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s our living space gets smaller on the inside, so do our gardens on the outside - some properties may be limited but planned right, a tiny house or tiny garden has all of the comforts of modern living minus the space. Your garden will look its best and flow most effectively when the basic building blocks of design (proportion, order, repetition, focus and unity) are used. Once all the building blocks are considered, choose plants based on texture, overall size, flowering time and other seasonal interests. Provide order in your garden to balance the shape and sizes of the plants, making everything cohesive. Repetition will provide order! Place your favorite groundcover and mid height plantings in familiar patterns to evoke a more pleasing composition. Masses of 3 or 5 are easier to maintain and make the space feel bigger and more unified.
TREES &SHRUBS for SMALL
SPACES By Jeff Bokma
Photo - Proven Winners
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Create unity within your small space by having a structured and proportioned planting. First locate the largest specimen plant as a showcase to bring focus to the overall space. Compliment the focal point with a middle layer (when we design annual planters, we call these fillers). The middle layer of flowering or edible shrubs will help fill in the space through the seasons and bring a sense of colour and proportion to the area. Plant shorter plants or even groundcovers as a spiller to utilize and soften the edges and provide scale within the vertical space. When we think about proportion in the garden, make sure the overall size of the plant fits the size of the space. It does not make sense to plant a tree that will grow to 40 feet tall in a townhouse yard! Finally, having a colour scheme in your garden will compliment your home and create a relaxing sanctuary. Collectively, the colours and textures you select will bring your design together. For the best luck in creating a layered small space garden; check out our favorites (available at your local independent Garden Centre) to ensure great colour, shape and proportion in your garden year after year.