Many people these days live in homes with limited yard space, but they nonetheless enjoy gardening as a hobby. Some people use even small gardens as a way to supplement their grocery bills with fresh vegetables and culinary herbs. Small gardens need not appear cramped and overgrown, though. There are ways to make small spaces appear larger as well as to maximize available space to get the highest yield of vegetables.

Creating the impression of more space in a small garden involves the use of a few basic optical illusion techniques. Warm colors always seem as if they are closer to the viewer, while cool colors appear farther away. Plants with warm-colored foliage and blossoms such as red, yellow and orange should be planted towards the front of the garden. Cool colors like white, green, blue and purple should be placed in the back. This will create an illusion of distance, making and it seem as if the garden goes back farther than it actually does.

Dark colors recede, so a dark wall at the back of the garden will also make a small garden look larger. Over-sized, cumbersome outdoor furniture can be replaced with smaller-scale items to better fit in with compact yards. The old trick of using mirrors indoors to make tiny rooms look bigger is applicable to outdoor living spaces as well. Placing a full-length mirror in a strategic location in the garden will create a reflection that gives the impression that the garden has more space. The mirror should be as unobtrusive as possible; concealing the edges with plants will help to accomplish this.

Trees can draw the eye upwards, making small areas seem bigger. The trees selected for this should be appropriate for the size of the garden. Climbing vines and trellises can also be used to create height. There are many varieties of climbing roses that are more than suitable for this purpose. For those who like to change the look of their gardens on a yearly basis, annual climbing plants such as morning glories, nasturtiums and blue-potato vine are all excellent, sturdy climbers that provide strong, long-lasting seasonal color.

Well-placed hanging baskets are another way to create height. Hanging baskets can also be used to plant vegetables in. Cherry tomatoes do especially well in them, and they also keep the plants high off the ground so that household pets or wandering neighborhood animals won’t be able to relieve themselves on them.

Pathways should be constructed with smaller tiles than what might be used in a larger area, and non-plant areas should be kept well-defined but minimized to avoid a cluttered look.

If the object is to simply have more available space rather than making it appear so, the homeowner with only a small garden has the option of partially or completely foregoing having a lawn. Lawns can be time and labor intensive, and while they can look nice, they have little practical function beyond providing play areas for children and pets. Adult-only, pet-less household should consider using more of their yard space for the garden and having a minimal lawn or even none at all.

Smaller homes with smaller yards are a trend these days, and many ways exist to make them appear more spacious.