We like to cover a wide variety of topics here on The Picket Fence Blog and we have yet to talk about gardening so today I wanted to branch out a little and write a post for you gardeners out there!  Anyone that has ever spent time digging your hands in the dirt and and creating a space for a plant to grow and thrive knows that there is something magical about gardening… Not to mention how peaceful and soothing that it can be.

People garden for a variety of reasons:  As a hobby, a profession, to make a yard look nice, for food, or for art.  Garden sizing range from a very large garden with fruit orchards, shrubs, and various trees, down to a small window sill garden with a few flowers and vegetables.  Regardless of the size of the garden or the purpose, gardens are incredibly rewarding for those that take the time to foster their growth.

Today, as we roll into winter here in beautiful Idaho and begin to think about how our garden is going to spring to life in the warmer months,  I want to offer some tips to bring the most out of your smaller gardens.  Homeowners and people who are garden hobbyists are more likely to have a small to medium sized garden, and so I would like to give you some tips to help maximize that small space.  In a small garden every element shows, so make the most of the details with quality materials and accessories as well as compact plants.

1.  Green the Walls.

Often when working in a small place there will be a fence or a wall surrounding your garden.  If this is the case, you have a great opportunity to use that fence as a medium to expand your garden with decorative vines.  Boston ivy is a great choice.  Not only is it green and beautiful at times, but as the weather cools it turns a deep red bringing life and beauty to that bland wall.  This will add variety to your small garden and make it feel more full.  Boston ivy is extremely versatile, while it will drop its leaves in winter, it thrives in sun or shade during the warmer months.

2.  Streamline Your Pots.

Focus on smaller plants like a dwarf shrub and pair them with stylish, contemporary containers.  Not only are these smaller plants the best choice for smaller spaces but potted plants give you the opportunity to rearrange your garden to create new looks.  Smaller sized plants can fit in the tightest of spaces and offer you many different design options.

3.  Camouflage.

Be creative with your space! Lets say for a moment you have a nice little pocket of flowers and plants in the corner of your garden.  You get a great new plant to add to the mix but worry that if you plant it directly in the soil its roots will not have enough space for the plant to thrive.  A great solution to this dilemma is to pick out a pot that matches the nearby wall’s hues, or the soil, plants or rocks around it and plant your new plant directly into the pot.  Find a place in your garden where you can set the pot without disturbing the surrounding plants, and you have a beautiful addition to your garden.  Not only do you get to add another level to your garden, thus maximizing your space, but you offer every plant in the garden the best chance at survival!

4.  Choose Small Trees as Accents.

Just because you have a small space doesn’t mean that you have to avoid trees.  If you would like to add a little more variety to your garden, a small tree may work perfectly.  Knowing the types of trees that will work in your space is important.  The Japanese Maple or ‘Sango Kaku’ is a great choice for small gardens as it only grows to be about 5 feet tall.  A few other choices may be the ‘Mikawa Yatsubusa’ another maple that grows 3 to 5 feet tall and has yellow leaves in fall, or for a slightly bigger space, the ‘Butterfly’ that can grow to be 7 feel tall with blue-green leaves edged in white.  One more beautiful choice is the ‘Ever Red,’ a 7 foot tall mound with weeping branches and leaves that turn bright crimson in the fall.  Trees can be an excellent addition, don’t ignore them, but make sure you do your homework before you add one to your garden.

I hope this post was helpful for you small and simple garden lovers.  Maybe now you can add a few small accents to your garden that you did not think was possible!

This beautiful image is from photographer Nick Brandt.  His PhotoShop work in these images is quite stunning.  Very dramatic.  We sell a book in our store with his work, On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa.