Narrow house plans and your gardening

The trick when landscaping on narrow house plans is to maximise the space you have. Often landscape designers employ techniques similar to those an interior designer might use in a smallish space.

That is, they cleverly manipulate perception to make the most of a space's inherent strengths and to downplay its weaknesses.

"The biggest restriction is on the size and height of plants that you can fit into the space," says landscape architect Megan Geddes, of Zenith Landscape Designs. "Really large plants like a big tree tend to dominate the space too much. So people often opt for smaller trees, or tall narrow shrubs close to the boundaries." 

Planting on narrow blocks of land

Plant material along the edges of a yard can provide the double effect of screening the neighbours out and thus ensuring privacy, while also hiding the fence to give the impression that the space is larger than it really is. Thick shrubs like hedges can do this, as can climbers, which can cloak the fence in a thick mass of foliage and flowers. 

Try using plants with very small leaves and small flowers - this gives the illusion of the yard being larger. Focal elements can be employed to draw the eye and take attention away from the narrowness of the space: these could be in the form of an elaborate water feature or garden statue, or something as simple as a ceramic urn or a feature pot.

"It doesn't have to be something outlandish or bold," says Megan. "Often something quite simple will do the job just as well, working on a more subtle level." 

Trees to suit the weather and climate around your garden

Sunlight - or lack of it - can be an issue in narrow blocks. Of course this will depend on the aspect of the yard, but if your garden never seems to get enough sunlight and warmth, then consider putting in deciduous trees, which drop their leaves in winter and allow sunlight through. If you get too much sun, consider shade structures like shade cloth, but place them close to the house so as to avoid the effect of closing in the far end of the yard. 

Lawns can be hard to get to grow in narrow spaces, and often paved areas, decks and pebbled areas work well. You can have an entertaining space as well as a 'garden' area. Another trick is to segment the garden into smaller zones or 'rooms', each with its own feel or look. This gives the whole garden a multi-faceted vibe as opposed to the simpler long, skinny block. 

Of course, it all depends on you and how you plan to use the space.

Talk to a landscape designer to find out what you can do with your narrow house plans and you'll realise your choices aren't as narrow as you might have thought.