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Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

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A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

12 large pots that will make your plant look amazing

12 large pots that will make your plant look amazing

5 things to know before buying a fire pit

5 things to know before buying a fire pit

Five top autumn garden projects

Five top autumn garden projects

{headline}

{headline}

Before and after: Increase your street appeal

Before and after: Increase your street appeal

8 free instant mood lifters

8 free instant mood lifters

2020 Dulux Colour Awards Finalists Announced

2020 Dulux Colour Awards Finalists Announced

{headline}

{headline}

These new planters are works of art

These new planters are works of art

Mum's amazing Kmart backyard makeover

Mum's amazing Kmart backyard makeover

5 ways to keep your lawn alive in a drought

5 ways to keep your lawn alive in a drought

5 plants that don't need much water

5 plants that don't need much water

Five ways to prepare your lawn for autumn

Five ways to prepare your lawn for autumn

How to style up a small garden and make it feel bigger

How to style up a small garden and make it feel bigger

Amazing transformation: from run-down caravan to sleek office space

Amazing transformation: from run-down caravan to sleek office space

  1. Home
  2. Outdoor

10 ways to big up your garden

Let’s face it – your city garden is likely to be a little spatially challenged. Here are some ideas to help it punch above its weight - by Jane Parbury
  • 24 Aug 2017
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden
10 ways to big up your garden

Barely there

Choose furniture that has a lightweight feel - a simple outline that shows plenty of the ground beneath will visually enhance the space.

Natalie Hunfalvay

Think tall

Go vertical with your plantings – tall, narrow species such as slender weaver bamboo will grow into a wall of greenery in a narrow bed.

Sue Stubbs

Dark star

Paint the deck, wall or fence a dark neutral such as Dulux Timeless Grey or Colorbond Monument; the colour will help it recede and the plants in front pop.

Aaron Perkins

Built environment

Build-in features such as seating – it helps make the most of available space, essential in a small garden, and can also often be used to generate extra storage, below.

Chris Warnes

How low can you go

Look for dwarf varieties of shrubs, such as gardenia radicans – you get all the benefit of the plant’s beauty and fragrance, without the potential view-impeding size.

Sue Stubbs

Living large

If you can’t fit both a lounge and dining setting, prioritise. If you entertain a lot, plump for a dining table with well-padded seating to encourage guests to linger. Otherwise a relaxing lounge setting with a good-sized coffee table will give you casual dining options. Cheese and wine, anyone?

Sue Stubbs

Seating plan

Benches are a great option if you only have a compact zone to work with. They can fit more people than chairs alone and can generally slide beneath the table when not in use to free up space.

Sue Stubbs

Focal points

Pick two or three large feature items – such as a suitable tree, oversized pot or water feature – to draw the eye, rather than lots of small ones, which can make the space seem cluttered and consequently smaller.

Sue Stubbs

Wonder walls

Use height. Vertical gardens deliver the best of both worlds – privacy and plantings.

Sue Stubbs

Reflected glory

Take a cue from indoor styling and hang an outdoor-grade mirror to visually double the space. Position it so that it reflects greenery rather than brickwork or an ugly fence.

Sue Stubbs

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Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

A Hamptons-inspired family home on Sydney's lower North Shore

12 large pots that will make your plant look amazing

12 large pots that will make your plant look amazing

5 things to know before buying a fire pit

5 things to know before buying a fire pit

Five top autumn garden projects

Five top autumn garden projects

{headline}

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Before and after: Increase your street appeal

Before and after: Increase your street appeal

8 free instant mood lifters

8 free instant mood lifters

2020 Dulux Colour Awards Finalists Announced

2020 Dulux Colour Awards Finalists Announced

{headline}

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These new planters are works of art

These new planters are works of art

Mum's amazing Kmart backyard makeover

Mum's amazing Kmart backyard makeover

5 ways to keep your lawn alive in a drought

5 ways to keep your lawn alive in a drought

5 plants that don't need much water

5 plants that don't need much water

Five ways to prepare your lawn for autumn

Five ways to prepare your lawn for autumn

How to style up a small garden and make it feel bigger

How to style up a small garden and make it feel bigger

Amazing transformation: from run-down caravan to sleek office space

Amazing transformation: from run-down caravan to sleek office space

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