Designing a compact outdoor space can be a puzzle, even for seasoned green thumbs and small garden furniture experts like the Lazy Magazine team. But, with the right small garden design tips, we can transform even the most compact patch into a beautiful and functional retreat.
Whether we're working with a modest city courtyard, a narrow terrace backyard, or a sliver of space behind a modern home, smart design choices can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll share our top ideas to help you create a garden that feels spacious, stylish, and uniquely yours.
Here in the UK, many of us are working with limited outdoor space, whether it's a compact city courtyard or a narrow backyard behind a modern home. But with the right approach, small gardens offer enormous potential. They can become one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of our homes.
At its best, a well-designed small garden becomes a true outdoor retreat — a calming extension of our living space that blends charm, functionality, and even added value to our home. While working with limited space can be a real challenge, we’ve found it often fuels the most creative and rewarding design solutions.
This idea isn’t new. As early as the 17th century, gardening expert Leonard Meager highlighted the power of thoughtful design in his book The New Art of Gardening. He wrote:
“A small plot of ground well ordered turns to greater advantage than a large one neglected.”
It’s a sentiment that still resonates today, reminding us that with care and intention, even the most compact garden can flourish and surpass a larger space lacking purpose.
With that in mind, let’s dive into our top small garden design tips to help you create an outdoor space that’s beautiful, functional, and uniquely your own — by keeping things simple, purposeful, and full of style.
1. Start with how you’ll use your outdoor space
Before we dive into materials or plants, we need to define the purpose of our outdoor space. Will it be a space to relax with a coffee and a book? A spot to entertain friends on summer evenings? A play area for the kids or a productive patch for homegrown veggies?
Whatever our priorities, narrowing our focus to one or two main goals helps prevent our space from becoming cluttered or confused. In small garden design, clarity is key. Let’s keep it intentional and let function guide our choices.
2. Don’t be afraid to go bold in a small space
It may sound counterintuitive, but big can work brilliantly in small spaces. We often find that oversized planters, bold statement features, or larger outdoor furniture pieces make the garden feel more cohesive and spacious.
The trick lies in careful placement and balance. Instead of filling every corner with small pots or scattered decor, we opt for a few larger items that give structure and personality without overwhelming the space. Whether it’s a striking sculpture, a tall ornamental grass, or a built-in corner bench, a bold focal point can anchor the design and add real wow-factor.
3. Embrace light colours and cohesive palettes
Light colours are our go-to trick for making a small space feel open and airy. They reflect light and brighten up shaded areas — especially useful in urban settings where high walls or fences can block sunlight.
That said, consistency is just as important. Limiting our colour palette across walls, paving, furniture, and even plants creates a calm, unified look. We recommend sticking to soft neutrals or pale pastels as a base, and adding one or two accent shades for personality.
Just be mindful that lighter surfaces may need a bit more upkeep — but a regular clean or repaint is worth the fresh, spacious feel they provide.
4. Make the space a design feature with a focal point
When we talk about designing small gardens, we’re really talking about designing space — and how to create more of it, or at least the illusion of it. One smart technique we love is rotating the layout by 45 degrees. This small tweak can change how the garden is viewed and used, making it feel larger and more dynamic.
We can also soften hard lines by planting generously in corners, using tall plants to draw the eye upwards, or even incorporating mirrors to bounce light and extend sightlines. Another key strategy is introducing a clear focal point—a standout feature like a sculptural planter, a striking tree, or a bold piece of garden art — that anchors the design and draws the eye through the space.
In a small garden, a strong focal point creates visual direction and a sense of purpose, helping the space feel curated rather than cluttered. Creating space doesn’t always mean removing elements — it means using clever tricks to make the garden feel open, balanced, and breathable.
5. Treat it as one whole composition
Rather than dividing our garden into separate zones, we like to view it as a single, unified canvas. Paths, partitions, or abrupt changes in materials can fragment a small garden and make it feel disjointed. Instead, we keep the layout fluid.
Whether we’re using the garden for entertaining or gardening, a seamless flow between areas helps the space feel bigger and more harmonious. Cohesion is everything.
6. Be selective with plants and garden furniture
With limited space, every decision matters. We can’t plant everything we love, and we certainly can’t squeeze in oversized dining sets without compromising flow. That’s why we always opt for plants that offer multi-season interest — think evergreen structure, spring blossoms, high and low growing plants, summer flowers, and autumn texture.
Furniture, meanwhile, should be compact, multi-functional, and comfortable. A built-in bench with storage, foldable chairs, a garden bench with a side table, or a small bistro set can make all the difference. Every piece should earn its place.
7. Celebrate the advantages of a small garden and maximise space
Yes, small gardens require thoughtful planning — but they also come with brilliant benefits. We need fewer plants to make a big impact, maintenance is easier, and even ambitious design changes are more budget-friendly.
Best of all, small spaces give us the chance to express our style. It’s easier to be bold, experiment with trends, or create a themed space when the canvas is compact. And let’s not forget vertical gardening. Walls, fences, and even the sides of sheds can become lush green features with climbing plants, hanging baskets, or vertical planters. When ground space is limited, we simply grow up.
8. Layer your lighting for mood and function
Good garden lighting can completely transform a small space — especially if we want to enjoy it in the evenings. Instead of relying on a single light source, we layer different types of lighting to create both atmosphere and functionality.
At Lazy Magazine, we like to think in threes: ambient, task, and accent. Soft string lights or solar lanterns add warmth and charm, while directional lighting near a seating area makes the space usable after dark. Accent lights placed among plants or uplighting on a feature wall create drama and visual depth. The trick is to avoid over-lighting — subtle glows are far more inviting than bright floodlights.
9. Use multi-functional features
When every square metre counts, garden elements that serve more than one purpose are worth their weight in gold. We look for clever ways to make features do double duty — like using railings for planters, or raised beds that double as casual seating.
Vertical shelving units can hold both pots and garden tools. A slimline table can be used for outdoor dining and potting plants. Even water features can be compact and built into planters or walls. We find these multifunctional pieces help the garden work harder, without adding clutter.
10. Design for year-round enjoyment
A common mistake with small gardens is designing for just one season — usually summer. But our gardens should be places we can enjoy all year, even when it’s too cold or wet to sit outside. We aim to include evergreen planting, architectural grasses, and winter-interest shrubs like Cornus or Mahonia.
A small covered pergola or garden shelter can extend the usability of the space into spring and autumn. Even simply positioning seating where it catches the winter sun can make a difference. And don’t underestimate the joy of looking out onto a well-designed garden in winter — it can lift our mood even on the gloomiest days.

Our final thoughts: Keep it simple and let it breathe!
In the end, the golden rule of small garden design is simple: less is more. We don’t need to fill every inch or follow every passing trend. What matters most is designing with purpose — choosing elements that serve us, that bring joy, and that create a sense of flow and calm.
Small gardens invite us to be more thoughtful with our choices. Every plant, every piece of furniture, every finish or material has the potential to elevate the whole space. By keeping things intentional and cohesive, we can turn even the tiniest garden into something that feels truly expansive—visually, emotionally, and functionally.
Whether we’re sipping wine under string lights, growing our favourite herbs, hosting a friend for coffee, or simply stepping outside to catch a moment of stillness — our garden becomes a retreat. A place to unwind, to reconnect with nature, and to enjoy the rhythm of the seasons, no matter the size.
Let’s embrace the space we have, however limited it might be. With the right approach, a small garden isn’t a constraint — it’s an opportunity to create something beautiful, personal, and endlessly rewarding.
Have you placed our small garden furniture in your small garden design? We love to see any of our range taking pride of place in your outdoor space. Tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook, or upload your photos here to support our Do Some Good campaign and help raise money for great causes.