To be interesting, a small courtyard must be abundantly filled with plants – says agronomist and landscape project manager Tautvydas Gurskas. Let’s take a look at a specific storyline designed and implemented by his team «Green Gardens». This plot is a great source of ideas for you too, if you are looking for solutions for a small garden.
Situation overview
This lot is a small 1.5 acre yard, sandwiched between several neighbors. In most cases they simply install a lawn and plant hedge plants along the edge. However, Tautvydas does not mince words and encourages planting as many as possible in small plots: the more plants, the more beautiful and mysterious the yard will appear.
It is true that to avoid chaos and make the construction site seem balanced it is important to follow some rules.
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How to transplant an orchid: detailed instructions for beginnersCreate groups of plants
The person responsible for landscape projects recommends controlling the abundance of plants by forming groups of plants – avoid extravagance, plants planted in different places, they do not create the impression of unity.
If you give the groups of plants geometric shapes, the design effect will be amazing. There are three distinct triangles in the plot created by the Tautvydas team:
The evergreen corner can be examined more closely. Colchid ivy (Hedera colchica) is chosen to loosen the soil and prevent weeds from growing. Hybrid rhododendrons (Rhododendron x hybridum) ‘Progres’ bloom with bright flowers in spring to add freshness and life, and remain leafless at other times of the year. The common beech (Fagus sylvatica) ‘Purpurea’, formed on the slats, has a covering function: it blocks the abandoned buildings of the neighbourhood. A beech tree drops its leaves practically only in spring, when it starts growing new ones again.
This evergreen border is found in front of home windows for a reason: the plants that maintain their leaves are pleasant even in the cold season.
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3 beautiful flowers that will help you fight parasitesThe triangle trick
Let’s return to the boxwood and sedge triangles: Tautvydas pointed out that the triangles do not connect correctly – this was not done by chance. If the triangles were aligned, it would appear that the path ends here.
In this graph one corner of the triangle is closer, the other is further away. This creates an optical illusion: the courtyard path visually seems longer and the land larger.
In addition to the triangles, other functional zones appear, which we will talk about later. If the owners needed a children’s play area, the space behind the triangles would be perfect for this. But as for children’s play areas, another time. At the conference on environmental design “Garden Style”, Tautvydas will present non-standard solutions implemented in the Waldorf kindergarten in Kaunas. Swings and skates are boring. It will tell you how to unlock children’s creativity with simple tools. If you’re curious, click to watch the conference “Garden style” plan.
Shape the plants
If you want clear structure and order in the yard, shape plants. Not only beech trees can form on espaliers, but also the columnar apple tree (Malus domestica) is perfect for this: it is beautiful and bears fruit. The shapes can also be obtained by pruning the trees, modeling mountain pines for example (how to do it, we told in this video), badgers or brambles.
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Grave carpet plants – Geltonas KarutisFor the design of the plot we visited, Tautvydas chose common cherries (Prunus eminens) ‘Umbraculifera’. Their crown grows into a ball, so it echoes the round-shaped yews underneath. The round shape is also repeated by tempered metal products, one of which is an impressive water fountain, which further enhances the effect.
Conclusion: a small courtyard can be completed by choosing geometric shapes and repeating them in several places of the plot.
Small courtyard and privacy
No matter how extroverted you are, sometimes it’s fun to distance yourself from your neighbors. You can use plants to create privacy. Two-meter thuja hedges are probably no longer worth mentioning – you won’t surprise anyone with them. Tautvydas says there are many other interesting solutions. We spend most of our time in the garden during hot weather, so that’s when we need privacy. Where evergreen plants are not needed, the landscape specialist recommends choosing tall perennial herbaceous plants:
Various bell-shaped plants;
- Sunflower;
- bruises;
- Sunny;
- Etc.
The options are endless, so don’t limit yourself to traditional choices. Columnar apple trees can also create privacy, so add fruit trees to the list too.
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connection, launch and first impressionsChoose useful plants
Even in a small garden you can grow fruits and vegetables. It’s important to be creative when looking for space for fruit trees and a vegetable garden in a very small yard. Tautvydas encourages experimentation:
Children will enjoy looking at the blueberry bushes growing next to the rhododendrons (acidic soil is suitable for both);
At the end of the flowerbed you can install a raised bed with aromatic herbs;
You can plant edible plants directly in the flower garden: herbs, strawberries and tomatoes will feel great among the flowers. Both practical and beautiful.
Different faces of a small courtyard
Tautvydas Gurskas reminds us that a construction site can have many faces: here there is no need to invent the bicycle, the important thing is to follow the natural processes of nature:
Light up plants for evening beauty. Decorative lanterns will also look beautiful during the day;
Do not be afraid of the temporary beauty of seasonal plants: hide endless bulbous flowers in your plot. You will thank yourself in the spring;
Choose plants that reveal their colors in autumn light;
Don’t forget the evergreen plants: there will be something to feast your eyes on even in winter;
Put garland lights on trees and bushes – you won’t even need a Christmas tree during the winter holidays.
Play, experiment and, above all, don’t stop. Let the garden be alive in all seasons.
Thanks to Tautvydas Gurskas for the many ideas for a small plot. We will meet him in 2021. September 25 At the conference «Garden Style», where Tautvydas will share non-standard ideas for children’s playgrounds. Register for the conference now and you will hear Tautvydas’ story. View the conference program > >
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