Small Garden Plants
Small Trees for Small Gardens: What to Check First
What to check before planting a tree in a small yard: mature height and spread, canopy shape, the shade it casts, roots and utilities, and seasons of interest.
Guides
30 guides published
Small Garden Plants
Climbing Plants for Small Gardens: Choosing by How They Climb
Twiners, tendril climbers, scramblers and self-clingers each need a different support. Learn how to choose a climber that fits a small garden and which vines to avoid.
Vertical Gardening
How to Make a Bamboo Teepee Trellis for Climbers
Make a simple freestanding cane teepee for annual climbers from bamboo canes and twine, with steps for spacing, tying, planting and looking after it through the season.
Vertical Gardening
Trellis Ideas for Small Gardens: Shapes and Placement
How to choose a trellis by the job it does, from flat panels and fans to obelisks and arches, and where to place it so it suits both the layout and the climber.
Vertical Gardening
Vertical Garden Ideas for Small Spaces: Growing Up, Not Out
A design overview of ways to add planting height in a small yard, from freestanding trellis, obelisks and plant stands to arches and tall planters, with where each one fits.
Small Garden Plants
How to Layer Plants in a Small Garden Border
A step-by-step way to stack tree, climber, shrub, perennial, groundcover and bulb layers into a narrow border so it looks full instead of flat.
Small Garden Design
How to Plan a Small Flower Bed: Shape, Edge and Planting
A step-by-step way to plan one small flower bed that looks intentional: where to put it, how to mark a simple shape, which edge to choose and how to arrange the plants.
Small Garden Design
Small Garden Pathways: Shapes, Widths and Materials
How to decide where a path belongs in a small garden, which shape makes the plot feel longer, how wide to make it and which surface suits the way you use it.
Tiny Garden Ideas
Side Yard Garden Ideas for a Narrow Strip
Turn the passage between the house and the fence into a route that looks good and still works: a clear path, one slim planting strip, climbers and tidy storage.
Tiny Garden Ideas
Garden Corner Ideas: 8 Ways to Use an Awkward Corner
Eight ways to turn a bare, shady or forgotten garden corner into a seat, a feature or useful storage, each matched to the light and conditions the corner really has.
Tiny Garden Ideas
Tiny Patio Garden Ideas That Leave Room to Sit
Make a small paved patio green without giving up the table and chairs. These ideas put the seating first, then fit planting into the edges, corners and height.
Tiny Garden Ideas
Narrow Garden Ideas: How to Design a Long, Thin Space
A long, thin garden does not have to feel like a corridor. Learn how to break up the length, move the eye from side to side and give the far end a purpose.