If you pay attention to the manicured gardens at libraries, mansions and historical landmarks, you’ll notice they’re broken up into squares and rectangles. Separating a garden up into contained squares of large, unruly plants can give the illusion of more space.
Dwarf boxwoods or raised beds are great for portioned-off planting. Raised beds, since they elevate the featured plants off of the ground, also bring more attention to your plants.
Perfectly smooth marble or clean-cut bricks can make a garden feel stuffy and artificial. Pick up rougher stones that aren’t perfectly cut, and turn the rough side of them upwards. If you want to work with brick, get ones that have been hand molded so each one looks unique.
An easy and budget-friendly way to find your materials is asking for leftover materials from construction sites, or remains of demolition material from knocked-down buildings.
Hedges and walls, even in a small garden, can make a space appear much more complex. For the most natural look, use muddy red bricks or dry stone for the walls. Clip hedges tall; if people can’t see over them, they imagine a larger space.
Trim your hedges so they get progressively thinner towards the top: this gives all the branches equal sunlight exposure. It also keeps the bottoms from thinning out.
An ornament instantly takes the elegance of your garden up a notch. Just make sure your ornament compliments the surrounding plants, or even blends in, rather than draws attention to itself. A perfectly placed ornament can highlight the planning of the plants around it.
When choosing your plants, choose large ones that will bloom bushy and tall. Even if you don’t have the space or can’t afford many plants, having them bursting out of their boxes makes your garden look lush. Tall perennials and shrubs like plume poppy and butterfly bush move beautifully in the wind.
Break your garden up into small “rooms,” distinguished by walkways or portals. Strong transitions make visitors stop and notice the careful planning around them since they understand they’re about to transition into a different part of the garden. Transitions can be done as easily as by placing a few small stone steps between two areas, or a bench or low hedge.
To avoid a sterile-looking, short-cut lawn, break your lawn up with patches of gravel, or bundles of plants. Even consider letting clover remain on certain areas of your lawn.
