How To Make A Small Garden Look Bigger?

There are many advantages to a small garden – there is less to mow and weed, for a start! But how to make a small garden look bigger?

There are many ways to do this, and you don’t have to move to a mansion in order to do so!

How To Make A Small Garden Look Bigger?

Even if you have a tiny pocket handkerchief of a garden, there are a few good tips to help you make your garden seem bigger:

Create different zones. Having different areas of your garden dedicated to different things will make it seem larger.
Use the vertical space. Use walls or fences to grow plants up, or place hanging pots, to make the most of the space.
Go for big plants. You may think that just because your garden is small, you have to go for small plants, but the reality is that going for the jungle types will make your garden seem more, well, jungle like!
Make different levels. Not only will this make your garden more interesting, but having things at different heights will give the illusion of space.
Make a path. Especially if your path can wind, or taper off into a narrower end, the eye will be tricked into thinking there is more space.
Use mirrors. This is a trick that is widely used in houses, because it works! Placing mirrors around your garden will make it seem larger than it is.
Go for plants with different textures. If everything is the same, it all looks the same! Draw the eye by using different plants with a variety of textures, to draw the eye into thinking there is more space than there actually is.
Pick the right sized furniture. If you bring a full sized dining table and 12 chairs into your tiny garden, it will look even smaller! Go for small, slim furniture that fits in.
Paint the walls and fences. Using light colours will bring depth to your small garden and make it seem bigger, and light and airy.

Here is a handy video that will show you some great tips and resources to maximise the space you have:

What Colour Fence Will Make My Garden Look Bigger?

As we all know from decorating our houses, lighter colours create the illusion of space, while darker colours can make spaces seem smaller.

White is a good choice for your fence; not only will this make your garden seem bigger but it is also a great foil for colourful plants.
Soft pink is a light shade that can help to blur the edges of your garden, and will make the space seem bigger especially when the sun in shining.
Cream will reflect the light, making the garden seem bigger than it is, plus it creates a great backdrop for your colourful plants.
Light blue not only makes your garden feel bigger, but it also brings a really lovely contemporary feel to your garden.
Cool grey will give your garden a classy feel as well as giving the illusion of more space. Also, grey will help protect your fence against the ravages of the elements better, for some reason!
Whatever colour you decide to paint your fence, prepare it first by making sure it is clean and removing old nails, and sanding down the surface so the pain takes better.
Apply a layer of primer first, and allow it to dry completely before you apply your paint.
Protect any nearby plants with plastic sheeting, so you don’t accidentally paint your flowers!

What Can I Do With A Small Garden?

Even if you have a small garden, you can still create a beautiful space to sit out in, or a productive vegetable garden, or a flourishing haven of flowers.

It all depends on what you want your garden for!

Hang plants on the walls. Creating a “gallery wall” not only looks nice, but means you can plant more things. Use old picture frames to “frame” your plants.
Add a mini bar. Using a fold-down top that hangs on a wall is a great idea, as it maximises the space as well as creating a talking point at your next get together!
Use different levels. Planting things at varying heights will add the illusion of extra space to your small garden.
Add a variety of flooring. Using different materials for flooring will split your garden up into different sections, adding interest and making it seem bigger.
Use colour and mirrors. Making the walls vibrant colours, and placing mirrors strategically around your garden will make it interesting.
Hang a hammock. This most comfortable of seats takes up minimal space, plus it is a lovely place to wile away a summer’s afternoon with a book.
Grow a living wall. Training climbing plants to grow all over any walls and fences will give a wonderfully intimate, jungle type feel to your garden.
Paint exposed walls and fences white. Using light colours will make your garden seem bigger, and gives a lovely fresh feeling.
Invest in fold-away seating. If you can hide away your garden furniture it will seem bigger when you’re not sitting in it – and you can whip out the chairs whenever guests arrive.
Make a playhouse. If you have kids and a small garden, they can seem to take up most of it! Place their play area up high – they will love it, and you will have more space.

Final Words

It’s all very well just being grateful for what you have, and being grateful that you have a garden at all.

However, how to make a small garden look bigger is a great bit of research for you to do, to make the most of your space and ensure it is a beautiful space to be in.

Now that you have a few tips on how to make your little patch look bigger, you can make the most of your small space.