6 Small Garden Ideas from the Chelsea Flower Show 2025
Take some tips from the experts to make the most of your compact outdoor plot
The large show gardens along the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Main Avenue are indeed impressive, but equally clever ideas can be found within the event’s smaller designs. At this year’s show, there was plenty of inspiration for small spaces within the balcony and container gardens. Read on to discover some expert tips and tricks for your own petite plot.
2. Create layers to add depth
A trick that Chelsea designers use to increase the feeling of space in their gardens is to bring in different heights and textures, as this helps to give the area more depth.
In Masa Taniguchi’s Komorebi container garden, for instance, built-in planters, a decked area and trees brought a variety of heights into the small space to make it feel larger than it actually was.
Elsewhere, in Jun Ishihara’s Secret Base – The Another Green Room garden (pictured), layers of rocks formed mini terraces surrounding a seating area. The layers of stone were planted with leafy foliage and included cascading water features and areas where moss could thrive.
Easily find and hire a local garden designer on Houzz.
A trick that Chelsea designers use to increase the feeling of space in their gardens is to bring in different heights and textures, as this helps to give the area more depth.
In Masa Taniguchi’s Komorebi container garden, for instance, built-in planters, a decked area and trees brought a variety of heights into the small space to make it feel larger than it actually was.
Elsewhere, in Jun Ishihara’s Secret Base – The Another Green Room garden (pictured), layers of rocks formed mini terraces surrounding a seating area. The layers of stone were planted with leafy foliage and included cascading water features and areas where moss could thrive.
Easily find and hire a local garden designer on Houzz.
3. Make the most of containers
Planters, pots and containers really come into their own in a small garden, as they can be moved around the space for added flexibility. In Ashleigh Aylett’s Navium Marine: Blue Mind Garden balcony, for example, pots of plants could be moved aside when more space was needed for entertaining guests.
It’s also worth considering the size of container you choose, as it’s tempting to go for smaller pots in a smaller space. However, a larger pot, like the copper container the ssh scapes team used for planting a pine tree in the Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat balcony garden, will give a plant more space to grow.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all of your pots have to be large. The best option is to go for a variety of sizes and textures, like the gorgeous selection of antique pots in Freddie Strickland and Ben Gifford’s A Space to Read Balcony Garden (pictured), in order to create that all-important layered look mentioned earlier.
Planters, pots and containers really come into their own in a small garden, as they can be moved around the space for added flexibility. In Ashleigh Aylett’s Navium Marine: Blue Mind Garden balcony, for example, pots of plants could be moved aside when more space was needed for entertaining guests.
It’s also worth considering the size of container you choose, as it’s tempting to go for smaller pots in a smaller space. However, a larger pot, like the copper container the ssh scapes team used for planting a pine tree in the Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat balcony garden, will give a plant more space to grow.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all of your pots have to be large. The best option is to go for a variety of sizes and textures, like the gorgeous selection of antique pots in Freddie Strickland and Ben Gifford’s A Space to Read Balcony Garden (pictured), in order to create that all-important layered look mentioned earlier.
4. Refine your wishlist
Less is often more in a small garden, so it pays to focus in on a few key additions and functions rather than trying to include too much. You can do this by considering the type of plants you want to include, and the function you want your garden to perform.
For the planting, a limited selection can work well to create a calm ambience and allow each plant to shine. The Room to Breathe Hospital Garden (pictured) by Jen Donnelly and Catherine Gibbon, for instance, had a refined colour palette of mainly white and green to give the small space a serene feel. However, the varied heights and textures in the garden provided plenty of interest.
In terms of function, it’s a good idea to identify just one or two purposes in a small space and design the garden around that. The A Space to Read Balcony Garden is a place where the owners can sit and read, while the Making Life Better With Bees balcony was designed for the owner to encourage and enjoy connecting with wildlife.
Less is often more in a small garden, so it pays to focus in on a few key additions and functions rather than trying to include too much. You can do this by considering the type of plants you want to include, and the function you want your garden to perform.
For the planting, a limited selection can work well to create a calm ambience and allow each plant to shine. The Room to Breathe Hospital Garden (pictured) by Jen Donnelly and Catherine Gibbon, for instance, had a refined colour palette of mainly white and green to give the small space a serene feel. However, the varied heights and textures in the garden provided plenty of interest.
In terms of function, it’s a good idea to identify just one or two purposes in a small space and design the garden around that. The A Space to Read Balcony Garden is a place where the owners can sit and read, while the Making Life Better With Bees balcony was designed for the owner to encourage and enjoy connecting with wildlife.
5. Go up the walls
It’s not just about ground cover when it comes to maximising a small plot – vertical space is just as important. Look around your garden or balcony to find opportunities to plant up a wall or fence, or to use those vertical areas for other features you’re keen to include.
There were plenty of ideas for using the walls within the show’s balcony gardens. The Making Life Better With Bees design (pictured), for example, incorporated living walls with bee hotels for solitary bees.
Viriditas Studio’s ME+EM City Garden, meanwhile, featured a gorgeous pergola with aromatic sweet peas growing up to surround a generously sized recliner.
It’s not just about ground cover when it comes to maximising a small plot – vertical space is just as important. Look around your garden or balcony to find opportunities to plant up a wall or fence, or to use those vertical areas for other features you’re keen to include.
There were plenty of ideas for using the walls within the show’s balcony gardens. The Making Life Better With Bees design (pictured), for example, incorporated living walls with bee hotels for solitary bees.
Viriditas Studio’s ME+EM City Garden, meanwhile, featured a gorgeous pergola with aromatic sweet peas growing up to surround a generously sized recliner.
6. Reflect the space
While it’s not a good idea to include mirrors in your garden in case birds fly into them, it’s worth considering a few reflective surfaces to create a feeling of space. Shiny tiles or distorted mirrors can help to bounce the light around and make the area feel bigger.
A good example of how to do this well could be seen in the Navium Marine: Blue Mind Garden (pictured), which featured a wall of rippled glass. The reflective surface formed a backdrop to the planting and water features, visually doubling the space and making it feel even more lush and green than it was.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas would work in your small garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
While it’s not a good idea to include mirrors in your garden in case birds fly into them, it’s worth considering a few reflective surfaces to create a feeling of space. Shiny tiles or distorted mirrors can help to bounce the light around and make the area feel bigger.
A good example of how to do this well could be seen in the Navium Marine: Blue Mind Garden (pictured), which featured a wall of rippled glass. The reflective surface formed a backdrop to the planting and water features, visually doubling the space and making it feel even more lush and green than it was.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas would work in your small garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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A clear message that many of the designers at Chelsea want to get across is that even in a small garden, you can make a big difference to the environment. The Making Life Better With Bees balcony garden by The Humble-Bee Gardeners, for instance, was full of pollinator plants and habitats for solitary bees, while a lack of space didn’t prevent many designers including small trees in their compact plots.
An interesting idea came from Joshua Fenton, who designed the C6 container garden (pictured), in which he aimed to offset as much carbon as possible in the small space.
He used three methods of carbon capture, including bio char, which improves soil and takes carbon out of the cycle for up to 1,000 years. He also made planters out of charred oak, locking up 500kg of carbon dioxide, and he planted fast-growing trees and perennials, meaning new growth could potentially be harvested and converted into bio char.