City Gardens: Making the Most of Your Space
City living has many advantages but lots of outdoor space isn’t one of them. However, many homeowners are happy to forgo the joys of mowing their own lawn for the convenience of living close to shops, theatres, cafes and work.
For some people, the city life is everything, but there’s still a hankering for somewhere calm, pretty and green to sit on warm summer evenings.
Not all city homes have a garden and some people will need to be content with window boxes. For those lucky enough to live in terraced properties or flats with roof gardens and decently sized balconies then the options are much wider.
Think Big
If your garden is the size of a postage stamp, then you’re probably wondering why you’d need to ‘think big’. But the fact is that many people make the mistake of filling up their tiny garden with lots of plants, lots of accessories and ornaments when in fact, this only makes the space look cramped and awkward.
The best approach is to minimise what you’re bringing in. Let’s imagine you’re the proud owner of a mid-terraced property with a walled back yard and you want to create a great space for entertaining and maybe barbequing.
Seating in small spaces for such an arrangement is easily managed with some wooden benches set flush to the walls and if you’re handy with woodwork, you can incorporate planters into the seating and create a dappled, shady spot with shelter in the form of a mini-gazebo or umbrella.
If you want to include more plants then consider some half-barrels or large, square timber planters which again can easily be built from planks. Add small trees to these planters and they have the added advantage of being mobile. You can shift them around the garden when you want a change of scenery.
Choosing large-scale accessories will give the impression of a larger space as long as you’re sparing with them. A large, blank wall can be made into an eye-catching focal point for example, with the addition of a piece of garden wall art or even a collection of vintage gardening tools.
Use the space you have to create the illusion of more space with a large mirror; hanging plants will add the effect of a jungle-like space and don’t forget how good these are for the environment and the air quality. Both important factors when you live in the city!
You can attract bees and butterflies to your garden with the right plants; choose flowering plants which will not only provide the insects with food but also a safe spot in which to lay eggs.
Knowing you’re doing your bit for the environment will make your city garden all the sweeter.
