Are you a gardener living with a small outdoor space?

IMG-20140719-00061Today many people live in apartments, town houses or condominiums and would still like a garden. Container gardens have become a popular solution for some, and raised beds a solution for others.

Here is one gardener’s solution to her space constraints:

I was hired to design a patio garden. Raised beds were neatly placed under the cover of a pergola, and the homeowner wanted small gardens planted in each one. Each bed was different, yet a combination of perennials was chosen, which included fragrant roses, Japanese irises, peonies, camellias, dwarf andromeda, dwarf boxwoods, jasmine, a Japanese maple and hydrangeas to give a graceful flow. Five more raised beds were installed on the interior walls of the space. The beds were of varying sizes and strategically placed to allow for seating, watering and tending.

IMG-20140718-00059Privacy was also a consideration, and some vines and climbing roses were chosen to grow up the inner and outer walls, giving needed privacy. New dawn roses placed so they would cover the top of the pergola, offering a roof to the flat top of the structure. Confederate jasmine was planted to wind up the sides of an entryway.

A water feature in one of the beds completed the interior space. And a side wall opened onto a small pathway nestled under a flowering cherry and bordered a small Japanese garden. It was idyllic. The idea utilized the small space with simplicity and style, and gave a delightful area to enjoy through the four seasons.

If you are considering having a garden on a patio, balcony or deck, it is easy to install a variety of containers or beds that give your space a small garden to be enjoyed throughout the year. Small contained gardens can give the same pleasure as larger ones.

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