Small garden planting: smart combinations for every square metre

Thinking big on a small footprint

A small garden is not a limitation — it is a challenge that leads to creative solutions. On ten square metres you can create more drama and variety than in many a large garden. The trick: every plant must play multiple roles.

Upload your photo at gardenworld.app and discover how to get the most from your small garden.

Combination 1: Three-layer compact

Amelanchier lamarckii as a multi-stem tree (serviceberry, 400 cm, white blossom, autumn colour, edible berries). Beneath it Hydrangea paniculata 'Little Lime' (panicle hydrangea, 100 cm, compact, green-white). At the base Geranium 'Rozanne' (cranesbill, 40 cm, blue, flowers June-October).

Three plants, three layers, three seasons of interest. The serviceberry offers spring blossom, summer shade, autumn colour and winter silhouette. Every square metre counts.

Combination 2: Scented corner

Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' (shrub rose, 120 cm, deep pink, wonderfully fragrant), Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' (lavender, 40 cm, purple) and Dianthus 'Doris' (pink, 25 cm, rose, clove scent).

A combination you can appreciate with your eyes closed. In one square metre you have three different fragrances. Plant next to a seating area or doorway for maximum effect.

Combination 3: Edible and beautiful

Malus domestica 'Ballerina' (columnar apple tree, 300 cm, only 40 cm wide), Fragaria vesca 'Alexandria' (alpine strawberry, 15 cm, ground cover) and Thymus serpyllum (creeping thyme, 5 cm, pink flowers).

The columnar apple takes up almost no space yet yields fruit. The alpine strawberries cover the ground and produce tiny, intensely sweet berries all summer. The thyme fills gaps and smells wonderful when you walk over it.

Combination 4: Winter interest

Sarcococca confusa (sweet box, 60 cm, fragrant winter flowers), Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose, 40 cm, flowers January-March) and Cyclamen coum (hardy cyclamen, 10 cm, pink, December-February).

Small gardens are often forgotten in winter. These three bloom from December to March and give your garden colour and scent in the darkest season.

Space tricks

Use mirrors on walls to make the garden appear larger. Choose plants with vertical growth (columnar, climbers). Limit species but repeat them — this creates calm.

Pots and containers at different heights create extra planting space. Hang window boxes on fences. Use every vertical centimetre.

Your compact paradise

Small but lovely. Upload your photo at gardenworld.app and discover combinations that make the most of your square metres.