You can do your part to help the environment and avoid its further degradation. You can grow plants in your home. But how can that happen when you have a small parcel of land, and the main house occupies most of it? Many homeowners forgo their plan of having a garden on their property because the driveway and garage are more important. After all, they don’t even have time to tend to the garden, so why would they want to have one?
But gardening is more than about the environment. It’s about your mental health, too. The pandemic proved that. Sales of rare plants jumped to an all-time high amid the lockdown restrictions in many parts of the country. Almost everyone suddenly is into gardening. The stress of having to quarantine at home lead many to start or reignite their love for gardening.
However, not every homeowner is blessed with a nice front yard. Most homeowners have a small patch of a garden out front, and that’s it. Unknowingly for these people, there are plenty of ways to have a big garden on a small lot.
Add Depth and Height
Narrow spaces often look bigger when divided into smaller areas. When you create areas in the garden with different varieties of plants for each area, they create an illusion of space and depth. They will draw the people’s eyes, making them think you have more space than you actually do. Instead of fencing the sides of your property or putting perimeter plantings, forgo the idea of borders.
Create multiple areas of interest. Call some retaining wall companies and ask for a quote on how much it will cost you to install a wall. You can then create levels in your garden as the retaining wall will hold the soil and the structure of the “vertical” garden.
Use Vertical Lines
Some people mistakenly think that by using squiggly bed lines, they will create an illusion of more room. This is based on the principle that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is not true when it comes to gardens. You should work with more straight and vertical lines than squiggly ones. Vertical lines will emphasise the length of the property. Make sure to use it on the longer side.
Extend the Garden
The parkway between the sidewalk and the street is a nice place to grow plants, too. Provided that you are allowed to plant there, you can use it to extend your garden space. Make sure to grow plants there that also sit on the edge of your actual property. When people see your house from the street, they will take in the parkway as part of your property. Yes, they know the parkway is not a part of your land, but that doesn’t take away the fact that this trick creates such a nice illusion.
People tend to clump all elements of the yard and house in one area. That only enhances the bulkiness of the house. Instead of doing that, separate these elements—lawn, pond, patio, and seating—and use every inch of available space in the yard.
Did you notice how people tend to gather around the patio and not move to the lawn when there is no seating available there? You should want the rest of your yard to be accessible to your guests. That will make the yard feel more spacious than it really is. You have to move the seating deeper into the garden so that guests will feel the need to use that space.
There are many ways to enjoy a garden, even with the limited space of your lot. It’s all about using the power of illusions and enhancing the dimensions of your land. Plus, with the help of a reputable landscape architect, you can get that garden you’ve always dreamed of.