The art of illusion in the city garden

Avoid a straight central path, which always accentuates length. Instead plan a meandering route or arrange paths at each side to exaggerate the sense of intervening space. Obscuring the end with plantings, a raised patio with a generous flight of steps or a creeper–clad arbour similarly shortens the perspective.

Small and square

Town gardens that are virtually enclosed courtyards, framed by highly architectural boundaries, need a strong design strategy to reduce their formal angularity.

Plants are an important and versatile element in softening the walls and adding seasonal variety: tall shrubs, espalier fruit and climbers on lattice or trellis frames will break up blank surfaces and reduce feelings of oppression. You could drape complete walls with greenery to hide the boundary altogether and physically improve the atmosphere within the garden.

Paint bare walls with light colours to maximize solar gain, which will temper the chill of winter and evenings with absorbed sunlight and to make the garden appear more cheerful and inviting. Adding mosaics, murals, wall ornaments or water features all helps to minimise hard–edged geometry.

When laying paving or decking avoid echoing the square alignment of the walls by working on the diagonal: swinging the visual axis of pavers and joints to the longest dimensions (corner to corner) increases the illusion of space. Alternatively try radiating strong directional lines in the floor to fan out from a doorway, perhaps using spines of tiles filled in with gravel and soil beds to defy the lie of the boundary.

Difficult shapes

Organizing a triangular or irregular-shaped garden needs a more experimental approach if you want to create a feeling of greater or more balanced space.

Draw the outline of the garden on paper and then sketch in the features you want to retain or add, using contrasting shapes to break up the outline of the plot. You might prefer a bold simple arrangement, setting a circular patio within a triangle, for example, and using the corners for flower beds or storage areas, a tree, shed or covered seat. Dividing the plot into smaller, more symmetrical areas might resolve the problem or you could try doodling with a path that wanders gently from side to side, leading the eye from one feature to the next.

Visualize the design at ground level by daylight, from above if you have an upper floor, and at night if you plan lighting and evening entertainment. Play with the shapes until you find a satisfying layout.

Remember that in small spaces complexity and fussy detail rarely work as satisfactorily as understatement. Construction and maintenance plans always need to be realistic and the chosen design must look good all year round and meet your various needs – now and for the foreseeable future.

Illusion and artifice are acceptable techniques in every gardener’s repertoire. A deft positioning of the timber framework – which is a handsome and eye–catching structure – immediately hints at a special and separate space, like a room without walls.

This is an extract from ‘City Garden' by Andi Clevely.