As you know the grounds of Red Deer Village are beautifully maintained – and the wee gardens our residents keep are no exception to that! One of the best things about living in Red Deer Village are the manageable sized gardens that come with each home.

Whether you’re a keen gardener, or not, there are a number of ways you can make the most of your space. If you’re looking to give your garden a make-over or you’ve just moved in and need some inspiration, read our 6 top tips to get you started:

1 – De-clutter

First things first, just as with a small room, the same rule applies to a small garden – any clutter is going to make the space look and feel even smaller. Before tending to your garden make sure to de-clutter to maximise the available space. So make sure any items such as garden furniture can be folded away when not in use.

2 – Dividing your space

Think about what you really want to prioritise in your garden and divide the space accordingly. Is it a beautiful bed of colourful flowers, a nice stretch of green lawn or a beautiful water feature to get the neighbours talking? Section these areas off to make your garden appear larger and create a journey around the space you have by using small footpaths or archways.

3 – Make the most of every available space

Maximise the potential of all your available space. Use walls, fences or even bird baths to grow climbers. Line pathways and driveways with plants. You could even add in ornamental features such as bird houses or feeders, an outside clock or wind chime. This is not only great use of space but it will add a real personal touch to your garden.

4 – Grow food not grass

If you really want to make the most of your garden why not make it edible as well as beautiful? There are a number of changes you can make that won’t compromise on aesthetics. Minimise your mowing time and replace a section of your lawn with a patch of edible greens. You can grow a wide variety of veg from lettuce and squash to beetroot and celeriac. Or why not plant yourself a blackberry or blueberry bush instead of your usual evergreen? If you do opt to start growing food make sure to choose crops with more than one harvest per year!

5 – Vertical planting

Maximise the space you have, and create interesting features, by planting vertically. Think tiered plant boxes, stacked planters and hanging baskets. Get crafty and use items such as a wooden trellis to hang your herb pots from or to grow climbers. Planting vertically not only give you more space, but there are a number of benefits such as creating privacy, minimising weed growth and can compensate for poor soil quality.

6 – Create new dimensions

Is your garden currently all on one flat level? Did you know you can create more space by creating new dimensions? If you think 3D and build a mound of soil you will have more surface area to work with than on a 2D space.

If in doubt have a peek at your neighbours gardens for inspiration!