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Urban garden planning can be complex, to say the least. Smaller spaces can quickly become cluttered, and it can be difficult to design a peaceful area to relax in or entertain guests. However, with a few design tricks and a healthy dose of creativity, you can overcome the problems that urban gardens often present. From interesting decking choices to utilising mirrors, tiles, and more, here are 13 urban garden ideas.

Embrace exotic plant choices

The urban environment is generally typified by large, looming buildings and tall fences, which give your garden a lot of shade. While this may not sound like an ideal place for things to grow, there are lots of exotic plants that thrive in the shade like cherry blossom sedge, white violas, lily of the valley and most types of fern. You can also make the most of wall climbers to help soften walls and hard fence areas.

Add privacy

Privacy may be hard to come by in a city, but there are some interesting ways to protect your corner of the world from prying eyes. Trees around the perimeter of your space offer an elegant, effective privacy option and you can add a feeling of seclusion to seating areas with small, potted trees. Of course, the perfect fence is an urban garden planning essential for privacy, and you can paint yours with light colours to make it feel less imposing.

Get the decking right

Decking is the cornerstone of urban garden planning, so it’s important to get right. With space at a premium, however, and weather to contend with, you need to make sure your decking is the perfect fit.

Composite decking is low-maintenance, doesn’t fade or stain over time, and is moss and algae-resistant. It’s also more sustainable than plastic decking, as it’s made from 95% recycled materials. One thing to consider with composite decking is the cost, which is generally higher than plastic or timber decking. However, since you’ll have a smaller space to fill compared to a traditional garden, it should still be affordable.

Colour co-ordinate your inside and outside spaces

Urban gardens can act as an extension to your home, so don’t automatically go darker for your outdoor furniture. Instead, complement your interior’s colour palette to merge the two areas together and create a cohesive environment with a natural flow of space.

Creating a lush, inviting garden in a small urban space may seem challenging, but with a bit of creativity, you can make a significant impact. One way to maximise your outdoor area is by incorporating multi-functional elements that combine style and practicality. For example, adding an outdoor lounge chair can transform a tiny balcony or patio into a relaxing retreat. Opt for a compact yet comfortable design that complements the aesthetic of your space, providing a cosy spot to unwind with a book or enjoy your morning coffee.

To enhance the ambience and make your garden more usable throughout the day, consider incorporating a stylish Parasol. A parasol not only offers shade and protection from the sun, making the area more comfortable during hot afternoons, but it also adds a touch of elegance and can serve as a focal point in your garden design. Choose a parasol with colour and pattern that complements your garden's overall theme and position it strategically to provide shade where it's most needed.

Carefully consider your furniture choices

As far as urban garden design ideas go, setting the mood with the right furniture is up there with the most important elements. Seating and table areas should be your first port of call, making sure you find high-quality items that are waterproof and work well visually in your outdoor space. There are also lots of ways to add some style to your urban garden through table settings, such as soft furnishings, colourful tableware, and lighting.

Don’t be afraid of adding some mirrors

Adding a large mirror to small indoor areas is an age-old interior design trick to add the illusion of space. As far as urban garden ideas go, mirrors can help you make the area look larger than it is in a similar way, helping you achieve a more spacious feel. Alternatively, small mirrors can be an exciting addition to foliage and greenery and add a unique piece of character to the space. You can even go as far as adding garden accessories that include reflective surfaces to help open your garden space up further, as well as utilising lighter colours on fences and walls.

Do you need a lawn?

Think about your interior space in relation to your outdoor space when deciding on a lawn for your city garden. For example, if you have a large window between your garden and living room, a lawn can be a nice touch and make your interior feel more spacious. Modern, stripped-back styles also lend themselves well to lawns in urban gardens, and you can achieve a contemporary look that emulates your interior.

On the other hand, you might want to create a more liveable outdoor area that includes furniture, foliage and a table. In this case, a lawn may not be the answer, but instead, some paving or decking that complements the rest of your design choices. You can also add tiles, which brings us to our next tip.

Bring walls and floors to life with tiles

Tiles are built for city folk who aren’t as keen on greenery in their garden. Cover bland bricks with brightly coloured, unique tiles to make your interior space pop and add tiles to the floor as a replacement for lawns, decking, or paving. Not only are they fairly easy to maintain and clean, but tiles can also add a feeling of brightness and space to an otherwise small garden area.

Add small touches

Not all urban garden ideas have to be expensive. In fact, there are lots of ways you can bring your outdoor space to life without breaking the bank by using a bit of imagination and elbow grease. Cleaning, lighting, and redecorating can all add a new dimension to your urban garden space without taking up a considerable amount of your budget, and they can all be done by yourself in a relatively short space of time.

Decorate your windows

While some urbanites prefer to bring together their indoor and outdoor living areas, others prefer to have them separate. Lovers of plants and a more boho aesthetic can embrace the outdoors from their urban garden with murals or paintings added to windows, or even stain-glassed windows in some cases. This prevents any view of the inside of your home and helps you detach yourself from the complexities of urban life in your own secluded, outdoor space.

Think vertically

The best antidote for small space? Drawing attention upwards. For spaces requiring eye-catching design with practicality, incorporating large outdoor planters can add vertical interest and elegance. Strategically placing these tall planters next to a seating area or entrance not only maximises height advantages but also provides room for creative planting. Consider diverse plant choices that align with your overall design theme, further enhancing the garden's ambience and ensuring it serves as an inviting focal point.

Work at greater heights to maximise your floor space, which you can then populate with garden furniture and practical decking. Tiles, hanging plants, and even outdoor wall art can all help create the sense of more height and therefore, more space for a small urban garden. Novel fencing choices like bamboo and climbing plants also go a long way to creating the illusion of space, as opposed to freestanding structures.

The best way to use paving stones

Paving stones are one of the more popular urban garden design features, and for good reason. They can add a unique character to an outdoor space and help you show off your personality in ways that you might not be able to achieve with an artificial lawn or decking. However, it’s important to place your pavement stones in a certain way when it comes to smaller garden environments. The trick is to position them diagonally from your house structure, as opposed to parallel. This adds a more expansive feel and again, provides an illusion of space. However, keep things clearly defined and don’t go too far with multiple colourways, as the result could be chaotic rather than calming.