Make The Most of a Tiny Garden

Sponsored Post: Even if your garden is small, it can still be used for a multitude of purposes. All you need is some creative thinking and tools to optimise the outdoor space you have. Here’s a selection of ideas – that you can get the kids involved in, to make the most of your garden, even if it’s positively tiny…

Garden Essentials

Whether you have a small patch of grass or a yard, one of the key things to spruce up is your flooring. If it’s grass, keep it neat and as lush and green as possible and if it’s paving stones, keep out the weeds and give the stones a power wash to keep them looking as new.

Provide some seating to fit the space you have – whether this is a small wrought iron table and two chairs or a small bench, the addition of seating makes the space feel like it should be lived in. Etsy have some great inspiration for what look you to go for, and remember to give a vote to the children to keep them feeling involved in the renovation.

A source of outdoor heat is another great addition to your small garden, to keep things cosy once the sun has gone in. A small fire pit or chiminea will do the trick to keep the family enjoying your little garden for that little bit longer.  

Pastels are very chic this year so if you have the time, try to paint part of your existing fence or brick walls with a lovely shade of peach, coral or sage to give it a fresh look and feel. Alternatively, you can go more natural by introducing ivy to your garden surround to create a green oasis in your back garden.

You can keep costs down too with some DIY by making some bunting and upcycling some old mirrors to decorate the walls. This guide is a great place to start for homemade bunting – something the children are sure to enjoy helping with – and it will take no time at all to spruce up some old mirrors to dot about the garden. They will be great decoration along with making the space appear even bigger.

Pops of Colour

With the bunting as your all-year-round splash of colour, you can add to this by choosing plants that will thrive in a small space (without taking over like a weed) and provide splashes of colour at different times of year. The Royal Horticultural Society has excellent advice on what to grow and when, as well as step by step instructions on how to do it correctly. Their beginner’s guide to gardening covers everything from planting seeds to weeding, and the children will love getting their hands dirty helping you to keep on top of the garden.

Creating More Space

As well as the use of mirrors, another way to create the illusion of more space is to open up two rooms into one. If you have a kitchen or dining room that leads onto your garden, you could integrate internal folding doors into your home to really open up the space. This is then great for having BBQs or other family gatherings, along with providing a little respite from the cold should the weather take a turn for the worse!

Kids’ Activities

When you have such a small space, you have to be a little creative with the games you can enjoy with your little ones.

As well as gardening and watering the plants, you could teach them about composting, what creepy crawlies can be found and get them to help you choose what flowers to plant. For the very little ones, you could organise a garden treasure hunt with hidden treats to be found, and for the older ones, you can learn together how to grow your own veg. It’s surprising how little room you need to do this.

Other activities include having a family picnic (weather permitting), playing cards and painting. Using a long roll of white paper, you can get your children to lie on top of it to draw around them, then they can spend an hour or two decorating their outlines. Lots of fun with very little space needed. And, if they are a little older, you could let them stay up until the sky is dark for a magical look at the night sky. On a clear night, you should be able to show them some beautiful constellations and, of course, the moon!