51 small garden ideas from the House & Garden archive

Whatever your budget or style, maximise your outdoor space with these enlightening small garden ideas
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21 garden ideas to transform your outdoor space
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How do you design a small garden?

Start by thinking about what you need from your garden and how you can plan it to fit those elements in. There are some excellent garden design apps out there that can help you with the basic structure. Chances are you’d like a pleasant place to sit on sunny days, so carve out some space and have a look around for some stylish garden furniture, set up a parasol and prepare for some outdoor dining. We also love using lighting in the garden, especially solar lights, which can help you to make the most of the space after dark. And in a small front or back garden, if there’s no room for a garden shed, you’ll want some sort of garden storage to stow away your garden tools, toys and anything else that has a tendency to end up outdoors.

How do you make a small garden look nice?

It’s time to consider planting. Perhaps you just have room for some plant pots for pretty seasonal plants and herbs around your table and chairs. You may have space for a romantic border that will make your city garden look more like a country garden. Or it may be that you want to learn how to grow vegetables, in which case see our garden editor’s guides to creating a kitchen garden and making a compost heap.

However small your garden is, we believe you can make something beautiful and functional there, so read on for more inspiration. If you’re a novice gardener, consult our essential guide to gardening and landscape design.

Small garden ideas from the House & Garden archive

Smart small garden ideas from Sam McKnight