We live in a house with a pretty small garden. Indeed, Surrey gardens seem to be an extension of London gardens – small, very busy and with some plain and pretty un-exciting brown fences on either side. Given this I’ve always wondered about new ways to make the limited space appear as roomy as possible. It’s tricky but it’s definitely possible in even the smallest of gardens – believe me!
I’m not a fan of ‘works of art’ made from gravel, tiles and whatnot to form circles, triangles, and other shapes. It might look interesting for a guest but personally I think it can feel a little un-natural in such a native space and sadly it’s not too practical when there are children running about everywhere in a small space.
Natural, traditional British garden designs with plenty of flowers and a nice little lawn are definitely the ones I like the most. Take the flowerbed below for example where a variety of different plants are combined together to create an absolutely harmonious look:
source:http://organicgardeningtips101.com/four-landscape-gardening-tips-for-absolute-novices/
A similar composition could work wonderfully near any of those un-exciting brown fences for example.
I’ve always loved a large, neatly trimmed lawn. It could look a little empty at times though (especially when the garden furniture is spending the winter in the shed) so why not decorate the lawn with a beautiful line of stepping stones such as in the picture below? It’s practical, natural and even a little playful.
source:http://www.floralandhardy.co.uk/pages/Village-Gem
If you’re not one for garden furniture, a simple wooden bench could look really nice near a couple of higher trees and shrubberies. It adds some romance and mystery to the garden’s overall look and can serve as a wonderful place to read a book in warm summer days.
source: http://www.alfordsenglishgardens.com/garden-of-the-week/garden-of-the-week-3/
Even if you’re a fan of a simple and natural gardens like me a couple of stones here and there and some wooden planks near the door can’t hurt that much. In fact they can look truly brilliant. The garden below has a much more controlled and organized look but still looks natural - who wouldn’t love to have a garden dinner party with friends and family all sitting around that table? I sure would!
source: http://founterior.com/minimalist-garden-design-ideas-for-trendy-homes/