Spring has arrived, and even the tiniest outdoor spaces are ready to bloom. From patios to balconies, a little creativity goes a long way in turning any area into a relaxing, plant-filled haven. In his latest Dalefoot blog, award-winning writer and filmmaker Ade Sellars shares his simple tips for small-space gardening — from choosing the right containers and plants to making the most of vertical space. Whether you're dreaming of homegrown veggies, fragrant blooms, or a cosy spot to unwind under the stars, you’ll find inspiration to make your garden, however small, truly your own.
There’s no doubt, Mother Nature has been offering a smorgasbord of spring treats to tantalise our green fingers in recent weeks. Cherry blossom, birdsong, and my favourite, a greenhouse full of happy young plants. I love this time of year; every day brings something new to the garden. Yes, I know I’m one of the countless gardeners Mother Nature likes to flirt with, her Instagram followers are through the roof. But how can you possibly resist someone with such sass.
As a professional garden designer, I often travel the Suffolk lowlands, spreading growing joy to gardens. Trying to encourage cocooned home dwellers to step outside and feel the sunshine on their faces. And thanks to spring, something is happening. Garden owners are starting to emerge from their sheds and garages with renewed vigour. Patios are being jet washed; outdoor furniture moved into their seasonal spot. There’s even been the odd squeak of rusty wheels from a covered bar-b-que, clumsily manoeuvred onto the lawn, hoping for a Bank Holiday revival.
However, you go about it, these are spring rituals we have been looking forward too for many months. Yet, for many gardeners this is a daydream. We know garden space is precious, for many of us it’s limited but for many more of us they have little or no gardening space at all. So, how do set about making a small space shine?
I always start with, do not compare yourself or your green space to anyone else. You are unique and so is your garden. It should reflect you, and your tastes. Of course, enjoy social media, read the gardening magazines, watch the garden shows, but don’t regard it as competition. Gardening is therapeutic, relaxing, soul-soothing, don’t allow that negative energy to grow, let it go. Focus on you and your space.
Next, what makes you smile? Flowers, shrubs, herbs, growing vegetables, solar lights, garden art. There is so much that will bring you joy, blooms and a tasty lunch. And the best bit, you don’t need a lot of space to achieve this.
Garden pots, containers and hanging baskets are your greatest allies. They’re versatile, easy to move and come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you opt for terracotta containers, recyclable made pots or coir hanging baskets, the key to growing anything, is good compost. So, go with Dalefoot’s Wool Compost for Potting. Peat free and sustainable, this will keep those plants going strong throughout summer.
If your area is a patio or a small balcony, containers, hanging baskets and window boxes are ideal for trailing plants. They can hang down over your balcony, filling the area with colour for the summer season ahead. Plants to consider are petunias, lobelia and trailing fuchsias. For more substantial plants, consider smaller variety dahlias, salvias or lavender. Summer bulbs are fantastic, easy to plant, no fuss but will reward you with frilly freesias and glorious gladiolus. For structure, greenery and a bit of drama, try adding a standard bay tree. With a stem running up to 50cm, and a round evergreen foliage head, not only does this make a statement, but the leaves are great for cooking. Easy to maintain, this will never become unruly for an area with limited space.
For the veg growers, containers and pots can provide a whole season’s worth of food. Wherever you see vacant soil, sow lettuce, rocket or spring onions. If you want your fix of fruit, window boxes and hanging baskets can happily grow punnets of fresh strawberries, and as they’re growing higher up, ground slugs and snails won’t know where to look. For a sunny balcony, try training a grapevine across the banister. Imagine, picking your own grapes. Although I’m lucky to own a kitchen garden, I like to see pots of growing chillies on the patio.
But if digging up a starchy spud is more your thing, try growing them in potato sacks. Again, they don’t take up much room, and their flowers make an attractive feature. Or forgo the tatty, and use the sack to grow a tasty bush courgette in. Ensure you water and pick them regularly to keep them producing throughout summer.
There’s also the option of growing dwarf variety vegetables. With so much choice, you don’t need much space to grow them. Of course, you can grow your standard French beans up a pole, but a dwarf variety will grow half as tall but still provide a decent crop. If you don’t have the space for cordon tomatoes, try growing ‘bush’ varieties in hanging baskets or pots. One of my ‘must grow’ is nasturtiums. Not only do the produce beautiful flowers, but they’re edible. They’re seeds are roughly the size and shape of a pea, so again, where there’s vacant soil, sow a few and watch them grow.
If you can’t grow out, grow up. Use structures, trellises and wigwams. Imagine, trailing red kuri squash over an arch, a blousy clematis hanging from an obelisk or a musky rose gently pinned to a sunny wall. Not only is this space saving, but it gives your area higher points of interest.
To create the illusion of space, outdoor mirrors are a great option. Positioned correctly they can make a space feel bigger, or add reflected light to a once dark space. Even garden art can draw the eye, giving the small space another dimension.
The beauty of a garden is it can be a wonderful assault on our senses. Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch can have a more intense experience in a small space. Throw into the mix somewhere to relax and socialise, and seating is important. Whether it’s a rug on the ground, a few foldable chairs or a bench made from an old wooden pallet. Surround them
with plants that have fragrance, colour and can attract pollinators. For a unique viewpoint, create a low seating area with surrounding plants that have height and movement, such as gaura, cornflower or ammi majus. Not only are you bringing the garden closer, but it allows you to really lose yourself to nature.
When the sun goes down it doesn’t mean you should retreat indoors. Outside on a balmy evening is a wonderful gift. Set up a few candles, a few solar lights and you could be chatting and sipping that bottle of rosé into the early hours, as a few cleverly placed lights offer intimacy and intrigue to your small space.
Finally, if you do have a bit of garden, then perhaps the greatest thing you can do, is give it over to Mother Nature. What might seem an unkept lawn to you, is teeming with life. What you regard as weeds, a pollinator considers it as a feast. And that pile of rotting wooden logs in the corner, is a five-star palace to a homeless critter.
It really doesn’t matter what size space a garden is, it’s what you do with it. After all, ‘Small is beautiful’.
BIOG
I’m Ade Sellars the ‘Good Life Gardener’, and I’m am award-winning garden writer, gardener designer, and filmmaker, with a passion for growing my own food in my kitchen garden. I currently have my weekly mini-series ‘Down the Garden Path’ featured on ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club. I’m also a garden presenter on the QVC Channel and I regularly deliver talks around the country. This June, I shall be hosting the ‘In Conversation With’ Stage at Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC.
Website: www.adesellars.com
Instagram: adesellars
YouTube: @TheGoodLifeGardener
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ade-sellars-7429ba42_gardening-gardenarticle-plants-activity-7292253825183215616-xyUt/