How to maximise your garden space

Maximising your garden space can be a game-changer, whether you have a large luxury garden or a compact urban plot. The key to achieving a lush, functional garden without it feeling overcrowded lies in strategic planning and creative use of space. 

In this blog post, we'll explore practical tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your garden. From planning your layout in advance to using every corner effectively, avoiding unused spaces, and growing upwards, we've got you covered. By following these guidelines, you can create a garden that's not only beautiful and productive, but also efficiently uses every inch of available space.

So, whether you're a seasoned gardener looking to optimise your space or a beginner eager to make the most of a small garden, read on to discover how to maximise your garden space and create a thriving outdoor sanctuary.

1. Plan your layout in advance 

The best way to maximise your garden space is to plan your layout in advance. 

By assessing what space your garden has, and considering what you want in it, you can find creative ways to maximise each area - without it looking overcrowded or too busy. 

We often find that planning your garden to create distinct zones is the perfect way to achieve this. This could include areas such as a growing zone for seasonal plants and organic produce, a relaxation realm with daybeds and sun loungers for the warmer months, and a distinct outdoor dining space for dining al fresco with friends late into the evening. 

You could even take this a step further by planning different levels into your garden for these zones, such as by adding your dining space onto a raised decking. Not only will this help you to break up the space in your garden, but it can also help to make your garden look bigger too. 

Find your muse with our amazing garden design ideas, for inspiration on what you could do with your garden space. 

2. Use every corner 

Corners of gardens are often the most unused areas. To maximise space in your garden, make sure to use every corner to its full advantage! 

You could do this in multiple ways, such as by installing custom L-shaped planters and flowerbeds, creating a cosy fire pit corner for cooler nights with friends and family, or investing in a corner sofa set that fits perfectly into the space. 

Measure the space and find the room for what your garden needs - or you so desperately want to include. 

3. Avoid creating unused spaces and features 

When maximising your garden space, you want to avoid creating any large, unused areas or features. 

When referring to your layout plan, only factor in the space that you need - like having a paved area that is just big enough for your patio furniture, rather than having lots of unused room around it. You may not need a large lawn or extensive decking, and these can waste the space you have in your garden that you could be using for other opportunities. 

Other commonly unused garden features include wide walkways and large garden sheds. Keep your garden paths wide enough that you can easily move around the space, without it eating into other areas, and downsize the items in your large shed into smaller garden storage solutions - like garden furniture covers that can be packed away in bags, rather than folded and stored bulkily away. 

4. Invest in multifunctional furniture 

Maximising your garden space often results in having to find creative, multifunctional pieces that serve more than one purpose. 

Garden furniture is often one of the easiest ways to do this, with a wide variety of multifunctional and multipurpose pieces on the market - designed to solve this issue. 

These could include solutions such as rattan furniture sets with built in storage, furniture that doubles as planters, and outdoor sofas with dining sets, that can be moved around and adjusted to meet your usage needs - rather than needing to purchase multiple sets.  

5. Create focal points 

Creating focal points in your garden maximises space in a different way to the ideas suggested above - these are more about creating interest, breaking up the garden space, and, often, reflecting light to make the garden appear bigger. 

Many gardens opt to use garden mirrors and water features to do this. Paired with natural, artificial, or solar lighting, the reflective properties of mirrors and water mean that they can be strategically placed around the garden to draw the eye, brighten the space, and make it look larger - like how you would do inside your home. 

6. Make use of containers 

Containers give you the opportunity to customise where you want your garden plants to live, rather than keeping them in one designated area - as well as reducing the risk of plants overgrowing into other spaces - helping you to maximise on your usable garden space. 

Portable planters can easily be picked up and moved around, allowing you to easily change the layout of your garden and take full advantage of both space and sunlight. If you’d struggle to lift your plant pots regularly, you could even repurpose an old outdoor drinks trolley into a portable plant stand, that you can run along your garden paths. 

7. Grow upwards

Growing your plants upwards - or implementing vertical gardening techniques - allows you to maximise the use of available spaces within your garden, leaving other areas in your garden, where you would typically grow plants, open to other opportunities. 

There are different ways you could do this, including:

• Utilising existing fences and walls, by attaching wall-mounted planters or hanging baskets to them - perfect for growing flowers and herbs - or encouraging climbing plants to grow up them. 
• Installing trellises or arches in quiet corners of your garden, to grow climbing plants like beans, peas, and cucumbers.
• Placing plants on wooden ladders, to place plant pots vertically and create a tiered garden effect.

8. Grow produce smarty 

If you have quite the green thumb and enjoy growing produce in your garden, then you may worry that it’s going to take over your garden space. However, there are many ways to smartly grow fruits and vegetables, without it doing so. 

These smart growing solutions include: 

• Companion planting: Also known as beneficial pairings - where you plant vegetables and herbs that benefit each other together (like tomatoes and basil), to maximise space. .
• Staggered planting: Planting crops in intervals, to ensure continuous harvests throughout the growing season, without growing too many at once.

• Planting in raised beds: Using raised beds to organise plants more efficiently in your garden and giving you space to move around them.
• Planting high-yield crops: Meaning you can grow more produce with less plants taking up too much space.  
• Indoor growing: If you don’t have the space to grow outdoors, using windowsill planters is a great way to grow certain herbs and vegetables indoors. 

9. Choose the right plants

Not all plants are going to be perfect for your garden - especially if you’re limited for growing space or want to utilise these areas for other purposes instead. 

We suggest opting for smaller plants and dwarf varieties, so that you can still enjoy gardening without it taking over your garden.  You could also attempt to optimise unused, shaded areas of your garden, for shade-loving plants that thrive without constant access to sunlight. 

10. Maximise your planting space 

If growing plants and produce is your main priority in your garden, then you’ll want to find ways to maximise your planting space. 

There are two commonly used techniques to maximise your garden planting space, intensive planting and edge planting. 

• Intensive planting, also known as square foot gardening, is where you divide your garden into square-foot sections and plant crops more densely, maximising the use of space. 
• Edge planting, on the other hand, is where you grow smaller plants, like herbs and lettuce, along the edges of garden beds and pathways, to utilise often unused spaces.

11. Utilise what you already have 

Not every gardener has the opportunity to completely redesign their garden, or can run out to purchase new additions to help maximise the space they have - and they aren’t always needed. 

It may simply be a case of moving things around in your garden, to find more suitable areas for your plants or garden furniture. Like how we often can move things around inside a home to make a room look bigger and open up more space, we can do this with our gardens too. You may also find things to throw away or to repurpose in the process, too. 

Explore our garden furniture layout inspiration, for ideas on how you can move and utilise what you already have. 

Frequently asked questions about maximising your garden space

How to plan a small garden layout?

Planning a small garden layout is all about understanding what space you have. Avoid large installations and investments, like huge garden sheds and dramatic seating areas, and instead plan and design for what you need. With small gardens, you may have to make sacrifices and choose between certain design elements, but there is no reason that a small garden cannot be beautiful, comfortable, and functional. 

How do I make my small garden look spacious?

Making a small garden look spacious is achieved by avoiding overcrowding. Whilst you want to maximise the space you have, empty spaces will make it look bigger. You can also use clever techniques, such as installing garden mirrors and water features, to reflect light and make the space look larger - just as you would inside the home. 

How to transform a boring garden?

Boring gardens lack personality and character - and that’s exactly what you need to transform yours. Opt for intentional designs, simple yet luxurious themes, and pops of colour that bring your garden to life. 

How do I simplify my garden?

Not everyone wants a high-maintenance garden. Low-maintenance gardens are the perfect way to create a luxury space, without investing a huge amount of time and effort into their upkeep. Explore our guide for more advice, including designing for efficiency and implementing time-saving techniques. 

How to make a large garden cosy?

A cosy garden is one that eludes warmth and comfort. Our best tips for making your large garden cosier to create ‘cosy corners’, with luxuriously soft seating, warm lighting, a fire pit, and lots of cushions and throws.