How to choose the right plants for a small garden

Written by

Sabina

Any outdoor space is made brighter with the addition of greenery. If you're in possession of an urban balcony, tiny garden or other small outdoor space and want to make it greener, get inspired here!

Here's why you should fill your small garden with plants

A tiled garden, while great for keeping a table and chairs or bouncing a basketball, can otherwise feel a little drab. Compared to an outdoor space bursting with plants and greenery, it definitely feels lacking. Greenery can have many positive effects on your mood, overall health and on biodiversity - all good reasons to start to go greener.

Is your garden sunny or shady?

Does your garden, balcony or patio face north, south, east or west? The location of your garden determines the garden plants that will thrive there. For more information, check out our article on planting tips for your specific kind of outdoor space.

Vertical gardening in a small garden

Working with heights is an ideal way to garden in a small city space. You could place a plant rack against the wall to grow small plants, edible flowers and herbs. A sunny location or spot in the semi-shade lends itself perfectly to creating your own mini vegetable garden from which you will quite literally reap the benefits

If you prefer not to have a plant rack, a few flowering plants in plant hangers or planters on a wall or fence will add an extra green touch to your outdoor space. A garden table, stool or canopy are also ideal places for hanging pots and hanging baskets.

A border that utilises height difference

You can use height to your advantage not only with a plant rack, but with a cleverly arranged border. This will create more depth in your garden, giving it a richer feel, and has the added bonus of making it look bigger. Check out our three ready-made plans for garden borders or this idea for a green front door.

Smart tips for a small garden

Plant climbers: is your garden surrounded by a fence or walls? Green them up with an evergreen climbing plant. Check out these seven evergreen climbers and choose your favourite. Don't have a wall or fence and still want to add a climbing plant to your garden? A pergola might be your way forward, allowing you to plant green climbers against it.
Think big, not small: you might be tempted to fill a small garden with small plants, but a large plant can make a small garden feel surprisingly spacious. Choose a large plant or tree, depending on the location of your garden and the amount of sunshine it gets. In a sunny garden, plants such as citrus trees, olive trees, fig trees, strelitzia and Phormium Tenax shine. In a shady garden, large plants or trees such as Japanese maple and soft tree ferns are a great fit.
Group your plants: don't put one lonely pot against a wall or in a corner. Instead, place several plants next to each other to immediately give the effect of bounteous greenery.
Try companion planting: strategically place several plants together in a pot that complement each other this is called companion planting.
Make room for greenery: a big outdoor sofa or a large dining table with lots of chairs may sound very inviting, but that leaves less room for greenery. Opt for a space-saving bench, smaller table or table with folding chairs instead to give yourself more flexibility.
Go for colour: you can brighten up a small garden using colourful, flowering plants. An extra tip is to place colourful, eye-catching plants towards the back of your garden, because if the furthest point away attracts attention, your garden will seem bigger. As an additional advantage, bees and butterflies love sheltered flowering plants.
Look for examples: get inspiration from other small or urban gardens. Scour Pinterest for the best examples, such as these four ideas for a small city garden.

How to increase biodiversity in small gardens

If you're hoping to use your outdoor space to benefit the planet and increase biodiversity, we recommend getting flowering plants that bees, butterflies and other pollinators love. Check out the top 10 garden plants to attract bees and butterflies.

More green inspiration

Looking for more inspo to green up your small outdoor space? Discover these ideas for urban gardens and these concepts for greening up a city balcony.