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Planning Your Small Garden

© Valerie Adolph

Now it's just my own opinion, but unless you share your garden with children and dogs why would you waste any of your precious space on lawn? For one thing you would then need a lawn mower and also a place to keep it, so you'd need a shed which would take up even more space. Lawn grass uses up lots of water, it requires frequent cutting and after all that it just lies there doing nothing. Green desert. It doesn't earn its keep, so I say "Away with it."

Everything in the small garden has to earn its place and this is especially true when you're planning the bones of it. Let's say you're wanting plants to hide something - maybe the ugly wire fencing separating your garden from next door. Don't just choose any old big spreading plant that the garden centre has on special, choose one that will give you an added bonus. Would you like winter colour? What about pyracantha that will give you green leaves all winter and red berries as well as concealing the fence. Or use clematis if you'd like a pastel background for your flowers. Or Boston ivy for a bright splash of colour in autumn. Select plants that work for you in more ways than one.

It's a lot to think about, but time spent planning as well as dreaming as you gaze out over the snow or dead leaves will pay off in the warmer weather. Then, once the sun gets stronger, you will be ready to go outside and start controlling your garden's destiny.