40 Small Garden Ideas: Transform Your Outdoor Space with These Simple Tips

I love spending time in my garden, but I know that not everyone has a lot of outdoor space to work with.

That’s why I’ve put together a list of 40 small garden ideas to help you make the most of your compact outdoor area.

Whether you have a tiny balcony, a postage-stamp patio, or a small backyard, there are plenty of ways to create a beautiful and functional garden that fits your style and needs.

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When it comes to small garden design, the layout is key.

You’ll want to think carefully about how to maximize your space, whether that means creating zones for different activities or using vertical gardening techniques to make the most of your walls.

Of course, style is important too – you’ll want to choose plants and decor that reflect your personal taste and create a cohesive look.

With these small garden ideas, you’ll be able to create a space that feels like an extension of your home, no matter how small it may be.

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Think of Bright Light

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Just as in conventional vegetable gardens, sunshine is vital for patio garden success.

Six to eight hours of bright light daily is best.

Food crops also need consistent and frequent watering, so be sure to think about the location of your hose or faucet when planning where to plant—the closer your plants can be to water, the easier it will be to keep up with your plants’ optimal hydration schedule.

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Optimize Space for Vegetables

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Devote the most planting space to the vegetables your family loves best.

Keep in mind that large plants such as beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes require large pots (two feet in diameter or more).

Smaller pots are perfect for peppers, greens, kale, and herbs, and they look great tucked between larger containers on your patio garden.

For season-long interest, combine plants with varied flowering times so that some things will be ripening while others will be ready to harvest.

In hot weather, water evaporates quickly from the elevated soil in a container.

You may need to irrigate your pots every day if temperatures go above 90 degrees.

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Think Storage

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Minimal growing space often corresponds to a dearth of off-season storage.

Sturdy containers that can be left out on your patio year-round, above, are a good solution.

These three sizes of these stackable planters in a lightweight, all-weather resin accommodate all kinds of vegetables.

Large plants such as tomatoes will need staking: Bamboo is an attractive, inexpensive option; sturdy metal tomato cages work well, too.

By keeping the plants upright and well aerated, you help minimize the possibility of disease while maximizing yield.

You also increase available space, allowing an under planting of small plants such as carrots, radishes, or herbs.

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Choose Superproductive Plants

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Don’t wait all season for a few huge slicing tomatoes.

Instead, opt for prolific, early-bearing, and delicious cherry tomatoes, such as ‘Sun Gold.’

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Combine Similar Species

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An 18-inch pot will hold a wide selection of plants.

These fiery habaneros, hot lemon chiles, and purple-leaved peppers make a colorful mix.

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Look for Dwarf Varieties

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Plant breeders are constantly introducing vegetables that take up less space, such as this tiny but tasty dark-green ‘Diamant’ cucumber.

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Use a Window Box

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A 2-foot-wide box will easily host four to six large herb plants or a small crop of salad greens.

Try to choose plants with a variety of shapes and colors, such as purple basil, tall lemon verbena, and chives, to make the display attractive.

Herbs are particularly good choices for urban window boxes, since they can be maintained with just a watering can and a pair of shears. Most herbs require minimal fertilizing.

In fact, overfed herbs lose essential oils in their leaves, making them less flavorful.

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Plan Accordingly

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“When choosing plants for small spaces, be sure to check the plant tag or brand’s website to make sure the mature size stays compact,” McEnany advises.

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Utilize Plants That Pull Double Duty

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Variegated herbs, such as this two-tone mint, make a strong visual impression without sacrificing flavor or productivity when mixed with solid-color plants.

Sowing a few extra seeds of easy-to-grow nasturtium and borage into any herb or vegetable planting adds a welcome touch of color to pots and to salads.

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Select Upright Plants

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“Upright plants are a great addition because they add dimension without taking up too much space [on your patio],” McEnany says.

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Harvest Often

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Harvest salad greens once a week to encourage growth; when the plants become exhausted, remove them and plant seeds for a new crop.

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Utilize Levels

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“You want multiple levels to add intrigue, but also to draw attention to new places in your landscape,” he says. “

Adding a columnar shrub or tree to the corner, for example, creates an anchor in the garden that draws you in.”

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Check for Small Root Systems

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“Plants that remain genetically compact will not take over your space as time goes on, but the root system will generally stay smaller as well, which will keep the plant—and those surrounding—healthy for the long haul,” he says.

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Make the Most of Vertical Space

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This easy-to-make DIY is not only a welcome decorative element to any small garden, but it also offers up room for a variety of herbs, making the most of a patio garden.

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Add Smaller Versions of Your Favorites

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“Little Mischief Rose is one of my favorite roses for small spaces,” he says. “It’s low growing and is especially beautiful draping over rocks or other hardscapes.”

This shrub rose puts out deep pink flowers non-stop from late spring through fall, can withstand the cold of the north and the heat of the south, and is super disease resistant.

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Match Plants to Growing Conditions

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Work with the unique growing conditions of your small garden, and you’ll save hundreds of dollars in plants over a decade.

If your space is naturally dry and sunny, fill it with drought-tolerant plants, such as sedum (shown here).

If your garden has of boggy soil or heavy clay, choose plants that thrive in wet conditions.

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Start Small

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Instead of purchasing a costly 1-gallon container perennial or annual, opt for the same plant in a smaller pot.

The plant will gain size quickly, and you’ll save money.

Or start with seeds for an even more cost-effective option.

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Select Multi-Season Plants

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Plants that offer color or texture from spring through winter are landscape workhorses.

Instead of purchasing plants to anchor each season, rely on multi-season plants to do it all and keep your garden budget low at the same time.

Some beautiful multi-season plants for small spaces include magnolia, dogwood, peony, and holly.

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Plant for Privacy

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A small space landscape is often situated within whisper distance—literally—from a neighbor. Instead of investing hundreds of dollars in a fence, plant a living privacy screen.

Evergreen shrubs, such as arborvitae, juniper, and several types of holly, will create year-round privacy.

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Opt for Perennials

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Perennial plants come back year after year and provide color for many seasons, while annuals only live for a year.

Over time, you’ll save money by filling your landscape beds with perennials instead of annuals.

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Take Advantage of Divisions

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Perennials in a small-space garden frequently outgrow the space they are allotted. In early spring, dig and divide overgrown perennials.

Replant the divisions in other areas of the garden for a no-cost way to fill your garden.

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Add a Statement Container

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Make a bold statement in a small space by planting a large container with one fast-growing annual.

Plant choice is critical here.

One ‘Dragon Wing’ begonia, ‘ColorBlaze’ coleus, or ‘Suncredible’ sunflower will create a lush display in a 24-inch-wide pot.

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Get Creative with Raised Beds

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Cedar boards are often the most expensive part of a raised bed garden.

Forgo the high-cost lumber and repurpose logs from a fallen tree, spare stones or pavers, or even a few metal window wells placed together.

Your aim is to create an 18- to 24-inch-tall barrier that will hold soil. There’s lots of opportunity here for frugal creativity.

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Commit to Compost

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Compost is the single best way to improve soil structure and nutrient value.

You don’t need to purchase large quantities of compost for your small space.

Instead, make your own compost using landscape debris and kitchen scraps.

Pile the compost elements, alternating dry, brown elements with moist, green elements.

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Use Recycled Hardscape Materials

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Paving stones, leftover bricks, and clean gravel can have a new life in your small garden.

When friends and neighbors are renovating their landscapes, offer to take unwanted hardscape items off their hands.

Do your friend a favor while also scoring items to create a new path, border, or patio in your garden.

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Go Vertical

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Don’t forget to look up when creating a garden in a small space. The vertical plane can increase your gardening space.

Some budget-friendly options include using foraged limbs to build a trellis for morning glory vine or crafting a sweet pea cage from shrub clippings.

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Plant a Portable Herb Garden

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If in-ground growing space is running short, plant easy-to-grow herbs in pots.

Unlike some edibles that grow best in in-ground planting spots, herbs usually thrive in containers with adequate drainage.

Looking for low-cost containers? Transform 5-gallon buckets with a faux stone paint treatment.

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Assemble a Simple Arbor

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Framing the entry to your small-space garden with a simple arbor instantly elevates its appeal.

DIY one on the cheap by using four sturdy fence posts and a length of woven fence to craft a simple arbor.

Adhere the woven fence to the posts with zip ties.

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Create Vignettes

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Grow your small-space garden on a budget by adding plants over time. 

Focus on one area of the garden each year—plant a pleasing vignette that includes a flowering shrub, three or four perennials, and an annual for a pop of color. Tackle another area of the garden next year. 

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Repurpose Containers for Planting

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Any vessel that can hold soil and has drainage can be a planting pot.

Hunt for repurposed materials you can turn into planting pots at tag sales, the thrift store, or even in your own garage.

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Hang String Lighting

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Twinkle lights and outdoor string lights of all sorts instantly transform a small garden for just a few dollars.

Thread the lights over tree branches and along hedges to illuminate the perimeter of your space.

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Include Water for Wildlife

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A water source is a great way to encourage wildlife to visit your small garden.

You don’t need to install a big, expensive pond to beckon butterflies and songbirds.

A basic birdbath is a great water source. Rinse the vessel every couple of days to ensure fresh water.

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Edge Your Beds

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Cut landscaping costs with a simple spade by using it to create garden edging.

Dig a shallow V-shape trench along the edge of a landscape bed.

The trench will prevent lawn grass from creeping in and form a tidy outline. Plan to dig the trench annually.

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Experiment with Natural Seating

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Look to the natural world for garden furniture.

Turn a length of a substantial log into a bench or make garden-side stools by standing a few hefty chunks of wood on end, burying them slightly for stability.

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Create an Above-Ground Pond

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An in-ground pond requires an investment of time and money. Achieve similar results in a small-space garden with an above-ground water feature.

Turn a half-barrel or water trough into a pretty pond. Add a fountain and enjoy the sound of moving water.

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Tuck in Edible Plants

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Add tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and other tasty edibles to landscape beds.

This strategy maximizes space, and low-cost edibles are lovely, too.

They add plenty of color and texture to the landscape at a low cost.

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Plant a Tree

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Instead of investing in a pergola or shade structure, plant a tree.

For a fraction of the cost of a manufactured structure, a small tree will provide shade, color, and texture that changes with the seasons if you are willing to be patient as it grows.

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Stake Up Plants

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A roll of garden twine and a handful of bamboo poles will help a small-space garden live large.

Sink a pole into the ground alongside a flopping plant and use the twine to help it stand tall.

You’ll quickly free up ground-level space for other plants.

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Make an Upcycled Garden Pathway

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Even small-space gardens benefit from a defined path.

Use reclaimed or recycled materials like leftover pavers or cast-off flagstones to create a path through your garden.

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Be Water-Smart

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A simple drip hose, available in the garden section of most box stores, can be an excellent low-cost irrigation system for a small-space garden.

Use the drip hose with a timer, and watering chores are nearly hands-off.

Plus you’ll avoid wasting water and money by directing water to exactly where it’s needed.