Inspiring ideas for small gardens

Inspiring ideas for small gardens

How is planning a 'small' garden different from planning a 'normal' one? Well, to a trained garden designer, the process may be little different, but to ordinary gardneners a small space is a harder taskmaster. Lessons learnt along the way can be all too visible, be it a first-time DIYer's efforts at laying a path that has turned out to be uneven, or some impulse spring-flowering plants that have outgrown their allotted space and offer little but heavy shade from summer into autumn.

Short-lived show gardens look impressive, offer creative ideas and raise our expectations, but how realistic are they when you design your garden for real? Is there room for the practical items, such as compost bins and sheds?

What you need are real small gardens! Wouldn't it be great if you could visit somewhere with lots of them in one place, that had been designed and built with ordinary people in mind, that had stood the test of time so that you could see which climbers were too vigorous for a 1.8m (6ft) fence panel and which border plants were looking good in autumn? Well – you can.

Now, Nick and Sue Hamilton have put pen to paper to create the Gardens Monthly bookazine – Create the perfect Small Garden and share some of their tricks of the trade on designing, planting and caring for their gardens.

A secluded courtyard garden

Of the 37 designs, Create the Perfect Small Garden features an in-depth look at eight of them. Included are plans for formal vegetable and fruit gardens (potager), informal kitchen gardens, Japanese-style gardens, tiny courtyards and, of course, several cottage gardens – a style that Geoff was particularly known for and one that is relevant today with its use of local materials and recycling.

We realise now that Geoff Hamilton was ahead of his time with his common-sense approach to garden design, his love of wildlife and emphasis on composting, soil improvement and grow-you-own compost. It's a tradition that Nick and Sue continue to uphold and develop successfully.

Alternatively, you can buy a glossy, perfect-bound copy of Create the Perfect Small Garden online for £6.99 from our website Myhobbystore.com , or order a £3.35 version (not perfect-bound and in standard magazine format), also online.