Early last spring Linda Lehmusvirta the producer of CTG contacted us via Facebook and asked if we would be interested in being interviewed on CTG, Central Texas Gardener. I love the show and follow it via YouTube. She was very interested in the blogs we have been doing on our small garden designs and installations. Like this entrance which we transformed from a mud pit to a little place to land or enjoy coming and going! For more pictures and details click here. We live and work in the Heights a small very urban community in Houston. We are surrounded more and more by town-homes and large homes with small garden spaces. Even in the city or perhaps especially in the city people desire a place to be outside. They also want to bring the outdoors in with views of flowers and trees. And, when the weather is nice, to move outside; extending their living space and enjoy nature. The concept of outdoor room really lends itself to small spaces. Like this yard that was a grass alley until we designed this nook! Here is the blog we did on this inviting space. We really enjoy maximizing these spaces. It is a challenge I can’t resist. I feel it is important to create spaces that are both aesthetically beautiful and equally functional. The key is scale. I take a small blank canvas that is usually a fence and grass and give it an inviting courtyard feel. The personal style of the client is also important and you can set the mood or feel of the garden by the plants and material that you use. Here is a very clean and modern contemporary garden that still has a nod to a southern courtyard. You know if you have been following along for a while we share pictures and how-to information on our designs and installations for DIY or landscape professionals. Our most popular blogs post are the ones on tiny gardens. Linda loved these gardens and so that was what we focused on.

Getting ready for the show we put together information for Linda and ,the show’s host, Tom Spenser to read before our interview. I was so nervous and really thought Shawn would do most of the talking. It didn’t turn out that way. My passion for design just came through and I was so excited to share all the cool things you can do in a very small space. I think I covered most of what I hoped to share but here are my notes.

Things I might include:

• An inviting place to sit, relax or entertain.
• Raised beds or containers to grow herbs and veggies. Sometimes we create raised beds that can also function as seating walls.
• Water features, like small vessels or wall fountains, which work well in small spaces to masks the city noises and sooth the soul.
• Lighting so you can be outside in the evening or look out upon your garden at night when it is too hot or cold to be comfortable.
• Vertical trellis and structures to grow plants upon. Green walls are much more inviting than wood fences. And they give the space a very different depth and feel than being closed in by fences.
• Built in benches and seating. Wood or cement. These can really maximize the amount of people you can accommodate in a small space because they are custom made to suit the space.
• Plants that stay small or use dwarf varieties of plants so they match the space and are easy to maintain.
• Plant for seasonal interest thru differing bloom times, changing leaf colors and fruits or berries.
• Unless it is a no flowering plant garden I design using plants that attract pollinators’ and birds. It is a win win for wildlife and homeowners!
• Pergolas to create shade where there is not room for a tree. Pergolas also give the sense of a room and can help with privacy from on looking neighbors.
• Hedging plants and screens to create privacy from homes that surround the space.
• Incorporate mirrors into trellis walls to give a greater sense of space.

Hope you enjoy our interview and find something useful for small spaces you might have around your home.

Happy Gardening!

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