Having a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful and productive outdoor space With some creative thinking and smart design, you can transform even the tiniest yard or balcony into a lush oasis Here are 10 innovative small garden bed ideas to inspire you.
Use Raised Beds
Raised garden beds are a great option for small gardens They allow you to control the soil quality and drainage and make planting, weeding, and harvesting easier by eliminating the need to bend over or kneel directly on the ground
You can build inexpensive raised beds from materials like wood, bricks, stones, or even repurposed items like old dressers or bathtubs. Opt for heights between 12-18 inches to reduce back strain. Arrange your beds to maximize growing space and create neat divisions in your garden.
Get Vertical
When you lack ground space, utilize vertical structures to add extra growing room. Install wall-mounted planter boxes, hanging baskets, or a vertical garden made from stacked pots or gutters.
Grow vining crops like beans, cucumbers, and peas on trellises. An A-frame trellis at the back of a raised bed looks attractive and boosts yields.
Fill Containers
Decorative pots and planters allow you to cultivate plants anywhere. Cluster containers of herbs, flowers, greens, or strawberries on a balcony, patio, or doorstep.
Opt for self-watering pots to reduce maintenance. Use wheeled plant caddies to easily move containers around. Upcycle everyday items like buckets or baskets into unique planters.
Create Tiered Displays
Stacking pots or crates at different heights creates fun, space-saving tiered plant displays. Use the vertical real estate of walls, fences, or railings to hang shelves or attach wall planters at ascending levels.
Tiered displays look great on balconies or in narrow side yards. They showcase a variety of textures and colors in a small footprint.
Make a Living Wall
A vertical garden adds visual impact to dull walls and fences. Install wall-mounted planter boxes, build a wire grid planted with trailing greenery, or attach stacking pots to create a living wall.
Succulents, ferns, ivy, herbs, and annuals thrive in vertical gardens. Position them to decorate blank exteriors or dividers and take advantage of sunlight patterns.
Plant in Alternative Spots
Get creative with planting sites. Tuck microgreens or herbs into nooks like windowsills, steps, or the cracks between paving stones. Set potted plants atop air conditioners, fences, or garden sheds.
Use pockets of downtime space for ornamentals or edibles. Let them trail down walls or soften hard edges.
Intersperse Edibles and Ornamentals
Plant ornamentals like petunias or marigolds alongside edibles to maximize appeal in a small garden. Choose colorful or bee-attracting blooms to boost pollination too.
Alternate neat rows of veggies with flower borders or fill gaps with container plants. The resulting mosaic looks planned rather than crowded.
Employ Space-Saving Design
Careful design choices can stretch a small garden’s usable space. Curved beds offer more planting room than sharp corners. Narrow paths with stepping stones save space for beds.
Choose compact and multi-purpose plants suited to tight quarters, like dwarf tomatoes or kale interplanted with pansies or nasturtiums.
Add Hardscaping Wisely
Hardscapes like patios, decks, and sheds do subtract space but are worth including. Just scale them appropriately to your garden and integrate plants in creative ways.
Surround a small patio with containers or built-in planters. Plant a green roof or living wall on your shed. Add a potted fruit tree in place of an umbrella for shade.
Illuminate and Accessorize
Small spaces shine with strategic illumination and accessories. Install path lighting or spotlights to highlight focal points after dark. Set out ornamental pots, benches, and art to personalize the space.
A small water feature or a bright door on a shed feels like a big design moment. Have fun playing up charming details.
With clever small garden bed ideas like these, you can create a stylish and productive oasis no matter the square footage you have to work with. Vertical solutions, multi-purpose plants, and unique hardscaping features are easy ways to maximize appeal and enjoyment. Let your imagination run wild!
Small Garden IdeasRaised beds, food growing tips, recipes and more
Small gardens have a lot more potential than you may realize. Whether dealing with a long narrow space behind a vintage home, a cramped backyard that lacks privacy, or a shabby garden at the rear of a brownstone the possibilities are endless. So don’t write off your 40-foot by 20-foot outdoor area just yet—with the right design, it could be an incredible garden.
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Designer Karen Chapman says, “Neither beauty nor function needs to be limited by the size of your outdoor space, but it is important to prioritize your wish list in order to make every square inch count.” She offers the following advice, suggestions, and tips:
Entertaining outdoors always seems so much more relaxed, both for the hosts and the guests, but how many people do you need to accommodate? Two for an intimate lunch? Eight for a sit-down dinner? Twelve or more for an informal BBQ?
Versatile elements that can satisfy more than one function are key in maximizing the potential of small spaces.
- Folding bistro tables and chairs can easily be stored when not in use and are lightweight enough to make set up a breeze.
- Extending patio tables offer versatility when you need to accommodate varying number of guests.
- Add a padded cushion to a sturdy low table to serve as an occasional ottoman or stool.
- Capped retaining walls and raised beds can pull double duty if they are at seating height (approx. 17”) and softened with cushions or a folded blanket.
- Use bench seating at a rectangular patio table rather than individual seats – you will be able to seat more people—ideal for families with small children.
- Rather than a traditional wood-burning fire pit which can look unattractive when not in use and take up a lot of space, consider a gas fire table. These serve as a beautiful focal point even when not in use and are ideal for doubling up as a coffee table thanks to the solid rim.
Are you hoping to grow cut flowers, your favorite herbs, or a few vegetables? When space is limited, it is especially important to determine which of these are worth growing yourself, and which are better to purchase seasonally from your local farmer’s market. Focus on growing flowers and produce that are usually expensive, hard to find, have a short shelf life, or you use regularly.
Container gardens provide a simple solution for limited in-ground growing; however, consideration should be given to their size and shape.
- Wide, round containers will take up a large footprint on a deck or patio. Look for rectangular. oval or elliptical shapes that can sit closer to a wall or railing.
- Avoid cluttering the ground with multiple small pots—one large, tall container will have much greater impact and be easier to water.
- Adding saucers with wheels under your containers enables you to move them around to create room dividers on a long deck, a secluded reading nook on an exposed patio or simply to follow the pattern of the sun during the growing season.
15 Recycled DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas That Are Super Budget-Friendly
What can you do with a raised garden bed?
Using raised garden bed plans, you can add small splashes of greenery alongside your home’s patio, deck, or porch. A raised garden bed next to an outdoor entertaining or dining space can enhance the space and make it all the more relaxing when you have gorgeous flowers and plants to admire. 9. Rocks and Plants
What is a raised garden bed?
Using raised garden beds is a popular strategy for planting a vegetable, herb, or flower garden that’s simple to install and easier to maintain than a traditional garden. Raised garden beds can be used to optimize small outdoor spaces or to structure a large backyard.
Are raised garden beds good for beginners?
A great option for beginners, raised garden beds offer better soil drainage and don’t require excessive tilling that can come along with an in-ground garden. Place small raised garden beds in the backyard, front yard or even on a patio. Get the tutorial at Designer Trapped » RELATED:
What are the best raised garden beds?
Classic wooden raised garden beds next to your patio or deck allow you to watch your flowers bloom and keep homegrown veggies nearby. This elevated planter, the best patio option in our guide to the best raised garden beds, is constructed from rot-resistant red cedar wood.
What can you plant in a raised garden bed?
The Merrythought made this simple DIY raised garden bed from untreated wood and corner braces and placed it in a sunny backyard spot, planting it with compost-rich soil and everything from carrot seeds to rhubarb, asparagus, garlic, and sprouted sweet potatoes.
How big should a raised garden bed be?
It’s easy to build raised beds anywhere, but a veggie garden needs full sunshine. Don’t make it too wide. Raised beds should generally be four feet wide or narrower. You want to be able to reach the center for planting, weeding, and harvesting without stepping inside. Raised garden beds take a lot of soil to fill.