How Do You Make a Small Garden Look Bigger?

It’s great to have outdoor space to call your own with any property, but if the size of your garden is lacking, it can be a challenge to landscape and decorate without losing too much space. So, how do you make a small garden look bigger?

1. Avoid large expanses of paving or decking

When designing or renovating your garden, the first thing you should do to make it look bigger is to avoid covering too much of the garden with paving or decking. This isn’t to say you can’t have either of these things, but if you end up with just a small patch of grass that is dwarfed by the patio or decking, then it will look smaller.

2. Create zones

Another way you can make a small garden look bigger is to split it into zones. You could have a paved seating area, a grass area and a planted area, for example, separated by a garden path. This will give your garden some visual variety that can make it seem like there is more than there actually is.

3. Use mirrors

This tip applies to both gardens and interior spaces, but mirrors can make a small garden look bigger because they reflect light. A large, well-placed mirror can even make the space look as if it has doubled in size! An outdoor mirror is also a great quirky feature as they are not that common, but they work especially well in enclosed gardens with higher walls or fences.

4. Use the walls for planting

Part of the problem with small gardens is the lack of space to add plants and flowers, but this can be overcome by using the vertical surfaces you have available instead. This way, you can include lots of interesting plant life without taking up any of the ground space. A good option is to use trellises against your fence or the walls of the house and cover them with interesting climbing plants.

5. Avoid bulky shrubs and bushes

Bulky shrubs and bushes can take up a lot of space in a small garden that you just don’t have, so cutting these back, or removing them and replacing them with smaller varieties is a great way to gain back some valuable space. If you do have a bulky shrub that you are particularly fond of and don’t want to lose, consider making it a feature instead and creating more space around it.

6. Play with proportions

As well as reducing the overbearing features in the garden, another way to make a small garden look bigger is to play with proportions so that the scale forces a different perspective. For example, you could pair large flowers along the side of the garden with a narrow shed at the end. Or, you could have narrower versions of key garden features such as flowerbeds that makes the lawn seem bigger by contrast.

7. Combine seating and storage

A small garden might not always have space for a shed, but you may need the valuable storage they provide. One way around this is to invest in (or create) seating that doubles up as storage. For example, wooden bench seats could also be storage chests when the tops are lifted up.

8. Paint surfaces a light colour

There may not be too many paintable surfaces in your garden, especially if you have a hedge border rather than a fence, but by painting the surfaces you do have with a light colour, you can make your small garden seem bigger. Bright, cool colours such as light blue are good for adding depth, but very light greys and off-whites can work too because they are more reflective than darker colours.

Those are our tips on how to make a small garden look bigger, but keep in mind that there are no firm rules about what you can or can’t do with your outdoor space. The above tips will help your garden look more spacious, but the most important thing is creating an area that you feel comfortable in!

If you’re looking to make some changes to your garden, you can check out our landscaping and paving supplies.