Here at Stone Zone, we understand that many of us have small gardens or balconies and don’t have space for sprawling design ideas. That’s why we have created a guide on how to make the most of your small garden or balcony, helping you create a beautiful area without making any compromises.
Vertical Sleeper Plant Beds
When you don’t have enough space at ground level, it can be useful to make use of the vertical space you have access to, so you don’t clutter up the area and can optimise the space you have.
The best way we know to use wall space is to use wooden sleepers to create plant beds. Not only will you be able to grow small plants and flowers in these beds, but they also double up as unique and innovative decorative features.
Installing the plant beds on the wall rather than on the ground means you are not limited by space, and you can grow as many flowers as you want without cluttering the area.
Raised Decking
In a similar fashion, we want to encourage you to make the most of the vertical space available. Another way to utilise that space is to install a raised decking area.
At Stone Zone, we supply both hardwood decking and composite decking to help you create this kind of design. By creating a raised area, not only are you using space effectively, but you are also giving the illusion of a larger garden because of the tiered effect.
Decorative Stones
Decorative stones are an excellent way to add some colour and texture to your garden without it being overwhelming or taking up too much space.
There are a variety of ways you can use decorative stones in your garden. One design idea is to use them to create borders around your garden. Not only will this give the entire area more dimension, but it lets you add colours that complement your garden and its colour palette.
You can also consider using decorative stones to create small feature areas that won't take up too much space, such as small rock formations, or use them as a divider for specific zones within your garden, like the seating area and the planting area. This will give the illusion that your garden is more spacious, while also looking aesthetically pleasing.
CORE Screens & Living Walls
As we mentioned before, it is good practice to utilise vertical spaces in smaller gardens. A great way to make use of empty walls is to decorate them with our CORE Screens or living walls.
If you are a fan of nature and greenery but don't want the fuss of maintenance, we recommend hanging up one of our artificial living walls to adorn your empty walls. These are excellent because they bring a little nature wherever they're hung, so if you have a balcony, they will add a touch of greenery to the area.
On the other hand, if you want something a little more contemporary and modern, something that looks more like a piece of art, then consider one of the CORE Screens, which are excellent for creating a feature area. They come in black composite, black metal and Cor-Ten steel, so you have plenty to choose from depending on the look you want. One of the best features of these screens is that they are built with LED lighting, creating an amazing ambience in your garden during the evening.
Feature Pathway
A unique way to make your garden extra special is to create a pathway that doubles up as a feature area. To achieve this, you will need decorative stones and paving slabs to create a pathway that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
One idea is to fill the forefront of your garden with decorative stones; sizes can vary, as you won’t be walking on them. Then choose some square paving slabs. We recommend porcelain paving slabs, as their colour lasts much longer compared to sandstone paving. Install the slabs in a stepping-stone fashion to create a pathway across your garden, giving it a cottage-like, cosy feel.
One of the benefits of decorating your garden this way is that you are not really using up much space, as it is all at ground level, and because the pathway works as a feature area as well, you don’t need to buy other products to create focal points in your garden that would eventually take up more room.
