A small garden can be difficult to get looking good. Small gardens, terraces, patios, and balconies might need some thought to get right than larger outdoor spaces, but even the tiniest garden can be turned into a beautiful outdoor space. 

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Small gardens actually have a lot of advantages. The main advantage is that they are usually much lower maintenance than a large garden. They’re great spaces to get creative, as even a small addition, like some colorful cushions or new garden lightings, can make a big difference.

Whether you want to create a beautiful balcony garden, want to fit in some garden furniture, or want to be surrounded by greenery, you can try some of these ideas. If you’re on a tight budget, there are still plenty of things you can do without breaking the bank.

Add Levels

You can add more interest to a small garden by adding in some different levels. You could add in a sunken terrace, with a raised lawn, or add a deck or patio at the level of the house, with a lawn lower down. Adding ledges and steps like this will help to change up you can use your outdoor space. Levels give you more defined areas for adding in more plant pots, sitting areas, or space for your children to play. 

Get Creative With Shelving And Hooks

Don’t forget that shelving and hooks aren’t just to be used inside. You can clear some of your floor space in the garden by building some shelves for things like lanterns or plant pots. Build shelves onto an existing wall or fence. Hooks or space like a recycled peg rail can be used as the perfect place to hang outdoor lighting or hanging pots for plants. Plants and lights against your wall can look beautiful against different vinyl siding types and colors or finishes like brickwork. 

Go Vertical With Your Planting

While you’re putting in those shelves and hooks, you can take inspiration from the elements of a living wall. Use your vertical wall space to make the most of the space that you have. Even if your floor space is limited, you probably have plenty of walls. By just adding some horizontal fence panels, you can turn the side of a boring looking shed into a decorative living wall. 

This approach could also work well on a stretch or bare fence or wall, or even on the side of a balcony. Whatever kind of small outdoor space you have, you can transform it into a vertical garden, for smaller potted plants and baskets.

Squeeze In A Small Dining Table

Having a small garden doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying some outdoor dining space. Invest in a compact dining solution for your garden, such as a half-sized table that will slot nearly against a wall. You might be able to find a drop leave table that will bolt onto the wall, and can be folded out of the way when you aren’t using it, and put up when you need it. Folding chairs can also be stored neatly out of the way when you aren’t using them, but pulled out when you do. 

Zone Your Layout

You can create the illusion of space by zoning your garden layout. You can do something like putting down a decorative outdoor rug, or putting up panels of trellis or fencing, to define a seating or dining area in your garden. Things like this will act as an anchor point, so you can arrange your furniture sociably around it. 

Paint A Backdrop

You can draw the eye up and create the illusion of more space with a cleverly painted backdrop. Painted right, your backdrop can give the look of more height and space. A simple way to do this is to paint a stretch of garden fence in two-tone, block color. This can jazz up a plain wall and add some more visual interest. If you use a dark color, this can help to give a more dramatic effect, and it will complement green foliage beautifully, creating a striking effect. 

Put Out Extra Seating

You can grab some extra seating for your garden or balcony when you need it. A good investment could be some oversized floor cushions for when you have guests coming over that you want to entertain in the garden. Floor cushions take up less space than garden chairs, and they are easy to pile on top of each other when you’re not using them, making them much easier to store. Choose colors that go with your plants so your garden will look chic and welcoming. Floor cushions are relaxed, and you can enjoy evenings with friends, lounging in comfort outside. 

Make The Most Of Your Space With A Multifunctional Shed

If you have room for a shed, you can make it work harder in your small space by turning it into something multifunctional. Use your shed for the obvious uses, like storing your garden furniture over the winter, then in the summer, when you’re using the furniture, you can open it out into a bar for garden parties or alfresco drinks. Paint the inside a cheerful color, hang up some fairy lights, and lay down those floor cushions, or build an outdoor bar. You’ll have a classy, beautiful space to enjoy.

Elevate Your Plants To New Levels

Make the most of your small outdoor space by taking your plants to different levels, with vertical shelving. Set up shelving on a ladder to offer a planting option that creates more space to show off your potted plants and other garden accessories. The extra height will allow you to use your space, more effectively. 

Use Every Corner Of Your Courtyard

If you have a courtyard, use every inch of space to its full potential. A courtyard can feel very closed in, thanks to those looming brick walls. Use some clever corner seating to use the space more effectively, while a high backed sofa can help to hide a large amount of those imposing walls. This can distract from the walls and give an illusion of space.