Indoor gardens can contribute important benefits to home living, ranging from aesthetic beauty to improved health and productivity. Research has shown that indoor plants help eliminate indoor air pollutants called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that emanate from adhesives, furnishings, clothing, and solvents and cause illnesses.
They also increase subjective perceptions of concentration and satisfaction and objective productivity measures. Indoor gardens may even reduce energy use and costs because of the reduced need for air circulation. These benefits complement the obvious aesthetic advantages of a well-designed garden, making the indoor garden an attractive residential feature on several fronts.
However, indoor gardens require many conditions to ensure that they grow smoothly. These conditions also vary depending on the type of plant(s) being grown and the methods in which they are displayed.
A small garden is a blessing, however tiny it may be. Any patch of outdoor space we can call our own is a huge benefit to our mental health and provides a space for growing flowers, harvesting a kitchen garden or simply relaxing on a sun lounger. Of course, a sprawling country garden full of flowers would be ideal, but even having a small garden, balcony, or tiny roof terrace can provide solace in spades.
The only problem with a small garden is that they can be harder to design, but there’s no need to be daunted; arm yourself with the right garden design tips and tricks, and you’ll have the tools you need to make it a tiny sanctuary for you to enjoy all through the warmer months, which are fast approaching! It doesn’t matter if you have a balcony garden or a small patch of a patio, or even a small front garden. Make it a space to be proud of with the right planning and planting.
Light: Plants need light to photosynthesize, grow, and survive. Without light, plants may fail to grow completely, won’t produce flowers or fruit, and may even die. This consideration is particularly important for indoor gardens, which may not receive adequate light in the winter months, even if near a window. Thus, indoor gardens will need particular lighting systems to ensure maximum growth.
Most plants function best with 14 to 16 hours of light and at least six hours of darkness per day. However, because plants have photoreceptors that only absorb specific wavelengths of light, regular light bulbs won’t satisfy this requirement. High-Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs and Compact Fluorescent Systems are the ideal light source for indoor gardens, providing the ideal amount of brightness and intensity for plant growth. However, fluorescent lights and incandescent bulbs may not emanate enough light, making them better for individual house plants rather than entire gardens. Of course, light requirements will vary depending on the plants being grown.
Humidity: Indoor gardens often suffer from low humidity, which can cause plants to wither and leaves to turn brown. While plants tend to flourish in 50% humidity or higher, indoor humidity levels may be as low as 10-20%, particularly in the winter. Solutions to this issue can range from running a humidifier to daily misting to even just placing a tray of water next to the garden.
Temperature: Most plants will thrive under 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.
Soil Depth: Soil depth will vary greatly depending on the plant being grown. Typically, 18 to 20 inches of soil will suffice for most plants, though this number can drop to as low as 15 inches or reach as high as three feet. More shallow-rooted species may also need to be staked or secured to a trellis depending on the plant.
Water: Plants grown in containers tend to dry out quicker than plants grown naturally in soil. Thus, indoor gardens must be watered adequately, though Who shouldn’t overwater them either. Some designers and homeowners turn to solutions such as indoor drip watering systems, hydroponics, or self-watering pots to ensure that plants are watered consistently.
Indoor drip watering systems water plants on a timer, making them highly consistent and relatively painless. However, obvious tubes connecting the plants tend to be rather unsightly. As the name suggests, self-watering pots and planters hold a refillable reservoir and water their plants automatically. Unlike indoor drip watering systems, there are no external tubes and faucets to be seen.
An aesthetically interesting variation on the self-watering pot is the stackable self-watering container, which becomes a small vertical garden with a hidden automatic watering system. Another aesthetically interesting option is the hydroponic garden, which eliminates soil from the equation and supplies water and nutrients directly to the plants. This solution can use smaller containers, facilitates faster plant growth, and decreases the likelihood of plant infections, making it a popular choice.
Regardless of the watering system used, drainage is always an important consideration. Without adequate drainage, roots may rot in overly moist conditions. This requirement means that planters should always have drainage holes and drip trays.
Common Plants
Gardens can serve different purposes in a home, be it purely aesthetic or providing fruits and vegetables or both. Of course, depending on the intended use, different plants will be more effective. In addition, considerations such as lighting, watering, and temperature may also impact plant choices.
There are a variety of different garden designs that have been innovated over time. Depending on the available square metres and the interior style, designers should choose the options that accentuate different aspects of the home and allow better use of space.
Patio Garden Bed
If you’re constructing a new patio, create a planting bed as part of the patio to define the space and make it feel more like an outdoor room.
Ultimate Kitchen Garden
Say hello to the potager of our dreams, designed by renowned gardener Jon Carloftis. Overflowing with amazing edible plants handpicked by some of the nation’s best chefs brings new meaning to farm-to-table dining because it’s your backyard!
Perennial Garden
Why plant new flowers every year? By incorporating perennials, which return for many years, you’ll be able to build a garden that will need little care from you to bloom.
Vertical Garden
Sometimes the only way to grow is up! Vining plants add interest and provide screening and privacy on a deck or patio. Vines in pots work just as well as those planted in beds.
Herb Garden
Even if your space is limited, you can grow herbs right outside your door. Assemble a collection of pots and plant the herbs you use most often and some less familiar varieties (you may discover a new fave!). Plant both annual and perennial herbs for a good mix year after year.
Crevice Garden
How about perking up that drab Zone 5 to 8 patio or terrace with a sundial and compact flowering plants? You have to remove a few pavers and plant a few sprawling perennials.
Rose Garden
Every garden needs roses! And they’re not as fussy as you might suspect. New shrub types are hardy and more disease-resistant, so they’re perfect even for beginners.
Water Garden
This small water feature is suitable for a Zone 6 to 9 residential garden in the city or suburbs, which could place on a deck, terrace, or patio.
Bark Appeal Garden
Does your garden lack colour during the leafless season? Trees and shrubs with interesting or peeling bark make a great addition to your landscape.
Shade Garden
Make your shady backyard a delightful spot to hang out when you plant shade-loving annuals and perennials.
Fall Cutting Garden
Nothing dresses up a home like fresh flowers and growing them yourself is a fun bonus. This small raised-bed cutting garden will provide cut flowers for weeks and weeks.
Spring Bulb Garden
After a long, dark winter, nothing’s more refreshing than greeting spring with bright and cheery flowering bulbs. Plant them in fall for a show next spring. You also can plant in pots if you have limited space.
Fall Decorating Garden
Are you tired of buying all the items you need to craft natural seasonal decorations? Instead, why not make some space in your garden and grow your autumn plantings?
Fragrant Garden
A garden should enchant you on many different levels. Engage all your senses by planting a variety of fragrant flowers and shrubs.
Porch Border Garden
Forget about boring foundation plantings. Instead, dress up your front yard with a mixed border of annuals, perennials and shrubs.
Raised Planter Garden
Limited space or poor soil? A raised bed solves the problem, and you can grow ornamentals or edibles in these containers.
Round Evergreens
Round evergreens are so much fun! They add character and whimsy to any garden and are an essential year-round colour spot.
Fill It With Colourful Flowers
If you enjoy basking in splashes of colour, the perfect garden design might be to fill your garden with flowers of all kinds and colours. You can plant and create your paradise of flowers, from sunflowers to lavenders, then put in a simple wooden bench to add to its charm.
A Quiet Place to Talk
Sometimes all you need is a good, candid conversation. So lay back, call a friend, and have a few beers in your garden. Putting even two chairs and a small table can make for a great garden design.
Bricks, Greens and Flowers
Bricks go well with natural landscapes and feel like being in another country. It is perfect for homeowners whose houses don’t allow for a garden full of grass and tall trees but still want a beautiful, open-air area for the occasional coffee and tea.
Down the Winding Road
Make your garden look like the centrepiece of an adventure story! For example, you can carve a winding road using small bushes as rails.
Keep It Spacious
If you have a lot of space in your backyard, there’s no need to fill every corner and area with a plant or a piece of furniture. Instead, you can decorate here and there and keep the rest of it clear to have an area for picnics, playtime, intimate gatherings, and more.
Think vertically
Save precious outdoor square footage – lawn or patio – by taking what you can off the ground. For example, if you have a wall or strong fence available, this is the ideal spot to affix a slim shelving unit. Alternatively, DIT it by exploring garden ideas with pallets.
You can use these levels to display potted plants, keep smaller garden accessories, and double up as somewhere to set your drink or hold your hat.
Make the most of a patio.
Patios and decks are just begging to be brightened up. Revive a dreary outdoor space by whitewashing brickwork and refreshing weathered wood. Create a cheery festival vibe by adding a stack of cushions and rigs in folksy florals and sunny brights.
Not only will these patio ideas bring joy, but the pops of colour against a white backdrop will give the space an illusion of being bigger than it is in reality. Choose slightly smaller benches and rugs than normal to heighten this effect.
Create a layered look
Layers don’t just add the illusion of depth when in your hair – they can go a long way in gardens, too. Combine both raised beds and ground-level beds to add height and create a layered look to your planting, implying the presence of much more foliage than there is.
Additionally, slightly raising a path or walkway will make the ground level planting seem taller. It’s beneficial to work out how to plan a small garden of starting.
Take the indoors out.
Make a small garden feel bigger by feeling like a continuation of your indoor space with outdoor living room ideas. Making the most of the space makes it more valuable, no matter how small. Dress your small garden space with a furniture set and add decorative outdoor fairy light ideas to ensure it’s a space you want to spend more time in.
Create a mini herb garden
Herb gardens don’t have to only exist on your windowsills or in a large dedicated vegetable patch. Upcycle a side or coffee table to create a homemade and bijou planting area, perfect for herbs.
As well as saving you space beneath for extra planting or storage, having the plants higher will save your back a lot of strain that you might get from bending over veg beds.
How Do You Design A Small Garden?
Start by thinking about what you need from your garden and how you can plan it to fit those elements in. Some excellent garden design apps can help you with the basic structure. You’d like a pleasant place to sit on sunny days, so carve out some space and look around for some stylish garden furniture, set up a parasol and prepare for some outdoor dining.
We also love using lighting in the garden, especially solar lights, which can help you make the most of the space after dark. And in a small front or back garden, if there’s no room for a garden shed, you’ll want some garden storage to stow away your garden tools, toys and anything else that tends to end up outdoors.
How Do You Make A Small Garden Look Nice?
It’s time to think about planting. Perhaps you have room for some plant pots for pretty seasonal plants and herbs around your table and chairs. On the other hand, you may have room for a romantic border to make your city garden look more like a country garden. Or it may be that you want to learn how to grow vegetables, in which case, see our garden editor’s guides to creating a kitchen garden and making a compost heap.
However small your garden is, we believe you can make something beautiful and functional there, so read on for more inspiration. Consult our essential gardening and landscape design guide if you’re a novice gardener.
Conclusion
Garden houses have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are the perfect solution for people who want to enjoy their garden all year round without brave the cold weather. But if you’re thinking of building a garden house of your own, there are a few things you need to bear in mind. This post will look at some of the most important factors to consider when designing a garden house. So read on for some essential advice on creating the perfect garden house for you and your family.
Faqs
What Are The Seven Principles Of Landscape Design?
The principles of landscape design include the elements of unity, scale, balance, simplicity, variety, emphasis, and sequence as they apply to line, form, texture, and colour. These elements are interconnected.
How Much Does A Garden Designer Charge?
For small gardens, expect the garden designer’s costs to be around 20% of your overall budget; medium-sized gardens will represent around 15% of your budget; garden designers will generally charge around 10% of the overall budget as their fee.
What Does Landscape Design Include?
A landscape design is like a floor plan for an outdoor area. Like a floor plan, a landscape design creates a visual representation of a site using scaled dimensions. Landscape plans include natural elements like flowers, trees, grass and artificial elements such as lawn furniture, fountains, and sheds.
Is It Worth Getting A Landscape Designer?
If, like us, you’re considering having some serious work done in the yard, then hiring a landscape designer is a good move. Getting a professional to plan your landscaping project can mean a 5-20% uptick in the value of your home – so it’s very much worth considering.
Is It Worth Paying A Garden Designer?
You do get what you pay for when budgeting for a garden redesign. However, a very low or non-existent garden design fee doesn’t mean value for money, as it’s likely that site clearance or construction costs will be higher to compensate. What’s more, a low fee might mean it’s not a good piece of design anyway.