Small garden Design in North London

Are you struggling with trying to fit everything into your small garden? Compared with the rest of the country, London homes typically have less outdoor space in relation to the size of the house, whether they have a small back garden, a small courtyard or a small roof terrace. However, small gardens definitely don’t have to mean gardens which are compromised or dull.

Designing for a small garden is an exciting challenge, a chance to be really creative, to find innovative, clever ways to transform a space so that it is multifunctional, as well as enjoyable.

As with all landscape design, when we design for a small outside space, we begin by thinking about what you, the client, wants to get from your garden.  Then we consider the most effective way of laying out the garden, making sure that every millimeter counts. We design the space to maximise it’s potential whilst still ensuring that we create a space which is beautiful, relaxed, practical, and just right for your needs.

Here at Hampstead Garden Design we are often contacted by clients who have a small courtyard, small back garden or a small roof garden and want us to help them to redesign the area, to make the most of their outdoor space. The starting point, as with all garden design, is to explore what would like to include in your garden…

Are you a keen gardener who would like beautiful planting borders and flower beds? Would you like to relax and entertain family and friends? Do you have room for free standing dining furniture or would space saving built-in furniture provide a more effective alternative? Do you need space for storing garden equipment, furniture cushions or even a bin store? Do you need to incorporate an area of grass or is it worth considering removing the lawn from the design, in order to really maximise the potential of the space?

Small garden designs need to successfully incorporate as many of your needs as possible, whilst still being beautiful, practical, manageable and not breaking the budget.

Small garden design - a case study

Often clients decide that it is time to redesign a small garden when they find that their original needs have changed. Perhaps their children have grown up and the trampoline, goal posts and basketball hoop have been long since been abandoned. Maybe the garden shrubs and borders have become overgrown and the patched-up fences and old shed are no longer serviceable. Whatever the trigger, sometimes we realise that our needs have changed and that it is time to rethink how we use the garden.

This was the case with our clients in South Hampstead, North London who came to us for advice and help in redesigning their small, family garden.  After many years of trying to nurture their small lawn, they realised that the garden was just too shady for grass to thrive and their (now teenage) children no longer needed it as a space to play.  The aging shed had outgrown its usefulness for storage and was unfortunately providing the only focal point in the small space.  The planting was looking sparse and uninteresting and they needed help with knowing how to make progress with their garden.

We decided to remove the lawn, which allowed us to create new zones within the garden, with ample room for the family to entertain.  Soft grey sandstone paving, brick pavers and hard working Millboard decking were used to create new areas in the garden.  The existing fences and new shed were painted in an attractive shade of grey, so that they blended into the background and were no longer the main focal point.  And new focal points were created by introducing Dicksonia antartica tree ferns, surrounded by new planting which was better suited to the shady conditions. The overall effect was to create a new, calming, outdoor space which is stylish, practical and provides year round interest for our clients.

If you would like some advice about your small city garden, do get in touch for an informal chat about how Hampstead Garden Design can help you.