Landscaping tips for small gardens

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Space should not worry you if you want to have a garden in your home. Even with little spaces, you can create a beautiful garden.

People with small plots are not necessarily down and out, without the possibilities of pleasant gardens. With a little tinkering here and a thoughtful planting there, a small garden too, can shine.
Charles Akanga, an information technologist by profession and a resident of Najjanankumbi shares some useful hints:

Aim for a welcoming entrance.
Your entrance can make or break you. You want your visitors to feel welcome right from the gate.”
Akanga planted two Cuban Royal Palm trees (Roystonea Regia) by two gate posts at his home. “I may not have a driveway to line them up along, but what I have done is welcoming enough.”

Harmonise your plants.
Contrary to what we grew up thinking, you can plant vegetables in the flower garden. Akanga has planted spices in his garden. “I have edged my rose beds with Lemon Mint and Peppermint. I’m especially excited about the Rosemary, because it gives off a lovely scent whenever I pass by.”

Be dramatic with the plants
“I also have some tomatoes among my Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) flowers. Whenever the tomatoes are getting ready, their redness contrasts well with the white Agapanthus flowers,” he shares.

Utilise texture.
Consider the texture of your plants and flowers, their colour, as well as the background they are to drape. “To the side there, I planted the Flame Vine (Pyrostegia Venusta) Its orange flowers contrast well with its green leaves. Since it is a climbing plant, I wanted it to drape the grey wall and brighten it up, which it has done beautifully,” Akanga says.

Plant trees and shrubs in pots
Another myth we have been fed is that containers are for annual plants only. Akanga has planted a Cassia shrub (Cassia Biflora) in a concrete container, to act as a focal point at the front of his house. Around this, he has positioned various small containers of Sygnonium (Sygnonium Podophyllum) and Petunias (Petunia Hybrida). The Cassia branches, with their yellow flowers, cascading over the variegated Sygnonium and the pinkish-white Petunias are a sight to behold.

Create special places to enjoy your garden.
Who says gardens are just for planting, weeding and pruning? “After you have worked your garden to perfection, you want to be able to enjoy it. It’s important to create room for the enjoyment of your garden. An elaborately designed garden bench is my next big acquisition. I want to be able to sit there on a Sunday afternoon and contemplate, read or just enjoy the garden,” Akanga says.
So the problem is not space. Employ your imagination and creativity; and birth the garden of your dreams.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com