The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is bursting with garden inspiration – and not just for grand, sprawling plots. Beyond the show-stopping, larger-than-life designs, Chelsea is also full of clever ideas for making small outdoor spaces feel bigger, smarter and more functional.
Of the 30 gardens at this year’s show, 14 are compact designs, spanning small show gardens, balcony gardens and container gardens. Their shared aim? To make every inch work harder. So, we asked the designers for their smartest small-space ideas – and these are the tricks worth stealing.
Layers and zones
RHS / Sarah Cuttle
‘Creating different levels within a garden can completely change how a small space feels,’ Catherine MacDonald, designer of The Boodles Garden, tells us.
Her small show garden, sponsored by jewellery maker Boodles, is a richly planted space with a jewel-toned palette and a large central pavilion for socialising, placed on a recessed surface. ‘A slightly raised terrace or a sunken seating area adds interest, gives a new perspective and can even make the garden feel larger,’ she explains.
Beyond creating layers, zoning can make compact garden feel more spacious. ‘Trees and topiary are a clever way to shape a space,’ Catherine adds. ‘They naturally divide the garden into different zones, while also creating varying levels of shade, from dappled light to full sun, allowing you to play with different planting styles and extend interest throughout the year.’
Different-sized containers
Josh Kemp-Smith
One of the container designs that exhibits an excellent use of planters is the Whittard of Chelsea garden, which features a multitude of pots and reclaimed vessels of varying sizes. Some are so big, you’d probably shy away from them, but designer Ollie Pike says scale is exactly what a small space needs.
‘Generally putting bigger things into a smaller space can make the space itself feel bigger,’ he explains. ‘We’ve got some really big pots here that allow you to get a big mess of planting in. And in between the gaps, we’ve got smaller pots. Essentially, the idea was that you’re wrapping the whole space in plants, and trying to squeeze as many pots in as you can.’
Ollie has used a ratio of 70 per cent large pots and 30 per cent small ones to fill the gaps. ‘We tried to make a sort of a kidney bean-type shape, so you’re nestled into the corner, surrounded by plants. And the great thing about using containers is you can move them around as much as you want and make the space how you like it.’
Trees and large-leaved plants
House Beautiful/Wanda Sachs
Joe Carey, co-designer of The Goddard Addleshaw: Freedom to Flourish Garden, has also relied on scale to visually enlarge his small show garden. Instead of containers, he chose mid-sized trees. ‘Be brave with your choice of trees and don’t assume that because you’ve got a small garden, you need a small tree,’ he urges.
The Flood Re: Contain the Rain Garden, a container design, is a perfect example of this concept. It’s a tiny space, designed for a maximum of just two people, but two towering trees give the garden a surprising sense of scale.
And trees are not the only tool available. ‘Planting can have a huge effect on how large a garden feels,’ Catherine says. ‘Large-leaved plants can make a space appear bigger, while smaller, sculpted topiary can create an almost storybook feel. Contrasting plant shapes help create movement and texture, while layering similar shades together adds depth and richness.’
Vertical planting
Josh Kemp-Smith
To get the most out of limited space, planting upwards is inevitable. ‘Vertical space is gold dust,’ says Rebecca Lloyd Jones, designer of The Transient Garden. The balcony design features two key climbers: a rambling rector rose and honeysuckle, trained up on poles throughout the space.
‘If you’ve only got a 5×2 balcony or less, utilising that green vertical space means that you can just immediately give yourself some privacy,’ she explains. ‘It’s a bit more immersive, and makes it a nicer, softer space to take it in.’
Corner planters
House Beautiful/Wanda Sachs
Another tip gleaned from Rebecca’s garden is using angled or triangular planters, which allow you to incorporate greenery without compromising what limited room you have available.
‘Using corner planters really helps to zone the space,’ she tells us. ‘You end up with a little more space and it feels more open. Using planters of different heights also gives you a bit more space.’
Repetition and complexity
RHS/Sarah Cuttle
Colour plays an important role, too. ‘We’ve used an interesting design technique where we’re balancing repetition and complexity. Those two ingredients are really important for a small garden,’ says Joe.
‘What that means is we have lots of things in the same colour palette, but we repeat that colour across lots of different textures so you can get quite a sensory feast out of a small space.’
In the Goddard Addleshaw garden, Joe and his co-creator Laura Carey picked up on the blue-green undertone in the patinated copper they incorporated and echoed it across a dozen different plants.
RHS/Sarah Cuttle
‘And then what we’ve done is layered that so when you’re looking across the garden, you don’t get a sense of where one thing begins and one thing ends. It helps to kind of blur your edges, so you don’t feel as though you’re boxed in,’ he explains. It’s all about softening the transitions between one space and the next.
Make it your own
While these ideas offer inspiration and a possible place to start, it’s important to remember that what works in one space might not be the best choice in another.
‘Think carefully about how you actually want to use the space and design around that,’ Catherine advises. ‘In a smaller garden, every element has to work hard, so it’s important to prioritise the things you’ll enjoy most, whether that’s entertaining, dining outdoors or simply having somewhere peaceful to sit.’
When it comes to plants, she recommends a restrained palette and planting with different flowering seasons in mind, so there’s always something interesting to look at.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest
The Garden Edit
Folding Bistro Set, 3 Pieces
Now 23% Off
Scalloped Edge Smooth Fibre Clay Plant PotCredit: Dunelm
Marcy 2-Seater Sling Garden Sofa, GreigeCredit: John Lewis
Gsycle Watering CanCredit: Amazon
Natural Pebble Outdoor Solar LightCredit: Next
Dibor Dining Chair Seat Pad SetCredit: Amazon
Comments are closed.