Mind Space Company

A couple of tiny gardens, one north, one south. My design approach is to get as much diversity, texture and seasonal interest in a small space as possible without overplanting. It can be a fine balance to strike. The goal (mine) is to create depth perspective so that small space gives the eye a reason to travel through it. I have a small yard and I sacrificed patio space for seating to get deeper plant beds that allow me to feel enveloped. It’s not always about screening the fence, stair, garage wall, neighbor’s yard, alley, you name it. We’re trying to distract from those things, give you something more interesting to see, muffle the sounds of city living, maybe make your postage-stamp sized yard feel at least as big as an envelope.

“What can I do with my narrow-ish side yard that also has to serve as a passage between the front and rear doors? It’s also where all the meters are.”
Well, you can make that trip down the side of the house less boring by turning the space into a garden! If your space is long enough it may have different sun exposures at either end. You can take advantage of that by creating a shade garden at one end that transitions into the sunnier space. Practically, you have to get from one end to the other so running an offset path down the center achieves that while creating planting spaces of varying sizes and heights along its spine, minimizing the ‘bowling alley’ effect of a narrow space. In this example, brick landings at either end frame the garden and limit your eye movement, thus shortening the feel of the space. And those busy walls? They’re not as noticeable in the presence of the visual distraction of plant color and texture. Unpleasant views don’t always have to be camouflaged, drawing your attention away from them is a good tactic.

This is why you under plant a garden. Start with a good design focused on compatible plants, use healthy plants locally grown if possible, amend the soil and leave plenty of spaces for good air circulation and room to grow. Commit to taking care of your new garden for the first season, don’t go on vacation the day after it’s planted and you’ll be set up for garden success. If you plant it (correctly), it WILL grow! Rabbit and rodent pressures not withstanding. This small front yard was planted in May 2023, filled in by September! That’s customer dedication.