With the sun shining and the temperature rising outside, it’s only natural to start looking at ways you can liven up your outdoor spaces. But not all of us have the luxury of a large garden, which means we need to get a little more creative and careful with our outside planning.
If you’re looking to grow your own kitchen garden of fruit and vegetables, gardening expert and Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange podcast host Sarah Raven suggests splitting the space up into four quadrants.
‘The four beds are then allocated to different plant groups: one for roots including potatoes, beetroot and carrots; one for things like beans and peas; one for salad and herbs; and one for a hotchpotch of things such as courgettes, sweetcorn and leafy greens, chard, kale and spinach,’ says Sarah.
However, if ground space is limited then it’s time to look upwards. ‘If you’ve got no floor space to play with, take it from the window to the wall!’ says Samantha MacNamara, Senior Brand Manager at Rowse Honey. ‘Window boxes will help you to curate curb appeal while also providing bees with swarms of nutrients.’
- Plant ideas for small gardens
- 6 best trees for small gardens
- Balcony planter ideas for a thriving urban garden
- Best bird baths to attract wildlife to your garden
Tall yet compact greenhouses are great for those looking to start growing vegetables and come in handy when the weather gets colder.
Get a selection of tools such as rakes, spades and weeders – you can find small handheld designs that can be stored away compactly after use. Read on for our picks!
Essential equipment to make the most of a small garden
4 tier mini greenhouse
The Bramble four-tier mini greenhouse is designed with compact spaces in mind, whether that's a small garden, a patio or even a balcony garden. The four detachable shelves offer plenty of room for plants of all kinds, while a securely-zipped reinforced PVC cover lends protection from the elements.
- Suitable for use all year round
- Quick assembly
- Measures 160 x 69 x 49cm
- Weatherproof protection
- Four removable shelves
- £35.99
Sophie Conran gardening tools
Buy trowel, weeder, compost scoop, precision secateurs, dibber or hand rake from Amazon.co.uk
These stylish gardening tools designed by Sophie Conran are a great gift for a budding gardener - each item comes in a pretty box, ready to wrap. You can pick and choose which pieces you need, but all items feature the below:
- Waxed FSC beechwood handles
- Stainless steel heads
- Brass ferrules
- Comes gift boxed
- Each tool sold separately
- From £15
Canvas kneeler
Get into even the smallest of bedding spots comfortably by protecting your knees when weeding or planting with this waterproof canvas garden kneeler from Garden Trading. The foam inner cushion supports your knees, while the soft brown faux suede handle makes it easy to move around and hang up when done.
- Waterproof
- Handle to store
- Comfortable filling
- Measures 4.5 x 40 x26cm
- £20
Foldable potting box
Whether you’re potting outside or on your kitchen counter, keep things tidy with this convenient potting box – simply unzip the front panel for easy access, sow or repot as needed, then fold back up. This design even includes side pockets to keep seed packets to hand.
- Measures 22 x 33 x 70cm
- Folds away flat
- Handy side pockets
- Maximum load capacity 10kg
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
- £8
Foxmore Raised Cold Frame
The perfect place to grow seedlings, small plants and vegetables in a garden with limited space, this lightweight cold frame is made from sturdy solid pine, with translucent glass panels to ensure plants can get all the sunlight they need while staying protected from cold, rain, frost and natural predators.
The top tier is accessed via a hinged lid, while double doors offer easy access to the lower shelves, which could also be used as welcome additional garden storage space in a compact garden.
- Measures 110 x 76 x 57cm
- Weighs 5kg
- Made from pine
- Three shelves
- Double doors for easy access to the storage area
- £80.15
Hozelock microreel hose
A simple and lightweight watering system, this hose can be connected to an indoor mixer if you don’t have an outdoor garden tap. While it boasts a 10m hose length, there’s no need to pull it out fully and you can wind up and store neatly away after use.
- 10m hose
- Lightweight design
- Winding handle for fast rewind
- Nozzle and connectors included
- Compact design
- £27.39
72-pocket hanging plant organiser
An ideal solution for compact gardens, this nifty 72-pocket hanging organiser for plants can help you to create a vertical garden – simply hang it on the wall using hooks, nails or string before filling each pocket with soil and your choice of plants or herbs.
- 72 pockets
- Made from durable felt
- Easy to hang
- Measures 100 x 100cm
- £7.99
Verdi plant stand
When it’s time for flowers to start blooming, pop this plant stand out in your small garden space. Its vintage-style yet sturdy design features four shelves you can fill with pots of pretty perennials or tasty herbs.
- Measures 135 x 100 x 30cm
- Four shelves
- FSC 100 per cent eucalyptus wood
- 1 year manufacturer’s warranty
- £148.99
Florenity Grigio Potting Table
Complete with a handy shelves for storing spare plant pots, tools, or logs, this potting table is made of durable eucalyptus for use all year round. It comes in a painted finish, which is easy to wipe clean with a soft cloth and is a great base for organising and potting.
- Measures 112 x 40 x 41cm
- Eucalyptus wood
- 1 year manufacturer’s guarantee
- Full assembly required
- £179
Buy Florenity Grigio potting table from Dunelm
This is a digital version of a feature that originally appeared in Your Home magazine. For more inspirational home ideas, why not subscribe today?
