A small, city garden can be hard to make use of. Small gardens, terraces, patios, and balconies might need more thought to get right than larger outdoor spaces, but even the smallest urban garden can be turned into an outdoor space you can use and love. 

Small gardens are usually much lower maintenance than a large garden. They can be a good way to get creative, as even a small addition can make a big difference. 

Create Levels

You can make a  small garden more interesting by adding in some different levels. You could put in a sunken terrace, a raised lawn, or a deck or patio at the level of the house, with a lawn lower down. Adding ledges and steps like this will give you different zones for different uses. Levels give you more defined areas for things like plant pots, seating areas, or space for the children to play. 

Make Space With Shelving And Hooks

Don’t forget that shelving and hooks aren’t just for the indoors. You can give yourself more floor space in the garden by building some shelves for things like lanterns or plant pots. Build shelves onto an existing wall or fence, or create a stylish boulder wall landscape design. Your new shelves and hooks can be used as the perfect place to hang outdoor lighting or hanging pots for plants. Plants and lights against your wall can look beautiful against different finishes like brickwork. 

Take Planting Vertical

Use your vertical wall space to make the most of the space that you do have instead of worrying about limited floor space. Even if your floor space is limited, you probably have plenty of walls. You can put in some horizontal fence panels and turn the side of a boring-looking shed into a decorative living wall. 

This approach could also work well on a stretch or bare fence or wall, or even on the side of a balcony. Whatever kind of small outdoor space you have, you can transform it into a vertical garden, for smaller potted plants and baskets. 

Make Room For A Small Dining Table

Having a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy outdoor dining. Buy a small dining solution for your garden, such as a half-sized table that will slot nearly against a wall. You might be able to find a drop leaf table that will bolt onto the wall and can be folded out of the way when you aren’t using it and folded back out when you want it. Folding chairs can also be tucked neatly out of the way when nobody is sitting on them but pulled out when you do. 

Make Zones

Create the illusion of space by zoning your garden. Create zones with tricks like putting down a decorative outdoor rug, or putting up panels of trellis or fencing, to define a seating or dining area in your garden. Things like this will act as an anchor point, so you can arrange your furniture around it.