Wooden planter boxes, especially when handmade, are beautiful design objects you can use to decorate your garden, porch, or living room. They have numerous uses, can double as raised beds when large enough, and can successfully replace traditional pots.
Making wooden planter boxes is not complicated if you have some basic carpentry skills. You can use any wood you like, such as lumber, timber, old bookshelves, or, as in this case, old pallets.
I enjoy DIY pallets projects. Pallets give you the possibility to be creative and shape them in dozens of ways. You can make a pallet garden table, for example, and match it with some wonderful wooden planter boxes made from pallets.
Let’s see how to make and where to use them.
How To Make Wooden Planter Boxes From Pallets
The best thing about working with old pallets is that you really need only minimal carpenter’s skills. Pallets are versatile and multifunctional. You can use them to make garden furniture, fences, living room decorations, and more.
The wooden planter boxes made from old pallets are among the easiest projects you can choose. Below, I describe the method I used to make two lovely wooden planters to place on the porch.
Things You’ll Need
Pallets
Circular saw
Hammer
Nails
Wood glue
Sand paper
wood outdoor coating
paint (optional)
How To Do It
The first thing to do is to find some old pallets and identify those suitable for this project. You can either use old pallets you have or find them elsewhere. Shops usually have spare pallets or you can find them in online listings. Most people give them away for free or sell them at very cheap prices.
If you have to buy the pallets, check them and make sure most wood is usable. Do the same with any pallets you own, just to make sure to have enough wood.
Draw a plan of the planter box and decide its dimensions. Write down the length, width, and height of the box and save the plan for future use. In this way, if you’ll ever want to make a similar planter box, you’ll already have all dimensions at hand. At this stage, you can also decide whether you want to make a square box, a rectangular one, or of another shape.
Deconstruct the pallets. To do that, bring the slats apart using either a circular saw or a jig to cut the ends. Without these tools, it will take a decent amount of work to deconstruct the old pallets. If deconstructed well, you should get between 8 and 14 wooden boards per pallet.
Remove the nails from the slats. You should use a hammer to do this.
Once the pallets are deconstructed, you’ll have to select the wood. Some slats might be unsuitable for the job, rot or with visible defects. Choose the wooden boards you like best and that can be cut to the desired size.
Cut the slats to pieces of the desired dimension and calculate how many pieces are needed to build the sides and bottom of the wooden planter box. Once you have all the pieces, sand them with sandpaper to remove any staining issues or rough spots. Sand the wood boards until they are smooth and you are fully satisfied with how the look.
Assemble the wooden planter by nailing and gluing all the pieces together. This is a straightforward process that needs no further explanations. Just make sure to let the glue dry well before moving on to the next step.
At this stage, your wooden planter box is almost ready. Sandpaper it again to remove any rough spots where you nailed the pieces and on the edges. When the box looks as you want, apply a layer of wood outdoor coating, such as urethane, to protect your planter box from harsh weather and moisture.
If desired, paint the wooden planter box in your favorite color. For a rustic garden, I suggest using a dark brown varnish. In a shabby chic décor, white or pale pink might be more appropriate, while a multicolored planter box can do justice to a non-conformist environment.
How To Use Wooden Planter Boxes
Most gardeners use wooden planter boxes either for functional purposes. However, they can make great decorations too. Here are a few ideas to use.
Japanese Garden Decorations
The wooden planter boxes made from pallets match wonderfully with the natural décor specific to the Japanese gardens. For this reason, they can be easily used as decorations in your lush outdoor space. Square wooden planter boxes painted in dark brown shades are ideal for this purpose.
Place the planter boxes near a garden pond or fountain and use them to grow a variety of tall grasses and herbs. Mix and match the plants in the planter to achieve original effects.
Raised Bed
It is easy to transform wooden planter boxes into raised beds. Build a lower planter box of the desired dimension and use it to grow any vegetables you want. If you want to place the planter box directly on the ground, you can avoid making a bottom and only use the frame.
On the other hand, you can use a planter box as raised bed by placing the planter on a garden table. This is a great solution for a square foot garden, for example.
Indoor Vegetable Garden
Wooden planter boxes are ideal to decorate your kitchen’s walls and create an indoor vegetable garden. Build smaller wooden planter boxes suitable to hang on a wall and arrange them to make a vertical garden. Use the planters to grow your favorite herbs.
If you also want to cultivate dwarf tomatoes of potatoes in your indoor garden, make sure the planters are deep enough to allow these veggies to develop and grow.
Patio Decoration
With a few DIY wooden planter boxes and a bunch of colorful annuals and perennials is easy to create attractive patio decorations. You can use planters of any size and shape you like. In my opinion, square or rectangular planter boxes are ideal for traditional gardens. If you want your property to stand out, choose a hexagonal or octagonal planter box.
Choose colorful flowers that match or contrast the colors of your property, to make your outdoor space stand out.
Windowsill Containers
You can use wooden planter boxes even you don’t have a garden or a terrace at all. The best part of DIY planters is that you can make them fit any space and any necessity. If all you have is windowsills, beautify them with handmade planter boxes.
Make the planters of a size and shape that fits the windowsill. Usually, long, rectangular planters are ideal. You can use these planters to grow any flowers you like, or even for aromatic herbs and veggies that can grow in a pot.
Final Thoughts
Making your own wooden planter boxes from old pallets is both rewarding and functional. You’ll have environmentally-friendly planters, made to fit your space and desires. You can personalize these planters as you please, and place them even in the most awkwardly shapes spots.
Along with pallet garden tables, benches, and fences, the wooden planter boxes made from pallets will help you display your artistic skills and creativity, for a garden that can stand out from the crowds.
While some plants like full sun, other plants prefer a shady spot. Make use of any shaded areas in your garden by planting shade-loving plants in containers. You can grow a variety of perennial or annual ornamental plants in the shade as well as a variety of herbs or leafy vegetables. Pick plants based on the type of shade you get. Vegetables and herbs prefer partially shaded areas while some ornamental plants need full shade. Growing in containers allows you to better control the moisture levels the plants get and to move the plants as needed.
Container Gardening 101
Growing in containers has a number of benefits, from allowing you to garden when you don’t have any in-ground space to allowing you to garden even if the soil in your yard is less than ideal. You can also use containers to grow plants in areas that are usually inaccessible to gardeners, such as in a spot under a tree or on a fire escape.
Whether you’re planting in full sun or growing a shade garden, container gardening has a few basic rules. Rule one is that the container should always have some sort of drainage hole. Aside from aquatic plants, there are very few plants that thrive when their roots are soggy. A drainage hole in the pot will allow excess water to flow away freely.
The container also be the right size for the plant. A pot that’s too big can lead to rot root, as excess water builds up in the soil. A plant also won’t thrive in a pot that’s too small. Usually, herbs need a pot that’s between 6 and 12 inches in diameter, and shade plants and vegetables typically need a pot around 12 inches in diameter.
Remember not to use regular garden soil in a container. Instead, use a specially made container mix. Container soil mixes are designed to drain well, so that plants don’t drown. They also usually contain enough fertilizer to keep plants fed for several months. According to the National Gardening Association, it’s best to wet the container soil before you start planting.
Choosing Plants for Your Shade Garden
Although it’s common to hear the phrases “plant in full sun” or “make sure the plant gets at least six hours of sunlight daily,” when gardening, some plants actually prefer to grow in shady conditions.
If you’ve got lots of shade, the best thing to do is to grow plants that will survive or even thrive in it. Trying to grow a plant that needs full sun in a partly shaded or fully shaded area is a recipe for disaster. The plant won’t thrive, no matter how much care and attention you give it.
Choosing Edible Plants
You can grow vegetables and herbs in a shade container garden. The key thing is to choose varieties that are grown for their leaves, stems or roots, according to Harvest to Table. If you try to grow peppers or tomatoes in a shaded container, you won’t get much of a harvest, as the plants need full sun to set flowers and produce fruit.
Salad greens are a great example of vegetables that will do well in a shade container garden. One benefit of growing lettuce and other salad greens in a shady spot is that you may be able to extend their growing season.
Usually, greens bolt, or produce a flower stalk and seeds, when the weather gets hot. If you grow them in a shaded area, the temperature will be slightly cooler than in full sun and you might get a few more days or weeks out of your salad container.
The video above from Dave Epstein at Growing Wisdom provides a quick tutorial on planting lettuce and other greens in a pot. In the video, he talks about choosing a container size and walks you through the process of planting from seeds.
A few other vegetables that can be grown in a shade container garden include:
Cabbage
Radishes
Carrots
Kale
Spinach
Some herbs can thrive in a shaded spot as well. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, members of the mint family do particularly well in shady areas.
Choosing Ornamental Plants
You can also grow a few decorative plants in a shady area. When choosing plants to put in your shade container garden, it helps to think of the plant’s natural habitat. Plants that normally grow in the woods, such as ferns and wild ginger, where it’s naturally very shady, often make great choices for a shaded container.
The video from Oh My Bloom! Gives you a good idea of what types of plants will do well in a shade container. The video also walks you through the process of arranging a number of shade plants in the same pot, to create a visually stunning grouping.
Tips for Growing in the Shade
One thing that will help you successfully create a container garden in the shade is understanding the type of shade you have to deal with. There’s a big difference between a partially shaded area in the garden and fully or deeply shaded area.
A deeply shaded area gets almost no direct sunlight. Although woodland plants might grow in deep shade with little problems, it’s not the best location for vegetables or herbs.
A partially shaded area gets some sun, usually less than six hours of direct light daily. Interestingly enough, some plants that require shade won’t do well in a partially shaded area, as they need less sun. A partially shaded spot is usually ideal for growing shade tolerant vegetables and herbs in a container.
You’ll want to pay close attention to the moisture levels in the containers when you grow in the shade. Although container grown plants aren’t competing with trees or other plants for water in the soil, the tree canopy or any overhangs that block the sunlight can also keep an adequate amount of rain from falling onto the container bound plants.
Fall is an ideal time for container gardening, as you can plant cold tolerant vegetables and ornamentals that can’t survive in summer. To give yourself enough time to enjoy your fall container garden, plant at the very end of summer. You can also look at the days to maturity of the plants you’re growing and count backwards from the first date in your area to figure out when to plant. Choose a container that’s durable enough to withstand the cold and one that is large enough to support the plant or plants you’re growing.
What to Plant in a Fall Container Garden
When you think of fall plants, what comes to mind? Most likely, you think of cold hardy varieties like ornamental kale, mums and pansies. But you can plant much more than those three when you’re creating a fall container garden.
The video from Garden Answer shows you how to make a container using a number of less well-known plants, such as rudbeckia, coleus and even ornamental chili peppers. All the plants in the video have fall colors, such as deep orange and burgundy.
A few other plants that will work well in a fall container include silver sage, swiss chard, and asters, according to Washington State University. The fall can also be the ideal time for planting frost-hardy perennials in a container. The perennials will go dormant over the winter, but return again in the spring.
Fall Vegetable Containers
Fall is a great time for growing cold loving vegetables. In the fall, you can replant all the vegetables that went to seed or gave the ghost once the summer heat kicked in, such as kale, salad green and peas.
Depending on when the first frost date is for your area, it’s best plant vegetables that have a short maturity period, according to Burpee. That way, your plants will have time to produce before the temperatures plummet and the weather is too cold for them to grow.
Vegetables that are ideal for container gardening in fall include beets, radishes, kale, broccoli and lettuce. You can also plant herbs like cilantro, which bolt in the summer heat, in fall containers.
In the video above from CaliKim, she walks you through the process of planting root vegetables in containers for the fall. Often, it’s easier to grow root vegetables, like carrots and radishes, in containers, rather than in the ground, because you have better control over the quality of the soil. The plants need loose soil so that they can form full, well-shaped roots.
Fall Container Gardening Care Tips
One of the trickiest things about planting a fall container garden is getting the timing right. If you wait too long to plant, you risk having frost destroy the plants before you can harvest or before they have a chance to really get established.
Plant too early and you risk having the heat of summer or early fall damage the plants. If you are growing vegetables in your containers, the easiest option is to find out when the date of the expected first frost is and to find out how long the plants need to mature.
If the first frost is expected on or around November 1, and the plant needs 60 days to reach maturity, you want to plant it on or before Sept. 1.
Although there’s no way to predict what the weather will do, there are ways to protect your plants should there be a heat wave in the middle of the fall. One option is to move the container from an area that gets full sun to a partly shaded area if you end up experiencing a few days of unusual heat in the middle of October.
Sun, Soil and Water
Pay attention to the plant’s sunlight requirements when choosing where to put your containers. Remember that sunlight is different in the fall than it is in the summer.
As the days get shorter, the intensity of the light diminishes. A location that gets plenty of sun in the summer might not get enough in the fall. Since the leaves fall from the trees in the fall, a location that is usually shaded in the summer might become an area of full sunlight in the fall.
It’s important to use the right soil when planting a fall container garden. Pick a mix that’s designed for containers, meaning it drains well and has an adequate amount of fertilizer to help plants grow.
According to Fine Gardening, you want to be careful not to over-fertilize container grown plants in the fall. You want there to be some growth, but you don’t want the plants to grow so much that they are instantly destroyed by cold weather.
You will most likely find that container grown plants need less water in the fall than they do in the summer. Keep the soil in the container consistently moist, but ease up on watering as the temperatures fall. Once the soil is frozen, you’ll want to stop watering altogether.
Choosing the Container
It helps to keep a few things in mind when choosing a container for a fall garden. A drainage hole in the container is very important, to keep excess water from collecting in the pot and drowning the roots.
The size of the container also matters. A larger container is often better than a container that’s too small. Smaller pots dry out more quickly, meaning you’ll need to water more often. They also restrict growth, as the plant’s roots have nowhere to go.
While in the spring and summer, the container’s material doesn’t matter much, it does in the fall. Some materials can withstand colder temperatures better than others. An unglazed terra cotta or ceramic pot might not survive very cold weather. The porous material absorbs water. If the water freezes in the material, it can expand and potentially cause the container to shatter.
If you use an unglazed ceramic or terra cotta pot, you might want to bring the entire container indoors before the first frost occurs. Using containers made of plastic or metal are ideal if you want to leave the pots outside all through the fall and winter.
When planning the design of a garden, besides having a good knowledge about the plants and their main characteristics, it is important to have a clear idea on how to use and divide the spaces, especially if your garden is small and you want to create an aesthetically pleasing natural environment.
When you have a tiny space, perhaps a small apartment in Eugene, Oregon or a micro-apartment in New York City with very limited space, it is important to learn how to take advantage of every corner and remember that all small gardens or patios can be easily transformed into awesome oases of peace.
You can use attractive combinations of plants, gazebos, modern floorings and even modern or elegant jars and pots, together with a wide association of textures and materials. Apart from this, you can also play with the lighting and take advantage of every single bit of your space, including the walls.
Let’s see 29 creative small garden ideas that will help you transform your tiny space.
1. Miniature Landscape
In your small garden, nobody stops you from creating a miniature version of a large garden. There are many materials and plants you can use, and the choice is literally limited by your imagination.
For example, you could use differently colored stones to create the various areas of your landscape and a few evergreen or perennial plants and dwarf trees for the vegetation. You could, for instance, associate white and gray gravel for the different areas and delimit the transition zones with brown pebbles.
Use larger stones for the border of the mini garden and place some decorative rocks among the plants. The best plants to use are the Blue Star Juniper, Golden Hakone Grass, Purple Fountain Grass and Blue Grass, together with dwarf mandarin or apple trees.
You can easily create a special corner in your tiny space with a miniature Japanese garden. Use a small fountain that imitates a waterfall on a rocky slope and brown pebbles to decorate the base of the fountain. Beginning from the base of the fountain, use the same brown rocks to create a path throughout the perimeter of the miniature garden.
Decorate the rest of the space with tan and amber gravel or white sand and various plants such bonsai, Hosta, Perilla, and Earth Star.
You can create your miniature Japanese garden in a corner of your small garden, next to the walls of your house.
3. Modern Décor With Pots And Flowerbeds
If all you have is an extremely tiny backyard with no lawn whatsoever, you can still transform it into an attractive space using vertical flowerbeds and pots of different shapes and dimensions.
To keep your space as free as possible, you could create a vertical garden using concrete flower beds you can build directly on the wall of your house or on the fence.
Opposite to the wall, create a border with light brown and white pebbles and gravel, then choose a few black flower pots of various sizes and shapes. Arrange the pots as you like and populate your small garden with various evergreen plants of small dimensions and leafy plants such as Philodendron and Yucca Filamentosa.
4. Geometrical Garden
If you have enough space and love straight lines, you can create a beautiful modern garden organized according to a strict geometry, made of symmetries between vases and plants.
First of all, delimitate a rectangular space where you want to create the garden and place five squared wooden slats to define the space, two at the back of the garden, one in the middle and two at the front, creating a chessboard pattern.
Place a squared white pot into each slate to create a chromatic contrast and plant the same plants, ideally dwarf trees and grass into each pot and slate. Cover the surface of the ground with white sand to harmonize the rigorous geometry.
5. Wavy Garden
An idea for those who have a really small lawn in the space between the walls of the house and the patio. Lighten the straight lines of your landscape with a wavy pattern you can create with a small undercut fence and gravel.
Use this new space to plant shrubs of different heights and colors, together with a selection of dwarf trees that you can align along the wall.
An attractive selection of plants includes Japanese Maple trees and small perennials such as Blue Lime Grass and Japanese Sweet Flag.
6. Evergreen Terrace
If you don’t have a garden at all, but only a small concrete terrace, you can still use original small garden ideas to create a cozy and relaxing outdoor space.
The first step to take, if your terrace is not already covered, is to create a roof. Furnish your garden with a table and chairs or with a small coffee table and a cozy sofa and armchairs. Regarding the plants, choose pots of different shapes and sizes and fill them with tall leafy plants and small shrubs.
Along the walls, you can even plant some climbing plants of your choice for a more cozier effect.
7. A Shady Corner
Another small garden idea for those who don’t have a garden at all is creating a shady corner outside the house, maybe next to the entrance or under a window.
This intimate small garden requires the presence of plants that need some sunshine and you can use this idea to create a comfortable shadow in the rooms that are exposed to the south.
Create a stone carpet using gravel and pebbles and create some geometries with a few evergreens of your choice. Create the shade with a climbing plant positioned on the edge of the wall and that extends on a support placed above the miniature garden.
8. Different Areas
All gardens, even the smallest ones, must have at least two distinct areas. In a large garden it is easy to create different areas furnished for dining or coffee, but in a small garden, things are more complicated.
Nevertheless, you can create distinct areas even along the patio if this is all you have. In this case, avoid bulky furniture and concentrate on creating a luxuriant garden by planting different perennials along the paths and the edges of the patio.
In the quietest corner, create a cozy reading area and use the rest of the space as a playground for your children or to install a chic gardening table.
9. Rocky Garden At The Entrance
Sometimes, the only available outdoor space is a narrow strip of ground along the path that goes to your front entrance. This narrow strip can transform your entrance into a true miniature garden and increase the value of your home.
Choose some tall perennials and plant them sporadically throughout the space, without following any particular geometry, then fill the space between the plants with river rocks, preferably white.
If the strip of ground is delimited by a fence, use it as support for a climbing plant, such as ivy.
10. Beautify The Walls With Climbing Plants
When thinking about climbing plants, most people think of green, leafy plants such as ivy. The truth is that there are dozens of climbing plants you can use to beautify an ugly wall or fence and that can be used even in the smallest gardens or patios.
Maybe the best choice if you have a small patio with little to no lawn is to build a wrought iron support along the path and above the relaxing area, and use it to grow climbing roses. Throughout the summer, you will be able to take a break in a romantic and chic outdoor space.
11. Build A Small Fountain
Water is life, and for an attractive space, you can always rely on using a small fountain or pond to enhance the look of your garden.
You can literally use any type of fountain you like depending on your personal tastes and preferences. However, if your outdoor space is really small, it might be a good idea to decorate your space in a minimalist way.
A great fountain can be achieved by using a rectangular stone or marble basin that can be placed on a stone carpet next to some tall leafy plants, such as the Sweet Cheese plant.
12. A Tropical Garden
Yes, you can create a luxurious tropical garden even in the tiniest space by combining design elements with the right plants.
You can apply this small garden idea to a small lawn or patio by associating different elements. Start with the furniture and choose a low coffee table and some extremely cozy butterfly chairs. Surround the space with dwarf palm trees and create a vertical garden on the wall or fence of the patio.
Complete your décor with a small fountain, maybe similar to the one described above.
13. Install A Chic Gazebo
Regardless of the dimension of your garden or backyard, a gazebo is always a great idea. If you want to create a chic and stylish effect, choose a gazebo made of wooden logs and covered with a cream curtain. Place a wrought iron table and chairs set under the gazebo to create a sophisticated dining area.
Regarding the plants, use stone containers and choose short evergreens. To protect yourself from mosquitoes and other insects, an inspired idea is to plant rosemary, mint, and lavender, plants that are not only repellent but that also look good.
14. A Perfect Lawn
Most people don’t even consider having a lawn in a small backyard or rear garden, yet a well-cured lawn can certainly enhance the aspect of your outdoor space.
Create a beautiful background with the help of a few concrete containers arranged along the rear wall or fence, then create an empty lawn in front of it up to the patio.
Pay attention to choosing the right grass seeds based on the type of terrain you have, and invest in a small lawn mower to keep your grass trimmed and tidy at all times.
15. Mediterranean Terraced Garden
Even in the narrowest space, a Mediterranean terraced garden will beautify your property. Create terraced flowerbeds with the help of stone blocks arranged one above the others. Create as many terraces as you want along the fence or along the wall of your house.
To stay true to the style, create a cobblestone path in a shade that matches the stones used for the terraced flowerbeds.
Choose the chorus plants you like best to decorate the various layers of your terraced garden and alternate them with a few evergreens and shrubs.
16. Rocky Mediterranean Garden
If you simply love the Mediterranean landscape, with its rocky mountains and steep cliffs covered in characteristic vegetation, you can recreate a similar landscape in your tiny outdoor space.
As you can imagine, you will need rocks of many shapes and sizes, preferably white to recall the characteristic Mediterranean limestone.
When it comes to the plant choice, Hinoki Cypress and dwarf Alberta Spruce trees, combined with rosemary and mint are the most inspired ideas.
17. A Moroccan Garden
Morocco’s culture and styles are simply fascinating, and it is easy to recreate a Moroccan garden even in the tiniest spaces by choosing adequate plants and decorative elements.
Starting with the plant choice, there are many dwarf palm trees and exotic leafy plants you can choose from. Plant them in large terracotta pots and surround the whole perimeter of your garden with pots and plants.
In the most remote corner, install a small fountain; around the fountain, on the fences or walls, plant some ivy or another climbing plant of your choice, and don’t worry if the plants cover the edges of the fountain.
Regarding the furniture, choose Moroccan inspired stools and a coffee table. If you want to arrange them on a carpet, make sure you cover the garden with a large gazebo.
18. Holistic Garden
You can enhance the dull lawn in your rear garden by creating a holistic garden. Apart from a visual effect of great impact, you can play with perennials and edibles to create a space that is both relaxing and functional.
Choose any tree you like and plant it in the center of your lawn. With white pebbles, create a semicircle around the tree with a diameter of about 2 feet. From this semicircle start to create a loose spiral path to your rear entrance.
Fill the path with gravel and place white pebbles along the whole path that lead to the tree.
Plant rosemary bushes along the spiral, at a distance of about 4 feet from the pebbles. Next to the pebbles plant some dill.
You can use the middle space between the rosemary and dill plants to alternate vegetables, such as cauliflower or lettuce, associated with dwarf sunflowers or lavender.
19. An Island Of Peace
If you have a small rear lawn delimited by a tall fence or wall, you can create the illusion of space and also an island of peace with only a few well-placed elements.
Create your island of peace in the most remote corner of the garden, close to the rear wall or fence. To create it, use small pebbles to draw a circle wide enough to hold a stylish wrought iron bench or a cozy sofa and maybe a round wrought iron table.
Fill the circle with white gravel and place a large black pot with ornamental grass, such as Zebra Grass, opposite to the bench.
Choose other types of shrubs to decorate the rest of the lawn and decide whether to build or not a path to your island.
20. Original Vertical Garden
If you are a DYI enthusiast and have a really small terrace or patio, you can enhance the beauty of your space with an original DYI vertical garden.
Use wooden boards for flooring and also to create a wooden panel with the width of the rear wall or fence. Cut small holes in the panel and fix it at a height of at least 25 inches above the ground. Ideally, the panel should also have a height of at least 25 inches.
Use ladles and dippers of different sizes as flower pots and hang them on the holes cut in the wooden board. You can plant any flowers you like, such as chorus plants or herbs such as basil, rosemary, and lemongrass.
21. Zen Garden
Zen gardens are characterized by impeccable geometries and harmony between the lines. The best part is that Zen gardens are perfect for the small outdoor spaces.
It is quite hard to create a Zen environment on your own, but the expert landscapers can certainly help you create the best geometry for your space.
Regarding the plants, the best choices are the evergreens in various shades and tonalities and also the perennials that will change the aspect of your garden according to the season.
22. Garden With A Pond
You don’t need a large space to create an attractive pond. You can start by placing a waterfall fountain in the corner where you want to build the pond.
Build the pond of the shape and size you like, choosing the right filtration system if you want to populate it with fish.
Plant some ornamental grasses along the edges of the pond and decorate with garden fairies and dwarfs. Alternatively, create a cozy area next to the pond but in this case, remember to plant some repellent plants.
23. A Herb Garden
It is always a good idea to use a small rear garden to grow all the herbs you need in the kitchen. Place a wooden bench along a fence and use the rest of the space to grow basil, dill, parsley, coriander, mint, oregano, rosemary, lemongrass, and even sprouts.
For a more interesting effect, you can choose several varieties of basil, such as Cardinal basil that has awesome flowers or Ruffles basil that has purple leaves.
24. Annual Plants
A small garden, or even a narrow strip of ground along the patio, will give you the opportunity to play with colors and patterns if you choose to populate it with annual plants.
These plants are almost always characterized by lively colored lush blooms and they will certainly light up the otherwise dull aspect of your path or backyard.
You can choose any plants and colors you like, such as Violets, Petunia, and Hydrangea, to name just a few. And if you don’t really like the aspect of your garden, remember that next year you will be able to create a brand new design.
25. Shabby Chic Garden
The shabby chic style is characterized by neutral colors paired with pastel tones of blue, purple and pink, by the combination of natural materials with metal elements and the disposition of various decorative objects that inspire coziness.
To create a shabby chic garden, use a white bench and a wooden table around which you can arrange pots of flowers such as hydrangeas in various tonalities, lavender, and even chili bushes. Use metal buckets as pots and roughly paint them in white and cream to create a vintage yet cozy environment.
26. Use The Corners
If you want to create a cozy area where to hang out with your family and friends, use the walls and fences of the yard or terrace as a backrest and install cozy sofas around the whole perimeter.
Place coffee tables along the sofas and decorate with hanging pots of annual flowers.
27. Minimalist Vertical Garden
Another creative small garden idea is to create a minimalist vertical garden on your garden’s walls or fences.
Paint the wall or fence in a strong color and use neutrally colored steel containers as flowerbeds. Choose a combination of ornamental grasses, herbs, and annual flowers to create attractive compositions that will become the envy of your friends.
28. Desert Style
Use succulents and cactuses to create a true desert landscape in your small garden. These plants love te sunshine and don’t need special care throughout the year, so this type of environment is easy to care for.
Plant the succulents and cactuses into round terracotta pots and arrange them in any composition you like. For a beautiful effect, arrange the pots on white river rocks at various heights and use really wide pots to plant succulents and cactuses together.
29. Indoor Garden
If you don’t have a garden at all, not even a terrace or a patio, you can still create a small indoor garden in your living area or under the stairs.
Delimitate the space of the garden with concrete blocks and fill it with gravel. Choose minimalist pots of different heights and shapes and plant a variety of leafy plants, ornamental grasses, and dwarf trees. Arrange the pots in the garden and use other decorative elements such as branches to define the aesthetics.
We hope these 29 small garden ideas will help you transform your space into a true oasis of peace.
