Top Tips For Narrow Gardens

Narrow gardens present a great challenge to design and build and this can be overcome by some imaginative ideas such as

• Introduction of curves
• Changes in levels
• Water features
• Planting

Firstly when planning any garden you need to carry out a thorough detailed survey and take photos to remind yourself of any aspects of the original garden

Then begin the design process starting from the inside (the heart of the garden) and work outwards. Do not design a garden around the boundaries or you will only reflect the boundary lines in your concept ideas, keep playing with curves, lines and junctions until you are happy with the flow.

When designing the garden be mindful of the client brief, this is about the most important part as not listening to the client will result in a design that they will never be satisfied with and subsequently you are unlikely to be successful in sealing the contract for the build.

Small narrow gardens are great fun to work with as you can achieve so much and introduce many features and aspects to create an interesting garden.

From the above pictures you can see how the curved path takes your eye away from the straight boundary lines and leads you down the garden. Once the shrubs, that are located in strategic positions fully develop the aspect will once again change and give the impression of ‘what’s down the path and around the corner’.

Here we have many features that the client wished for such as 

• Raised shrub borders
• Water feature
• No lawn
• Substantial terrace for entertaining
• White, blue and pink planting
• New fencing
• Aggregate pathway (8mm – 10mm Scottish pebbles)
• Textured paving (Indian Sandstone)

This garden was designed by Paul Bentley MBALI MSGD and constructed by us

Atlantes Landscapes are family run landscape gardeners covering Devon, Exeter, Tiverton & Newton Abbot. Contact us today for more information.