In a small garden, following a few key principles when planning and planting will help make your garden look bigger and feel less cluttered.
Whether you have a tiny garden or a small patio, there are many ways you can improve your space. Taking time to choose colour schemes, picking plants that will flower for months and using design tricks such as repetition or adding focal points, will all have a big impact. Take design inspiration from other gardens you visit – large or small – and from flower shows. Discover the winning gardens of the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For limited budgets, think about using gravel instead of paving or a lawn. This also provides more space for plants in a tiny space. Install simple lighting yourself or, if you want a small vegetable garden, sow salad successionally in containers or grow fast-cropping plants like spring radishes and short, fast-growing carrot varieties such as Nantes 2.
One of the simplest ways to give small gardens a boost is to use your vertical space – for tiny gardens use hanging baskets and planters, cover boundaries with climbers, and add height with trees or tall slim plants like alliums and Verbena bonariensis.
There are many ways to make a small garden more interesting – heres a few garden design tips for small gardens to get you started.
Garden Ideas for Square Gardens
Square gardens present unique design opportunities and challenges. With their rigid right angles and often small spaces, it may seem difficult to create an interesting layout. However, with thoughtful planning and creative touches, square gardens can be utterly transformed into beautiful, functional outdoor living areas. Here are some terrific ideas for making the most of a square shaped garden.
Incorporate Curves
The sharp corners and straight lines of a square space can be softened by adding in curves. Try installing rounded garden beds, circular patios, curved walkways made from flagstone set on the diagonal, and pond shapes like ovals, kidneys or freeform. Plant billowy grasses, perennials and vining plants along any curved edges for a lovely natural look.
Divide Into Sections
Use pathways, low walls like brick or stone, trellises, rows of shrubs or hedges to divide the garden into smaller sections. This creates intimacy and gives different spaces designated uses. Try repeating shapes in the various zones for cohesion. For example, have square beds in one area and circular ones in another.
Add Vertical ElementsDrawing the eye upwards makes the space feel less flat. Incorporate tall verticals like obelisks, potted trees arbors and trellises. Plant climbers like roses, clematis and jasmine on supports. Or place statues fountains or specimen trees centrally as focal points.
Introduce HardscapingMaterials like patios, walkways and decking in stone, brick, tile, gravel or wood help break up the garden into “rooms” for different functions. Geometric patterns and textures add needed interest.
Vary Elevation
Gently slope the grade or terrace the space to add depth. Try installing a raised planting bed edged in stone or a sunken firepit sitting area with built-in bench steps. Mounded planting berms also work beautifully to change levels.
Play with Color
Vibrant blooms and foliage enliven a garden. Mass similar colors together for impact. Foliage plants like burgundy ninebark and golden hops add color when little is blooming. And paint or stain structures in bright, cheery hues.
Add Special TouchesElements like statuary, decorative pots, charming garden art and seating create personality and intimacy. Distribute throughout rather than cluster accents in one spot to encourage wandering Fragrant plants also engage the senses when interacting in the garden
Include Wildlife Habitat
A birdbath, butterfly garden, bird feeders and bee hotels invite wildlife into the garden, bringing color and life. Be sure to provide food, water, shelter and places to nest. Native plants support local species best.
With imaginative design, square gardens can be utterly transformed into inviting, beautiful spaces. By incorporating curves, elevation changes, hardscaping, color and vertical elements, a small rigid area develops charm and functionality. Get inspired by these terrific ideas when planning your very own magical square garden.
Plant up a shady corner
Make the most of every planting opportunity by transforming shady spots. Perk up a gloomy bed or corner with plants like ferns, hostas, foxgloves and epimediums. If you dont have borders, use containers to brighten up your patio. For small north-facing front or back gardens with deep shade try hostas, lilyturf or Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae.
Grow fruit trees in pots
If you don’t have the space to grow fruit trees in the ground, you can still create a mini-orchard. Choose varieties that thrive in containers, such as Cheery ‘Stella’, Apple ‘Fiesta’ and Plum ‘Opal’, and plant them in a sunny spot. As long as you grow varieties that will pollinate each other or choose self-fertile varieties, you should be harvesting a good crop of fruit within a few years. Growing fruit trees in pots requires a little more work than growing them in the ground, as they will need regular feeding and watering.
30 Beautiful Corner Garden Ideas and Designs
FAQ
What to do with a square garden?
- Zone your garden. With a medium to large square garden, you have various zoning options to consider. …
- Use smart garden furniture. …
- Keep the space balanced. …
- Add a paved patio. …
- Include garden beds. …
- Create an urban courtyard. …
- Turn your space into a country garden. …
- Add outdoor lighting.
What is the 70/30 rule in gardening?
The 70/30 rule in gardening refers to a design principle that suggests dedicating 70% of a garden space to plants that offer year-round structure and visual interest, while reserving the remaining 30% for plants that provide seasonal color and texture.
How to break up a square garden?
Add height, steps, or levels to break up your square garden
A more natural approach is also effective – a row of small trees or tall plants like delphiniums contrasted with low plants can create interest and intrigue.
What is the rule of 3 in landscaping?
The rule of three suggests that elements arranged in threes are inherently more appealing and memorable to the human eye than those arranged in other quantities.