Explore inspirational breakthrough ideas to design a mini garden by optimizing a limited space.

Not enough land to make a garden!, many people complains. Even now with new life styles and modern development, some housing developer didn't bother to include consideration on adequate backyard space for designing a garden with plants. Some people give a reason not to decorate their garden because they are living in an apartment.

The matter of fact is a lot can be done whether you are staying in a terrace house, apartment or condominium; it's a must for you to exploit every corner and space you got in the verandah, patio, balcony, window frame, car porch, and the side of the house or in-front of the house.

1. One simple way is to plant in a container made of plastic, terracotta, fiber, or woods which are easily available in the supermarket nearby. You can do your own planters using weather-resistance wood. The size is 25 cm width x 100 cm length x 17.5~25 cm depth. Fill up the box with a mixture of fertilized soil. Install it to the window frame or the verandah hall.
2. Planting in a potted container, planters or vase enable you to make changes swiftly and easy to manage. Choose one corner for an example at the verandah to design your desired landscape. If you like water feature, put terracotta vase with wide mouth on top of a high vase as a base. Or just buy multi-level vase in a DIY store. Ensure that water pump doesn't produce so much noise that disturbs your neighbors.
3. Don't think that garden design can only be done in an open space but not in a narrow hallway on a balcony of an apartment. You can design a garden based on Tropical or Contemporary Garden.

• Tropical Garden (Fig. I)- use of waterfall feature, wooden deck, pathway, and bonsai keeping. Small crushed stone were arranged on the floor to have a Zen design. Potted Red Palm adds the eastern image to the style.

• Contemporary Garden (Fig. II)- fill up the garden with varieties of species, color and flowers plants that make the environment more vibrant through formal design and symmetry to give a balanced design. Usage of Trellis adds more aesthetic value besides functions as shades from the excessive sunlight.

If you like to organize barbeque party but the space in the balcony is not wide enough; you can just hang it at the railing.

• Functional Design (Fig III)- not very outstanding but introducing dual functional plants as fragrance and herbal for instance, Aloe Vera, Lemon Grass, and Chili. These decorative plants may be small in number but it's quite interesting like Halecunia. Climbers plants were left to climb its way up the balcony's fence.

1. Don't concentrate solely only flower plants. Vegetable plants normally used in cooking such as Lemon Grass, Coriander, Chili, and Tomato can spice up the environment. Interestingly, you can plant them in vase or planters and arrange in a corner.
2. Other limited spaces are the internal and external courtyard with a balcony. The main objective for this landscape is to maximize every inch of the space. However, before starting to make the landscape, consider how you want each of the space function, lighting and the facade outlook. The landscape must not make the space narrower, not blocking any sunlight and not obstructing the front view.
3. Landscape design is not only for outdoors. A good garden design must have a relationship between inside and outside of a house then an optimal landscape design can be established and the combination of building elements and natural elements are achieved. Ensure the plants near the window are not too high that maintain the penetration of the sunlight and good air circulation. In fact, the usage of fragrance and short plant is encouraged.
4. Selection of suitable landscape elements is very important as to avoid the garden looking unorganized and unmanageable. Actually house with limited garden space has an advantage in term of maintenance and chance to make the design more detail and effective. For hardscape, elements such as shades, water, pathway and lighting should be considered.

1. Shades - structures such as pergola, trellis, or arbor are suitable but the size of these structures must be proportionate to the overall courtyard area.
2. Water - provides a balance in the garden. For examples fountain, water plants, waterfall and pond.
3. Pathway - acts as a dividing between zones, a unique path for walking from one section to another section of the garden. Materials used may be stones or concrete slabs that have different effects.
4. Lighting - brighten up the garden besides providing sense of security. Different types of lamps offer different kind of lighting effects.

• Consider the elements of softscape to have character to the garden. Choose type of tree that function as shades as well focal point. Ensure your chosen tree won't pose a danger to your house for example the root may damage your pathway in the future.

1. .Bonsai or topiary plants are also good choice because it can be an interesting topic to discuss with your guest.
2. Planting shrubs as fencing or division especially if your house is near the road. Season flower plant like Chrysanthemum is another choice because you can replace it after each season.

Resources:

(1) Anjung Seri (2004)