Design tips for the long, narrow garden

The challenge with a garden that is both long and narrow is almost always how to add interest and intrigue and avoid the feeling of being in a corridor. Clever use of plants and division of the space into distinct rooms are ideal ways of changing the dynamic of the garden. Here we outline some of our top design tips for tackling a long, narrow space.

Divide and conquer

Dividing the garden into a succession of different areas is a great way of adding interest and breaking up the space. Dependent on your needs, you may choose a formal area, a children’s play area, a meditative space, a water garden, informal family entertainment space, or a productive garden with utility area for composting and conservation. This ‘compartmental’ approach may also allow you to resolve problems such as imposing structures or unsightly views, through the use of screens and hedging.

Boutique garden rooms

Using a series of garden rooms also provides more creative freedom, enabling a mixture of design and planting styles to be used without compromise, and to transition from one style of room to the next. Keeping the choice of hard landscaping materials simple and repeating these through the rooms will lend a sense of continuity, while the ambience can be altered by using distinct planting styles and garden features.

A different angle

Don’t be restricted by the fact you have a long, straight plot. The best way of disguising its shape is to change it. Do this by designing elements of the garden, such as a lawn, terrace or water feature, on an angle. This has the benefit of dividing the space, adding a sense of interest and depth as the garden is no longer able to be seen in a single view. Focal points, strategically placed throughout, add to the sense of space.

Trees and trompe l’oeil

Mirrors can be used to great effect to create the illusion of space. Ornamental trees, such as Betula utilis jacquemontii, and strategically placed architectural shrubs can be used to further divide the space yet still allow the eye to wander around the garden, rather than shoot straight to the rear boundary.