9 min read · Updated 29 August 2026
Garden Design Ideas for Small Gardens
Nine design moves that make a small garden feel larger, why the diagonal layout works, and roughly what each idea costs to build.
The principle behind every idea here
A small garden feels bigger when you cannot see all of it at once, and when the eye is given a long line to travel along. Everything below is a version of one of those two ideas.
The opposite instinct, which is to keep everything neat and rectangular against the boundaries with a lawn in the middle, is what makes a small garden read as exactly the size it is. A 6 by 8 metre rectangle laid out as a 6 by 8 metre rectangle has no depth to it at all.
Nine moves that work, and what they cost
These are our own 2026 fitted costs for a typical small garden in Farnborough, Aldershot or Woking.
| Idea | Why it works | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rotate the layout 45 degrees | Creates the longest sightline in the plot | No extra cost at design stage |
| Split into two levels | Two spaces read as more than one | £1,500 - £4,500 |
| One large paving unit, fewer joints | Fewer lines means less visual clutter | £120 - £190 per m² |
| Screen with slats, not solid fence | Light passes through, depth reads further | £90 - £150 per m |
| Built in seating along one edge | Removes bulky furniture footprint | £350 - £700 per m |
| Raised beds instead of borders | Planting at eye level, usable edge | £180 - £350 per m |
| Single specimen tree, multi stem | Vertical interest without shade loss | £350 - £1,200 planted |
| Low voltage lighting | Doubles usable hours, adds depth at night | £900 - £2,500 |
| Mirror or void at the far end | Suggests space beyond the boundary | £200 - £600 |
Get the proportions right
In a small garden, make the terrace bigger than feels sensible. A patio that only just takes a table and four chairs will always feel cramped, and people then stop using it. Measure a table with chairs pulled out and add 700mm all round. For a six seater that is about 4m by 3.5m, which in a small garden may be half the plot, and that is fine.
Then make everything else count. A token strip of lawn under 15 square metres is more trouble than it is worth: it will not drain, it will not wear, and it needs a mower stored somewhere. Either commit to a real lawn or replace it with planting and a good surface.
Planting for small spaces
Go vertical. Climbers on wires against a boundary give you three metres of planting for 300mm of ground. Trachelospermum, clematis and climbing hydrangea all perform well in this area.
Use fewer species in larger groups. Five plants of one thing reads as a considered scheme, one plant each of five things reads as clutter, and in a small garden clutter is very visible.
Choose plants with a long season. Evergreen structure at about 30 percent of the planting, then perennials that carry from May to October. In shade, which most small urban gardens have plenty of, ferns, hellebores and epimedium are reliable.
Storage, which ruins more small gardens than anything else
Bins, bikes, tools and garden furniture all need somewhere to go, and a standard shed in a small garden eats the whole thing. Build storage into the design instead: a bench with a lift up lid, a slim 600mm deep store against the house wall, or a bike store integrated into the side return.
Budget £600 to £2,500 for built in storage. It is worth it, because the alternative is an off the shelf shed sitting in the middle of a garden you just spent £15,000 on.
What a small garden design costs
A design and full build for a small garden of 40 to 80 square metres typically runs £12,000 to £25,000 in 2026, covering levels, a generous terrace, boundary treatment, built in elements, planting and lighting.
We survey, measure the levels, and produce a layout before pricing anything, because in a small garden the layout decision is worth more than any individual material choice. Call 07538 218723 or request a quote through the site.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you make a small garden look bigger?
- Break the sightline so you cannot see the whole garden at once, use a diagonal layout to create the longest possible view, screen with slats rather than solid panels, and keep the number of different materials down.
- How much does a small garden design and build cost?
- £12,000 to £25,000 for a 40 to 80 square metre garden in 2026, including levels, terrace, boundaries, built in elements, planting and lighting.
- Should a small garden have a lawn?
- Only if it is big enough to be a real lawn, roughly 15 square metres or more with reasonable light and drainage. Below that it will not wear well and the space is better used for a larger terrace or planting.
- What is the best paving for a small garden?
- A larger format unit with fewer joints, such as 900 by 600 porcelain, because it reduces visual clutter. Use the same material for steps and edges so the space reads as one surface.