Expert Guide to Designing Narrow Gardens
Many prospective clients struggle where they have a long narrow garden as it can seem to be a particularly difficult type of garden to plan. However there are some clever design ideas that you can incorporate to transform your long and narrow garden into a stunning outdoor space.
Rooms or Zones in a Narrow Garden
The key piece of garden design advice for long and narrow gardens is to create a series of different garden ‘rooms’ as you move down the garden, zoning each to have a different feel or a different practical function. Some could be planted, another used for dining, another for making the most of the sun…the possibilities just depend on what you would like to do in your outside space. The orientation of the garden, and where the sun rises and sets, will impact what you can do - and where might be best to locate different spaces - as it will be important to provide areas of sun or shade to suit your mood and the time of year.
It is also important to think about how the ‘rooms’ will be screened from one another. Planting works best I think (although you could have slatted screens or decorative panels in certain areas), but with planting you can have solid hedged barriers (which I would tend to avoid) or softer diaphanous planting that hints at what is in the next space encouraging you to explore further by ensuring that not everything is visible from every position in the garden.
Similarly you could raise certain zones to provide a different feel - such as a raised platform or deck. Of course, in the UK you’ll need planning permission if this exceeds 30cm from the existing ground level but I think excessive height is unnecessary as instead this is about inserting subtle differences to each garden zone that will give each a different character.
Moving between these ‘rooms’ is also an important consideration. I would advise not to have a single straight path running the length of the space as this offers no interest. Instead if working with a series of ‘boxes’ when creating your zones you can offset the path between each space so you can’t see any further than the next zone. Alternatively if you want a more organic flow to the garden you can weave the path, snaking its course between ‘rooms’. An alternative technique that is also often used (especially with a geometric layout) is to set the paths at 45 degrees so that they run the longest possible diagonal distance between corners - making the garden feel longer and slightly wider.
Don’t forget the verticals
Obviously the planting palette in a narrow garden is influenced by the soil and available light but an important point to remember is to maintain vertical interest. If you have a wall or a fence this can be through planting climbers, ramblers, or wall shrubs (indeed there is a plant for whichever compass point the vertical surface faces). You may also (if it is your wall rather than a shared wall) install a green wall with planting pockets to create a living 3D ‘picture’ - breaking up an expanse of brick or timber with green. More easily though don’t forget to plant trees. There is a tree for every garden you just need to pay close attention to how tall it will grow. Small garden worthy trees will usually flower, fruit, have good autumn colour and will look attractive when without leaves. Crabapples, hawthorns, and rowans can make good small trees if you pick the right cultivar.
You can also add vertical interest without plants through a pergola (a traditional timber pergola or a contemporary metal one for example). You just need to ensure it is correctly positioned. One important point to bear in mind is that pigeons like to roost on the rafters of an unroofed pergola - so you may not want to position garden furniture below. Alternatively similar visual interest can be added with plant supports such as obelisks, arches, and arbours.
Usually for fences at the boundaries of a garden I advise that they be painted black - to allow the plants to stand out in front of them. However in a narrow garden it may be appropriate to turn this advice on its head - as a lighter finish (for example weathered timber) will bounce light around and make the space feel larger (as dark colours absorb light).
Circulating through a narrow garden
Moving through the space is important in a narrow garden divided into zones. I have mentioned above the importance of screens and how you can have them so that they are not totally solid. Similarly you can add features to draw people through the spaces. The two key methods for achieving this are either to have a visible focal point for people to gravitate towards (such as a sculpture or perhaps a garden room) or else you can draw them through with their senses - in particularly sound. A water feature, gently babbling at the end of the garden, will pull visitors towards the sound to find its source.
Finally a word of caution. A garden of many rooms can be exciting but can also start to feel busy and over-crowded if not properly designed. Those classic ideas of unity, repetition and simplicity are key to creating a tranquil space that feels well designed - and a simple palette of materials and plants may be all you need. As with any garden though that rule can be broken if you want to create the exuberance of an urban jungle or a plant lovers paradise - but then clear circulation routes and repeated key plants are needed to give the space a unified character.
A narrow garden is therefore an exciting garden design challenge and one that should be embraced if you are lucky enough to have one.