How to Create A Stunning Small Garden in Retirement

If you’re a keen gardener who’s making the move to a lifestyle village in retirement, the good news is, you don’t need to hang up your gloves just yet.

A smaller garden can at first seem limiting, but when you make the most of your available space and choose your plants wisely, it can still be your haven.

Here, we’ll share some clever tips and design ideas to help you plan and create a garden in your new lifestyle village home that looks stunning, is easy to maintain and brings joy throughout your retirement.

Start with a Plan

When you’re working with a smaller space, you need to make the most of it. That’s why, it’s a good idea to spend some time working on a plan before you start. Your design doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should be a rough picture of what you would like to achieve.

Do you want a productive garden with lots of herbs, fruits and vegies? Or do you want your garden to be colourful with flowers throughout the year? Maybe you want to attract birds? Map out your available space first, make a list of the plants you’d like to include and then work out the best way to make it happen. Getting it on paper first is smart, as it allows you to experiment with your layout without any digging or lifting.

Brighten up a Corner with Containers

Planting in containers gives you plenty of options in a small space. Containers come in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures so you can create your own unique look. An unused corner of your yard can quickly and easily be brightened up with pots full of your favourite plants. You might choose beautiful flowers or attractive foliage or go for scented or edible plants. Then just add a table and chairs, and you’ve created the perfect space to enjoy your morning cuppa in the sun.

Vertical Planting to Increase Your Space

When you have a smaller yard, vertical planting allows you to fit more in. Stack containers at different heights along walls using crates, bricks and odd sized pots to create an attractive layered effect. Hanging pots and vertical wall planters are ideal for planting flowering annuals, succulents, herbs or leafy greens. They look great and take up zero ground space. This effectively doubles the size of your garden by utilising space that would otherwise be empty.

Raised Garden Beds Make Life Easy

Raised garden beds look neat, and come in a range of shapes, sizes and lengths. If you have little or no ground level garden beds available, a few raised garden beds can make a world of difference. You can position them in a nice sunny spot and grow all your favourite herbs and vegies. Plus, their height makes planting and weeding much easier on the knees!

Less Maintenance Means More Free Time

Just like when you downsize your home, your new smaller garden means you’ll save a heap of time on maintenance. Instead of weeding for a whole afternoon, you can get it done in half the time. This means you can grab a book and relax in your garden, instead of being a slave to it.

Choosing the Right Plants is Essential

In a smaller garden, it’s important to make every plant choice count. Start by including your favourite species so you can be sure they fit in. Choose plants that are suitable for small spaces – go for miniature varieties where available and smaller shrubs. Pick a few larger plants as a feature but be sure to position them somewhere they’ll have plenty of room to reach their full size.

Bottom Line on Lifestyle Village Gardens

Downsizing your garden can be a challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity to create something new. When you base your design around plants you love and consider your changing needs, the result will be a space that looks great, makes you happy and is easy to maintain.

Over to You

Have you got a space saving idea or clever tip to create a stunning lifestyle village garden? We’d love to hear it!

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