetables and flowersin a garden that's, well, smaller than we'd likeIf your horticultural ambitions are bigger than your plotthere are a number of clever design techniques you can useto fully utilize every last scrap of space at your disposalIn this video we'll show you how to plan a small gardenso you can create your own garden paradisein even a tiny spaceAll gardens - even small ones - usually have lots ofvertical space, so make the most of it

You can attach planters to walls or fences,or secure mesh or trellising to encourage climbersto reach for the skiesEven walls shaded at the base may still haveplenty of sunlight for climbing plants,setting up the perfect combination for many perennial plantsof cool moist roots and sunny leavesNaturally climbing or sprawling plantsthat can be trained to grow upwardsinclude delicious kiwi fruits, grapevines,and a whole host of climbing beans, peassquashes, and vining tomatoesMake sure supports are sturdy enough to hold the plants up -a squash in full fruit, for example, can be very heavy

Many tree fruits such as apples, pears and peachescan be trained into particular shapes to hug walls or fencesSingle-stemmed cordons,espaliers with their parallel branches,or radiating fans look beautifulwhile making incredibly efficient use of ground spaceWhile most of these fruits will prefer a wall thatcatches plenty of direct sunlight,there are still fruits that will thrive on shadier wallsincluding sour cherries, varieties of gooseberryand red and white currant Underplant your fruit with flowers and herbsto make use of all the space available

Our Garden Planner includes a range of plantssuitable for vertical growingTake this cordon apple for exampleLet's select it and drop it into place against this fenceThe shaded area shows exactly how much space it needsso it's easy to add further cordons at the correct spacingwhile making the most of the fence space you have available

The traditional approach is to set aside a dedicated areafor growing vegetables, fruits and herbs,but in the smallest gardens that simply isn't possibleTry growing edible and ornamental plants together -the results can be stunning!In fact, there are many benefits to this approachPlanting flowers and vegetables togethermakes it harder for pests to hone in on a specific cropwhile an abundance of blooms ensures there arealways beneficial insects on hand to pollinateflowering vegetables such as squashand of course every type of fruit, from blackberries to pearsSelect edibles with both good looks and taste

Contrast different leaf textures or colors,for example billowing green curly kale with red cabbage,or lettuce in green and redChoose varieties with interesting flowers(pretty climbing beans for example)or unusual but handsome looks such as bulb or Florence fennel,or a variety of chard with colorful stemsInclude edible flower

s like nasturtium and calendula,or flowers such as alyssum that are known toattract pest-eating predators like hoverfliesYou can use the Garden Planner to find outthe best flowers to include with specific cropsusing the companion planting feature

Simply select the crops you wish to match,then click the Companion Planting buttonThe selection bar now shows suitable companions, including flowersHmm

let's try some zinnias with these salad leavesIt'll look great, and attract butterfliesAs well as mixing up different types of plant together,you can proactively plan to maximizeyour garden's overall productivity

One way to do this is to select only high-yieldingor high-value cropsTomatoes will give lots of fruits over the summer,while chard can be cut repeatedly over a long periodto give several harvests from the same plantRunner beans and zucchini are notoriously prolific,while radishes are so quick-growingyou can sow, grow and pick several generations of rootsin a single growing season, or plant them in betweenslow-growing crops and harvest them earlyYou could give some space over to Square Foot Gardening,a method of growing that enables crops to be grownat a far higher density by using a high-nutrient,moisture-retentive soil mixture

Use the Garden Planner to work out exactlyhow many vegetables you can grow in this wayJust click on the SFG button to switch to Square Foot Gardening modeNow when you pick up and drop in a crop,the software automatically calculates how many plantsyou can grow in each square footContainers with potting soil tailored to suitthe plants grown within themwill also yield a surprising range of harvests

Choose compact varieties suitable for growing this wayand arrange them to maximize their visual impactAdd further interest by selecting pots in pretty colors,glazes and designs, or upcycle everyday objectsto create unusual yet eye-catching containersAnd don't forget hanging baskets,which can be positioned to catch valuable sunlightYou'll want your garden to be somewherebeautiful to relax too,so include seating within your plan

Make a seat or bench as rustic or sleek as you desireand surround it with aromatic herbs or fragrant flowers to enjoyIn a small garden every surface counts,so opt for attractive paths and handsome hard surfacingThe Garden Planner includes a range of options -paths in, for example, stone or a brick herringbone pattern,or paving in all manner of textures and colorsYou can add vertical interest to your planwith an arbor, arch or pergolaperhaps cloaked with climbers such as melons or beansto create a spectacular focal point to your garden

Any garden - even the smallest garden -can look just great, and I hope this video has given youa few ideas to try out on your ownOf course, if you've got other tips for planning a small gardenwe'd love to hear about them,so do drop us a comment belowWe've got lots of other design solutionsfor gardens of all shapes and sizes over the coming months,so if you haven't yet subscribed to our video channelnow's the time to do so, so you don't miss out!I'll catch you next time[Music]