Small & vertical gardens

Sweet & petite Sweet & petite

With some creativity and a well-composed planting palette, even the smallest garden can become your own personal paradise

Above Built-in raised planters and large pots can help to maximise space and provide somewhere for striking feature plants. pepo.com.au words karen booth

For some, a small garden is a challenge. For others, it’s an opportunity to think creatively and produce something that’s perfectly tailored to the space and the way you want to use it. For most, it’s a bit of both.

“I personally fi nd designing gardens for small areas both really interesting and a welcome challenge, with the payoff usually being a neatly integrated space with several multipurpose components that afford fl exibility,” says Aaron Worth, landscape designer and owner of Utopia Landscape Design. “The mistake many people make with a compact garden is to fi ll the space with structural and functional elements and cut back on the planting. This results in hard, sometimes cold two-dimensional or uninviting spaces, making the garden much less inviting to use.

“Do your planning up front and design the space with plants in mind rather than as an afterthought,” says Aaron. “Plants play many roles in the smaller garden. They visually soften the space, add colour and texture, cool wall and fl oor surfaces, and provide an enveloping effect that is very soothing.”

Justine Carlile, landscape designer and owner of Justine Carlile Landscape Design, says there are numerous components to designing small gardens. “A particularly important consideration is when the outdoor space can be viewed from inside the house. In this case bringing the outside indoors is critical,” she says. “And while limited space might be the initial challenge, other factors such as poor access, lack of direct sunlight, poor ventilation, and restricted areas for planting can all impact creating a great outdoor space.”

THE POTTED GARDEN

“Growing plants when you have limited space or no open soil area to plant in can be a little tricky at fi rst, but once you understand your space and conditions, the potential is limitless,” says Glenice Buck, landscape designer, horticulturist, consultant arborist and owner of Glenice Buck Designs. “You can grow a garden in any area whether it be a patio, a deck, a verandah, a balcony, a courtyard or even a windowsill. Where there is no open soil you will just need to use pots or planters.

“Before starting to create your potted garden, you need to get to know the space. This is the same with any size garden — you need to develop an understanding of the site conditions. Look at how much sunlight the space gets throughout the day: is it under cover or open to the elements, how much wind does the area get, are there any pockets of microclimates, is there a water source in the outdoor space and will the area drain? The drainage of the site is an important factor as when you do introduce plants to a space, they will need watering, which means you need somewhere for the water to drain.”

Once you understand the conditions on your site, you will be able to select the most suitable plants. “Plants are normally labelled in the nursery with their preferred growing aspect: full sun, full shade, part sun/part shade. The other selection criteria is to look at how big the plant grows — check if the fully grown plant will fi t into your space,” says Glenice.

CHOOSING AND USING POTS

The design of your potted garden has the same requirements as a design for an inground garden. Consider where you want the potted plants to sit, how you want to use the total space, if there will need to be room for garden furniture, and if you want other garden features in the space. “In smaller spaces it is usually best to group pots out towards the perimeter so you get the benefi t of greenery, but it won’t take up space in the centre area where you may want to sit,” advises Glenice.

Don’t forget that you can think vertically, too. Can you add plantings to the side walls or fences? Or can you have plants on stands or tables? Placing pots at different height levels will add interest and give you a more gardenlike feel. “The size of the pot is very important,” she adds. “I would always suggest that you try to fi t the largest pots you can into the space. This will mean that you don’t have to continually re-pot your plants and they won’t

Growing plants when you have limited space or no open soil area to plant in can be a little tricky at first, but once you understand your space and conditions, the potential is limitless

GLENICE BUCK

TREES IN POTS

“Don’t limit yourself to only using small shrubs, groundcovers and annuals in your pots,” says Glenice Buck. “There’s a variety of tall shrubs and small trees that will work in a potted garden or small space. Consider the clearance height you have in the space and how large a pot can be to use in the space. A general guide is the taller the tree, the bigger the pot will need to be to support its growth and also act as an anchor to prevent the pot from blowing over. Smaller trees for pots would be a weeping maple or Japanese maple, Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’, golden cane palm, raphis palm, citrus trees, olive trees, fi ddle leaved fi gs, camellias and bamboo.

“Most of these species will grow best in a pot that has a minimum width and height of 600mm, preferably bigger. You can also grow climbers such as star jasmine in pots that will grow up to cover the vertical space in your garden. Some climbers will need some type of framework to climb on. There are climbers that will cling to walls with their roots (such as creeping fi g and Boston ivy); however, these can end up damaging brickwork over time.”

Top Left This small courtyard garden won Residential Design of the Year in the 2021 TLA Landscape Excellence Awards. outdoorestablishments.com Above Use climbing plants to dress a wall in foliage and potted plants to add flourishes of cheery seasonal colour. provenwinners.com.au Opposite Winner of Residential Landscape Construction of the Year in the 2021 TLA Landscape Excellence Awards, this is an urban oasis. outdoorestablishments.com

dry out as quickly. To give a cohesiveness to the space, selecting pots that are similar in colour is always good. I often suggest selecting pots in a variety of sizes and styles, but all in the one colour. Grouping pots in odd numbers is always effective too. Use a single pot or a group of three or five. These can be similar in colour but in a variety of sizes and shape.”

UP THE WALL

To add more greenery in a small space, Gerrad Everson, landscape designer and owner of Octopus Garden Design, says you need to “accentuate the vertical. Select tall and narrow trees with low shrubs, use vines rather than hedges, or use raised pots or even elevated planter boxes to rooftops or windowsills to allow plants to trail down, freeing more space at ground level. When adopting a layered planting palette, draw the eye to the farthest point — and upwards — by using tall-growing plants as a backdrop and place a mix of strappy and round shaped shrubs beneath with low groundcover plants to the edges,” he says.

Above As this design proves, there are many ways to creatively include greenery into a small outdoor space. belllandscapes.com.au Opposite A feature tree can be worked into most small-space designs, framing views and drawing the eye up. franklingroup.com.au

FRUIT AND VEG

Keep an eye out for dwarf varieties of regular fruit and veggies. Many types of dwarf fruit trees can be grown in a large pot or a sunny corner of a courtyard. Best of all, they produce full-size fruit. Some of the common dwarf fruit trees available are peach, nectarine, mango, lemon, avocado, mulberry and apple. These may be available at your local nursery, or they can be ordered from specialist nurseries, which have an even greater range. Fruit trees of any size need to regularly fertilised, watered and pruned so that they’ll fruit well.

When it comes to vegetables, there is a huge range of interesting and tasty dwarf varieties. Many of the dwarf vegetables, unlike dwarf fruit trees, do have smaller edible parts. Miniature veggies include beans, broccoli, beetroot, pumpkin, squash, eggplant, watermelon, carrot, lettuce, onion, potato, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumber, chilli and cabbage. With so much to choose from, you’ll be feasting all year round.

Growing climbing plants up a trellis or some other type of structure is a time-honoured way to use the vertical space to best advantage and create a cosy environment where you feel wrapped in green. In a really small space, climbers with thorns are probably best avoided, but there are plenty of other options, many of them producing a seasonal flourish of blooms and fragrance.

“In very limited space, a creeper such as climbing fi g or Boston ivy will easily cover a wall,” says Justine. “If a little more space is available, then the use of star jasmine trained on vertical, horizontal or shaped wires will provide excellent evergreen wall coverage with a spectacular flower show in the spring or espaliered plants such as citrus or even the consideration of a green wall which are becoming increasingly popular.”

VERTICAL GARDENS

“There are three main types of vertical garden systems you can use for growing plants in a courtyard, small garden or on a sunny balcony,” says landscape designer Georgia Harper, founder of Georgia Harper Landscape Design. “The fi rst is the modular stacking system. These are bought in units which are then stacked together and attached to the wall with brackets. Each unit is lined with a geotextile fabric that is filled with a growing medium. Holes are cut into the fabric for the plants. These systems allow root systems more space to grow. Geotextile pockets are another option,” she continues. “These usually have a solid backing that has fabric attached over the top of the base board. There are openings or pockets on the face of the unit where plants can be inserted. The other popular method is individual pots on frames. These systems are usually formed by attaching a mesh or framework to the wall and then clipping on individual purpose-made pots. Each pot is planted with an individual plant and when placed all together, they cover the wall. This type of system makes it slightly easier to replace plants as their roots are not entwined with other plants. Some of these systems come with the option of some form of drip irrigation system.”

Of course, there are other ways to go vertical. There are self-watering tower pots, wall-mounted individual pots or sets of pots, collapsible or fold-up tiered planters, or you can make your own and perhaps attach a series of pots to an old ladder or a deck balustrade.

DESIGN TIPS

Number of plants: The planting needs to feel lush, natural and warm but not forced or overdone. It’s a fi ne line but you need to know when to stop. Plant composition: Select plants of different heights that will add depth and group plants with different textures to add interest. Groundcovers: Groundcover plants are perfect for small spaces as they add life, greenery and texture without taking up too much ground space. Feature plants: Even in small spaces, adding one or two feature trees can actually make the space feel larger and add valuable shade and privacy. Maintenance: Don’t neglect your garden. Every great garden needs TLC to be its best, especially a small garden where everything is easily seen. Source: Mark Bell from Bell Landscapes. belllandscapes.com.au

FOCAL POINTS

Pots and urns: “The addition of a single pot or urn will provide interest and a focal point in a small garden,” says Justine Carlile. “Depending on space, the pots and urns can vary in size and may or may not contain plants. Topiary Buxus always work well and succulents can be an easy-care option.” Art and decor: “Placing a sculpture within the garden will certainly add animation,” says Justine. “Alternatively, one or more Corten steel light boxes will be very effective, particularly when viewed from within the house. Water features should also be considered … it could even be something as simple as one or more water spouts inserted into a wall directing water into a trough surrounded by vegetation.”

Opposite top Even the smallest of spaces can provide a beautiful leafy outlook from your home and cater for your lifestyle needs. pepo.com.au Opposite bottom Curved seating and planters soften the look of this small outdoor space. franklingroup.com.au Above Creeping fi g clothes the boundary wall, making those who stop and sit feel cosseted by green. lisaellisgardens.com.au Left You need to think creatively. Here, a small tree has been incorporated into a paved area as a focal point. scenicbluedesign.com.au

REACH FOR THE SKY

If you want to put part of your roof to good use, but not as a space for outdoor living, you can create what is called a “green roof”. This means the space is given over to plants.

Georgia Harper of Georgia Harper Landscape Design explains: “Green roofs are created using a system of manufactured layers placed over roofs to support growing medium and plant life. This creates a blanket of vegetation that provides a pleasant vista and increases the energy effi ciency of your home, helping to cool it in summer and add insulation in winter. More importantly, it plays a number of essential environmental roles: helping to clean the air, manage storm water, sequester carbon, promote biodiversity preservation and create habitat. Creating a green roof requires the help of experts, but it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run.

“There are several issues to address, such as the roof’s structural load-bearing capacity, drainage, plant selection and maintenance. Each green roof installation is unique as each site and building is different, but green roofs can be installed on new or existing buildings.”

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

There are many ways to help a small outdoor space feel bigger than it is and ensure it can provide what you need. “The first thing is to keep it simple,” advises Gerrad. “Avoid multiple contrasting materials and reduce different plant species. Generally speaking, the smaller the space, the fewer species. But ensure there is contrast in colour, size, shape and texture.”

Next, create depth. “You can create a sense of added depth by introducing angles or partially screening areas,” he says. “You can also stagger trees, planters or features to create a longer perspective within the garden. And if you have the space, introducing a step or two up or down can add interest and create the feeling of different rooms. A change of level can also be an opportunity to incorporate built-in bench seating. Built-in furniture can take less space than chairs and can be utilised for storage.

“To make a space feel less cramped, create ‘shadow lines’ to the base of benches, walls etc to create a fl oating effect. Also, install garden lighting to highlight vertical elements, like a tree canopy, a feature wall, a wall-mounted artwork, or a large pot with a specimen plant in it.”

Having a compact space shouldn’t be regarded as a barrier. You just need to think a bit creatively and learn how to use and maximise the space you do have.