Just as good things come in small packages, good gardens definitely can come in small spaces. City dwellers and townhouse owners are likely to be faced with limited outdoor space, as are some residents in suburban neighborhoods. Though there are problems associated with small lots, small also can mean ”choice”-and solutions to the problems are fairly
straightforward.
The most common problem is the most obvious: not enough room. The only solution to this is to accentuate the positive and overlook the negative (more on how to do this later). Other typical problems include not enough sunlight, unsightly neighboring buildings or walls, and the lack of good soil.
Lack of sunlight will limit the type of plants you can grow in your garden. Anything that can be done to create more light, short of tearing down your neighbor`s house, should be attempted. If the shade is produced by trees, take a serious, unemotional look at them. Most small gardens have room for only one mature tree, and even it should be pruned and thinned out in such a way as to admit the most sunlight-unless, of course, you want the area as shady as possible. If the tree is large, consider having a professional tree trimmer do the work for you; improper pruning can ruin a tree for life. If shrubs block desired sunlight, grit your teeth and remove them altogether.
If unattractive walls or sides of buildings abut your property, you can paint or plant them out-or do both. If you`re lucky enough to have a natural brick wall facing your garden, all that`s needed is a little greenery to help incorporate it into the garden. Many vining plants will attach themselves to the brick without any help, or you can build a trellis for those climbing plants that need a little support.
Ramshackle fences or unused outbuildings should be torn down. If only one side of a structure or wall is on your property and, hence, under your control, the surface can be painted to coordinate with the color of your house. Keep in mind that the darker the color, the more the surface will recede and ”disappear.” Another attractive alternative is to paint the surface of the wall a dark shade, construct a sturdy wooden trellis in front of the wall, painted a lighter shade, then plant the trellis with your favorite vine or climbing plant. In one season the offending wall or structure will be all but obliterated from view.
Start with good soil
Often, particularly in urban situations, the would-be gardener has to deal with poor soil. It may be poor quality (too much sand or too much clay)
or just tired and worn out, or it may be littered with buried rubble and trash. All successful gardens begin with good soil, so if your soil is poor or nonexistent, improvement must be made first.
Start by clearing the area of trash, large rocks or leftover building materials. Next, cultivate the soil to a depth of 12 inches or more by using a shovel or power tiller, depending on how big the space is and how strong you feel that particular day. Add organic material (compost, pulverized fir bark, redwood soil conditioner, peat moss or what-have-you) in a layer half to three-quarters of the depth you tilled. For example: If you originally cultivated the soil 12 inches deep, add a 6- to 9-inch layer of organic material on top. Following the label directions, sprinkle a complete, general- purpose dry fertilizer over the area, then till both the organic material and the fertilizer into the soil.
Admittedly, this is strenuous work, but it will be worth the effort once you see how well your plants respond. One urban gardener went to so much effort and expense preparing the soil for a vegetable garden that he said he felt he should bring the soil indoors at night, just in case someone tried to steal it.
Your personal desires will dictate the design of your garden. If you simply want something attractive to look at from inside the house, you can almost treat the outdoor space as a stage set, arranging plants and other props (such as statuary, large pots or urns, birdbaths and the like) to suit the season and your mood. If you want a place to actually putter around in and perhaps a private spot for outdoor relaxing and dining, you will need to think along more traditional lines, albeit on a smaller scale. In either case, three elements should work in harmony with one another: one tree, one focal point and whatever type of small-scale plantings please you.
Bear in mind that a design that keeps the planting beds to the sides and the center open will create the impression of greater space than a design that fills the center with plants or other objects. If, however, the garden will be viewed primarily from above, say from a second-story window or balcony, having something of interest in the center of the garden can be very appealing.
Consider perspective
If the garden will be enjoyed primarily from indoors, decide from which window you want the garden to look its best and plant accordingly. Keep the design and plantings as simple as possible, favoring mass plantings of a few well-chosen plants, rather than a mixed bag of this plant and that. Highlight seasonal color with a prominent location, either in beds or in containers, and change as often as possible to keep the scene fresh. Locate whatever focal point you choose-sundial, birdbath or statue-at the far end of the view afforded by your favorite window; this will help create an illusion of depth. If your garden is for gardening and living in, not just for looking at, you will want to include planting beds large enough to fill with a variety of plants-everything from early spring bulbs, annuals and perennials to a few herbs for the kitchen, vining plants, that one specimen tree and maybe even a few vegetables tucked in here and there or planted in containers. One urban gardener I know even went so far as to plant cherry tomoatoes in large pots placed next to the only sunny fence she had and then proceeded to train the tomato vines flat against the fence, creating quite a conversation piece and a bumper crop of tomatoes.
A garden for outdoor living should include a paved or decked area for comfortably placing a table and chairs or chaise longue, and maybe even a small spot devoted to lawn.
Before you decide where to put your outdoor dining set, walk around the perimeter of the garden. Is the view better from the far end, looking back toward your house, or would you rather have your back to your house and look out into the garden?
If the lawn area is truly small, say less than 100 square feet, it need not be planted to grass: All of the fine-textured grass substitutes, such as chamomile, Irish or Scotch moss and the many thymes, are far more likely to cover a small area successfully than a large one.
Whatever you do, don`t let limited space keep you from making a garden-even one just for looks. –
