Small garden design ideas

Andrew Mangwarara

THIS week, we feature a small garden at Gateside Manors in Borrowdale Brooke, Harare. This is a place to be if you want to experience the beauty of heights.

Various properties are perched on small hills, making it one of the areas with great views.

The small garden shows what impact a plot can have, no matter how small it is.

Small gardens can add lustre to a landscape.

To design one, the key factor to consider is the limited space.

One should, therefore, carefully choose the right plants and limit the number of features to incorporate in the garden.

When designing a small garden, it is also important to consider its eventual use.

If you plan to entertain a lot of people, consider using folding chairs and tables. Better still, you can make raised beds for sitting using soil and lawn.

Adopt more of an experimental approach by trying different plants to see which ones would occupy less space.

Another space saver is the use of pots but consider their shapes and sizes.

Avoid cluttering the floor with small pots; one large one will suffice as it is easier to water.

Choose plants that will not overcrowd the ground. Alternatively, think outside the box by trying vertical gardens of hanging baskets with colourful plants.

Try to find trees and shrubs with multiple seasonal attractions.

You can have vertical trellises for “well-behaved” climbers such as jasmines or granadillas.

Ask yourself if you really need a lawn.

Use a water feature to your advantage as it adds more interest to a landscape. Have order in the garden; avoid haphazard planting or positioning of features.

Choose a few colours, as opposed to many, as we noted last week. Limit your choice to two or three colours.

Add outdoor lighting to enable you to extend the garden evening hours.

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