Small garden ideas: How to make a blissful, green small space

It's the small things that make life good. If you have a small garden space, but you love flowering plants, lush foliage and all things gardening, your small outdoor space need not hold you back. In fact, the best small garden ideas will give you a focal point you'll love all year round.

In fact, if you have a city garden or courtyard garden, you're in luck: one of the top gardening trends for 2024 is ‘Making the most of smaller spaces’. To help those with small gardens, our talented inclusive gardening expert, Mark Lane, shares his top tips for creating an accessible and multi-functional garden in small spaces, ensuring enjoyment for all.

Multifunctional outdoor space ideas

Whether you're dealing with limited space, want to save space or simply want to maximise what you have, the concept of a multi-functional garden is a game-changer, no matter your garden size. It's not just about making the most of your outdoor living space, but also about creating a garden that adapts to your lifestyle. Our lives are a whirlwind of activity and social engagements, and our gardens should mirror this dynamic while also providing a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation. 

How can you start to go about this?

My top tip is to think of creating different zones according to your needs. When envisioning your multi-functional space, consider how you'd like to use it. Perhaps you'd love a cosy spot for morning coffee or tea, or an inviting dining area for entertaining outdoors.

If outdoor workouts are your thing, a space for a yoga mat or exercise equipment could be a great addition. For the green thumbs, a prominent spot for plants or a water 

feature might be ideal. And if privacy is a concern, consider incorporating pots, containers, or privacy screening.

At first glance, it might seem challenging to fit all these elements into a small outdoor space. However, knowing what you want to use your small garden for will help you strategies and combine clever space-saving techniques to create the perfect small garden for you.

Below, I've outlined some of these best techniques - from vertical gardening and foldable furniture to structural planting and more - to help and inspire you.

Embrace vertical gardening

We often think about the horizontal plane more than the vertical plane, but vertical gardening is great fun when it comes to wanting to grow a multitude of plants, including edibles such as fruit, in the smallest space.

Vertical garden walls are a great choice, as you can locate them at whatever height works for you to make gardening more accessible and enjoyable. There are a few different types on the market, but those with individual ‘pots’ that you can plant into are best, as they allow you to remove a plant or swap plants around if one does better than the other or a plant, unfortunately, decides to die.

For a good alternative on a budget, why not recycle a hanging shoe organiser, hang it on the outside wall with some sturdy fixings, and plant up the slots with a peat-free, multipurpose compost and the plants of your choice? It might only last a couple of years before the material/plastic fabric starts to disintegrate, but it will give you a great idea of what you can grow on the vertical plane.

A vertical garden can be a vertical growing wall, but it can also be climbing plants. Sweet peas, for instance, are a great idea as you can train them up a frame, or you can add support rings to your garden walls. They're a riot of colour and have a wonderful fragrance, meaning they'll really help to maximise impact.

Personalise your space to ease gardening and create depth

It's not just your garden walls that can help you maximise space. Vertical approaches such as window boxes, hanging baskets and even raised beds helps to suspend different elements in your garden and create a sense of depth and space.

Potted plants arranged at different heights, or containers of varying shapes and sizes, can also help to create interest without sacrificing much floor space. Container gardening is a great way to embrace accessible garden design, as you can raise the garden to a workable height. This is also great if you don't like bending over when gardening. If you like to sit down when gardening, you can opt for a mix of pots and a raised garden table or manger with space for compost and bedding plants to go in.

For extra adaptability and ground space, put your pots and containers on lockable wheels, so you can move your potted plants and planting beds around to catch the sun, or to open up the space for a social gathering. If you use containers that are solid and have a wide rim, you’ve instantly created extra perching spots for bottoms for the essential summer drinks party!

Additionally, if you can find or build yourself planters with storage underneath, soft furnishings like cushions, blankets or even yoga mats can be easily stored away.

Another tactic is to create a sense of extended space by mirroring your indoor décor. Introduce a few blankets and cushions and you’ve added an additional (outdoor) room to your home. Combining a tasteful outdoor mirror on your wall behind green foliage will create the illusion of deeper flower beds.

Outdoor lighting is a useful tool too. Fairy lights suspended above your garden will lift eyes upward and create a sense of space. It's also a great way to extend your time in the garden, as you can sit back on your garden furniture and enjoy the beautiful effect as the sky darkens.

Find more vertical garden inspiration images at the bottom of this article.

Choose foldable garden furniture

You'd be surprised at how many garden designers miss this trick. Getting furniture into a small space is always easier when it folds, and this applies to the seating area in your garden, too.

Choose outdoor furniture that is easy to move and arrange as and when you need. No doubt you have folding chairs in mind, but folding tables are a great option too.

Consider a tabletop that folds down from the wall. When not in use, it sits close to the wall, and perhaps you could disguise it by painting the underside or adding a mirror to the tabletop to make the space feel bigger than it actually is. Of course, the tabletop must be fixed securely, and a couple of legs will be required that can slot into the tabletop when down. If you get your measurements right, the tabletop could drop down onto a planter, making use of the furniture already there. Fixing a tabletop like this also means that you can have it at the right height for you. If you don't fancy a table in your garden, a fold-down bar top might be just up your street.

If you have a strong brick wall, the addition of metal hooks can make it the perfect place to hang your folding dining or coffee table and chairs, freeing up the ground for drink parties or that morning stretch.

Find more small garden furniture inspiration images at the bottom of this article.

Add large-leafed plants for depth

Adding plants to any outdoor space suddenly brings it to life. For a tiny garden, the trick is to introduce large-leafed plants and keep the planting simple with different shades of green and textures with accents of your chosen colour, such as white, which is the last colour you see before the light fades.

If you have a small garden that's square, or a small courtyard garden, choose plants that reach different heights. Careful planning will create a sense of more green space, and will provide shade and a sense of cosy calm, rather than feeling penned in.

Mix plants for visual appeal

Creating a visually appealing garden involves clever planting combinations using different textures and heights to trick the eye into perceiving more space.

One trick is to include seasonal flowers to add vibrant colours throughout the year and mix in herbaceous perennials, which are more low maintenance, for an ongoing growth.

Use trees and shrubs to provide structure and height variation, while evergreen shrubs ensure year-round greenery.

Another way to add dimension is to consider different scents. Scented plants add an additional sensory element to your garden, making it feel lush and expansive. If you’re interested in making a garden that smells as good as it looks, read my article on creating a sensory garden.

Make a mini veggie garden 

Even in a small garden, you can cultivate a productive mini vegetable garden. You just need to be practical.

Consider a vegetable patch or raised bed to maximise available space and ensure good soil conditions. Then, strategically plan your planting to make the most of every inch, considering vertical growing options and companion planting. If you’d like help for what to plant and when, check out my Garden Planner and the Plant to Plate Calendar.

With careful planning, a small vegetable garden can yield a surprising amount of fresh produce, increasing your outdoor space both aesthetically and functionally.

Find more small garden plant inspiration images at the bottom of this article.

Small space gardening: the only limit is your imagination!

Whatever your style, having a small garden doesn't have to hold you back from expressing yourself in your outside space.

From hanging planters and to raised beds, to clever storage solutions from the garden centre, there are plenty of ways to maximise every square inch of your garden. Remember - whatever route you take, have fun, enjoy your new multifunctional space and make the most of every moment outdoors.

Before I sign off, I couldn't resist sharing some more photos to inspire your small garden...

A white bench, potted plants and large, leafy plants create depth.

An inspiring approach to modern small gardens seen in this restaurant.

A famous courtyard garden. Notice how the tall plants create height.

Raised beds make gardening easier on your back and give the illusion of depth.

No lawn? No problem. Potted plants can add greenery to any tiny garden.

A simple way to hang plant pots by using wire and a nail.

Climbing are a low-maintenance way to add green to your walls.

This small garden features shelves, plant pots, and washing lines to get the most out of the space.

Interested in getting more from your garden? Learn how to build a bug hotel for your small garden, with Mark’s blog on

With just five simple steps, you can transform your outdoor space into a sanctuary for pollinators and foster biodiversity.