Large gardens are great, but these very small garden ideas on a budget will have you rethinking everything, let’s face it, small gardens can be beautiful too with the right vision.
From going from a flat to a Victorian terrace house, I was grateful for any kind of outdoor space that was private. For most terrace gardens, they’re usually concrete, dark, dingy and left to their own devices, especially true of how ours used to look.
In our own terrace garden transformation I wanted to show people that small spaces can be beautiful too.
So, if this sounds like your garden, but you actually want to make it an inviting and usable space in an affordable way, join me as I share some of the best tricks and decor ideas for very small garden ideas on a budget…
Very Small Garden Ideas On A Budget
Use A Pressure Washer!
I know it seems simple, but cleaning your outdoor surfaces will make one of the biggest impacts to your space, and at next to no cost if you already have a pressure washer to hand.
It was the first thing we did when we moved into our house and by removing layers and years worth of grime it instantly made the concrete space feel lighter, brighter, and well, cleaner!
It will give you a great base to start from, especially if you’re going to be painting any block work. If you don’t have a pressure washer, or you’re in a region with a hosepipe ban, get a bucket of soapy water and a hard brush and start scrubbing. It’s going to take a little bit more elbow grease, but the results will be the same.
Add A Fresh Lick of Paint
Whether it’s the interior or exterior, adding a fresh lick of paint is one of the most affordable, easiest yet noticeable differences you can make to an exterior space.
If you have outdoor block work, adding a fresh lick of paint for the summer season will hide any weathering from the winter, and it will instantly bring some brightness into the equation.
For example, in our terrace garden we painted all the stone wall block work white, and you can imagine the difference it made when you were sat outside, and when you were inside the house, it made it feel SO much brighter.
It’s effective, it works and it’s one of the easiest updates you can make.
Adding a bright white to an outdoor space will instantly make the space feel larger as it can easily bounce around. the available light, giving the illusion of a larger space.
It’s All About The Lighting For A Warming, Inviting Ambience
When you have a more bijoux garden area, nothing can make it feel more warming and inviting than adding some ambient outdoor lighting.
I am a HUGE fan of outdoor solar lights, they’re affordable and you don’t need to worry about any hefty electricity costs throughout the seasons.
Add a couple of lanterns to light the floor and add an ambient flow in your garden space, they’re perfect for picking up and popping down in a sitting area or anywhere that needs a little extra bit of glow in the evening.
I adore this Porto Outdoor Battery Lantern Bundle, it brings a defining black accent with it which helps tie our Mediterranean outside space together beautifully.
Whilst you may be limited with what you can do with a small garden (like our terrace garden), a small area lends itself to being really cosy with the right lighting.
As we have a long stretch of a white block wall, a string of festoon lights is just the perfect addition. They look great during the day when they’re not switched on too, it just helps make a smaller space look that bit cosier and inviting. Plus, as they’re solar powered, once they’re in situ you can just let them work their magic.
We opted for a string of 20 warm white solar festoon lights which suited our garden perfectly, but you can get a smaller or larger set to suit your space.
We strung them up with a few white hooks which we screwed into the block work, easy, affordable and it looks amazing when lit up at night. If you have a pergola or something similar, you may be able to entwine and wrap them around for the same effect.
Introduce Cosy Textures & Cushions
When planning a small garden, how do you want that space to feel?
For it to be usable and inviting it should be comfortable, and a place you want to escape to. For me, it has to follow similar principles to a cosy reading nook or a living room, and that’s comfort!
It’s incredibly easy to incorporate this into your outdoor area too. If you have some outdoor furniture such as a Banana bench, think of adding some gorgeous cosy cushions in different textures and throws that can be wrapped around you when the chill sets in for the evening.
This is a great opportunity to incorporate colour, texture and pattern. Don’t opt for the same cushion covers throughout, do mix and match with similar tones.
TIP: When getting cushion inners, always go for the size up as it will stay plumper for much longer!
Flourish With Colourful Plants
The best way to inject some colour and personality to a small garden is with colourful blooms! You may not have a very large space to play around with here, so you may need to get creative with your planters.
In our terrace garden, we built in a narrow planter on the side of our decking which lent itself to a great place for bedding plants, it’s not the biggest area but it was an easy way to incorporate some beautiful colour to the garden.
Choose narrow planter options if possible, or if you have a corner that needs filling, opt for three different sized planter pots and fill with a mix of gorgeous plants.
Different sized planters are a great way to add visual interest with height, and it’s one of the only exceptions to three’s a crowd, it looks great in a situation like this!
Use Facebook Marketplace For Outdoor Furniture
Even small spaces can benefit from some outdoor furniture, it will encourage an inviting space that can be usable and comfortable, but it doesn’t have to break the bank.
Facebook marketplace is one of the best places for picking up outdoor furniture on a budget. More times than not people are selling furniture that’s not even been used for very long, but the value has already depreciated so you really can pick something up for a bargain.
On our terrace we really don’t have a lot of room, but by being able to fit in a set of chairs and a small table, it’s created such a nicer, inviting look.
Whatever you pick up, just prepare to give it a good clean to bring it back to life, and don’t forget to add some soft cushions and throws to elevate the look.
Add An Outdoor Rug For Boundary
Finally, if you to do have enough space for outdoor furniture, always add an outdoor rug. Just like in an interior, a gorgeous floor rug will bring colour and depth, as well as setting a boundary within the space.
Without one and furniture will just appear like its floating, it delivers a much more nailed and pulled together look, and it’s an affordable update.
Always choose outdoor rugs that are washable, I always use Kukoon Rugs for outdoor rugs, they’re super affordable and they look great.
Which of these very small garden ideas on a budget will you be trying? If you need any tips and advice on your own small garden, please leave me a comment below and I’ll come straight back!
Before You Go…
Feeling inspired to update your outdoor space? You might be interested in seeing the transformation of our TINY terrace garden, I show you everything we did along with before + after photos of the transformation, small spaces can be beautiful too!
