Create a green oasis in a small garden

This new house with a small 300 m² garden is enclosed between four walls in a housing estate. The garden had been neglected, with invasive weeds and rubble. A concrete slab served as a terrace. When the owners contacted a landscape designer to arrange this garden, he immediately spotted definite potential. His involvement transformed the garden into a green oasis and an intimate cocoon, making it easy to forget the neighbouring houses.

The landscape designer's solutions:

• Making the neighbouring houses in the estate disappear by creating a very lush and flower-filled garden in all seasons, giving the feeling of being immersed in nature.
• Adding warmth by covering one of the existing concrete walls with wooden planks. The cladding, positioned horizontally, elongates the perspective and creates the illusion of a larger garden.
• Multiplying features to diversify the space: a hexagonal paving path here, a water mirror there, a reading corner under the trees further along.
• Varying plant species to animate the garden through the hours and seasons.
• Creating a welcoming landmark with multiple living spaces.
• Making the garden dynamic by evolving it with the seasons and times of day. For example, a water mirror whose reflections change with the light can transform the entire garden.
• Limiting watering by spreading mulch and plant chippings on the soil.

How to turn a small space into a green oasis?

There are several approaches to optimising a small garden and creating the illusion of a larger area.

One solution is to create a sense of depth. This can be achieved by playing with scale contrasts among plants, combining small-sized plants with very fine foliage or delicate blooms with others displaying oversized leaf height or flowers. For example, one can pair acanthus plants, which have broad leaves and tall flower spikes, with bamboos such as Phyllostachys dulcis with finely cut foliage.

In the same spirit, certain design features and materials can help to extend the perspective and open up the space.

In summary, combining these elements allows you to play with notions of scale and perception while making the place fundamentally alive.

> Article from “Maison Créative” magazine about this landscaping project