Why a small garden needs a big idea

[@kathycondello75]

Zone 3 in 🇨🇦 my front garden is on a city lot about 40’ wide . I use 1/3 of it as lawn. The rest is a flowering shrub garden. I’m 72 so bending down is 😮what the heck! So bushes bring the garden up to me. Bush roses, Hydrangeas, Ninebark, Bush Cherry, spireas and dogwood. This year I will add in some more low evergreens. There is a Spring Snow Crabapple and A Sester Dwarf Blue Spruce. Any perennials are tough as nails. Annuals in big pots around a small patio. That’s me, aging in my garden! Love visiting your gardens on utube.❤

[@ForeverHome]

I love to see other people's gardens. It gives so much inspiration. Thumbs up. 👍

[@sofielys5452]

My big idea is invitation. One path leads to a view, which draws you along a bed, which invites you to look over there, then perhaps sit down a little...

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

A very good idea

[@pansepot1490]

As far as ideas and inspiration are concerned this is one of the best gardening channel on youtube. Keep up the good work.👍

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you so much!

[@debs-more-plants]

Great garden ideas for the smalls! Thank you!

[@dawnb7457]

Great information! I have a small garden as well.

[@connie.22]

a great video, and im seeing it now!! it shows that those of us with smaller gardens, less able to do fancy hardscape, perhaps less experienced can actually make amazing gardens. wow!! thanks for your brilliant way of seeing gardening.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@neverlostforwords]

Very informative and inspiring video. I love your selection of three gardens with big ideas! My big idea was to develop a *friendly garden*. I wanted to be able to walk outside my house and feel welcomed by my garden - to feel that the plants, trees, flowers, vegetables, seating and so on are happy (not excited or delirious, just pleasantly happy) to see me - and are my friends. If I walk into an area of my garden and feel lonely or feel like a stranger in my own garden, I know that there is more to be done in that area. I then try to identify what is missing - and provide it.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

That sounds delightful.

[@neverlostforwords]

Thank you. :)

[@connie.22]

wow, how amazing an idea! i want pictures! a video??

[@helenachase5627]

I find low budget gardens with bird houses and bits of junk and so on are happy gardens. You know they don't take themselves too seriously and just want to be attractive. Bug hotels, etc

[@judithjohnson2111]

At the end of this video I saw all shades of blue & white stones. So pretty & my favorite colors. Will copy this in my garden.💜💙

[@petermccarthy4975]

Thanks for this one! I’m planning two small courtyards. One is to be entirely edible and the other is blue/violet tropical zen. Looking forward to it

[@elsagrace3893]

She is such a lovely person.

[@Jack-oc2xq]

Stongly agree with you, you made some fantastic points and gave plenty of useful information. Good job on another great video.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@PrincessDie187]

I love your channel

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you

[@williamsommers1267]

All your videos are great. I’m here in the US, the English put us to shame, such talent and dedication. Thank you.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! Sorry to be a bit late picking this up - I've been offline quite a bit.

[@FLlife]

Love the private gardens!

[@sianscountrylife4925]

Some wonderful ideas ❤

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! 😊

[@juliozamora4932]

Amazing gardens!! Enjoying every bit of the beautiful small gardens.

[@flowergrowersmith449]

Solid gold video. Top advice. Everyone - listen to this!!!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@mollywatson7521]

My husband and I are developing a garden at our California home with a separate area, essentially a rom within the garden surrounded by privacy fencing. Inside this area will be a fountain and seating for reading. Thanks for the videos.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It sounds lovely - sorry to be late replying to this, sometimes my comments seem to vanish into some kind of mysterious black hole!

[@Rkk153]

Loved to visit private gardens.

[@willowcoulter8274]

Everything was so pretty. It gave me lots of ideas. Thanks for sharing.

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I have a small narrow garden. I’m very much a collector.

[@jeane561]

Wonderful gardens. Love to see all gardens❤️😊❤️

[@helenachase5627]

In zone 3 we don't have many large leaved plants that are perrenial. I think there is one hosta I can think of but many people resort to rhubarb.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I tried rhubarb as an ornamental - its leaves are beautiful. But I don't think I gave it enough sun so I had to move it.

[@GardenObsessions]

This is really great! We ourselves have a small garden so very helpful thank you.💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@folee_edge]

Great gardens - all were delightful

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@folee_edge]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Your channel has been one of my Great Discoveries of 2021 ❤️

[@alexandros1973]

Another great video, thank you Alexandra 👌🙏

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@alexandros1973]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Ah Alexandra, Thanking me for my comment was so unexpected and, at the same time, so consistent to the impression I have about you by watching your videos! You are great!

[@polnan1]

Would help me a lot if the names of the plants were printed out Wonderful to see as lockdown is loosened

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm trying to do more plant names - where they're available - thank you.

[@anneharkin168]

Excellent, your videos are amazing! I live in Melbourne, Australia.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you. My brother in law lives in Melbourne

[@suzannewoodard7900]

I live in Midwest USA in a 1920's Craftsman style home on 4 acres. I bought the home 1 year ago and am now considering creating gardens that have a different theme, or big idea, for each of the 4 sides of my home North, South, East, West. My question is this, is it important that the gardens have a unified big idea, or can they be completely different? Should they reflect the style of the home, or does that really matter?? Thanks in advance for your advise! Love your channel!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you! I think that if you want different gardens on each side of the house, then that's absolutely fine, especially in bigger gardens and when each has a different relationship to the house. If you think of famous gardens like Sissinghurst or Great Dixter, they have different areas called 'The White Garden', 'The Exotic Garden', The Rose Garden, The Sculpture Garden and so on. So it's fine for there to be different areas, each with a different big idea. You could consider linking them, by for example, using the same paving materials throughout or repeating a particular colour - I visited a beautiful private garden with six or seven different garden areas, but all the gates and any other painted woodwork were all in the same very pretty blue. Or if you could consider using different variations of two or three different materials - for example a brick path in one area, a brick and gravel path in another and a gravel path in a third. Gardens don't have to reflect the architecture of the house, but it's often nice if they have some relationship with what's around them (using local stone or brick, for example). But it's not essential. One award-winning garden designer friend of mine says she always designs the garden 'off the house', which means that she thinks about how the garden looks from the house (the sightlines from windows and doors, for example) and how the house looks from different parts of the garden. It sounds like a great project - good luck, and if you haven't seen my latest video, that could have some ideas for you too as they are mainly larger gardens: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHK1qaiJea-Wa80

[@suzannewoodard7900]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you for your quick and informative reply. I simply LOVE the idea of a unifying path that leads from one garden to the next. I had not thought of that! I will be incorporating that concept for sure. I'm glad that it's ok to have different big ideas in each garden. The garden on the South will be the "Friendship Garden" where I will plant all of my friends and families favorites. This garden will include a bench for sitting and visiting awhile. On the West will be the "Pollinator Garden". This is the garden that my kitchen window and patio both look out on. I will incorporate a bird bath, bird feeders, and mason bee houses in this space. There, I will also establish a prairie meadow (in lieu of lawn) using native species that attract various pollinators. The North sports the main entry. Here will be a more traditional garden with zone 6 hardy shrubs, and perennials for color. The driveway comes up the east side, so a foundation planting of hydrangeas will work out perfectly between the drive and the house. I have it on a 5 years plan for completion. Wish me luck. In the meantime...I'll be watching! LOVE your style and videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

[@suzannewoodard7900]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you for your quick, informative reply! I LOVE the idea of a unifying path. I had not thought of that. Keep those videos coming...love your style!

[@defkake]

Love ur videos

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you!

[@politicaltwinkie2370]

Subscribed!

[@valerielaforce1980]

Darn that there aren’t larger views of each garden. I Have no idea what the gardens actually look like. Sadly there are only very quick narrow views of some highlights.

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

The gardens are really small - some of the film does show the full garden not just details but they may look like highlights because it is all in such a small space. Amanda's complete garden can be seen in the first frame, plus at 4.46 minutes, 4.52 and 5.06, and the whole of the Derek Jarman-inspired garden is shown at 2.37 minutes, 2.53 and 3.37. Philip's garden is so full of plants that there wasn't any way of photographing the full size and shape, it was about being so lush that you never think you can see it all. The closest is at 1.01 minutes. But thank you for making the comment as I have been thinking whether there is some way of showing plans, so I will bear that in mind and try to make it more obvious when it's a whole garden not just a highlight in future.

[@helenpruzan6970]

What is shingle!

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

It's pebbles as seen on a beach which doesn't have sand.

[@helenpruzan6970]

@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thanks!!!I should have figured that out.I live at beach in the U.S.!☺

[@danielallen138]

In the US, I think more commonly called gravel.

[@helenpruzan6970]

@@danielallen138 👍

[@ireneNL9349]

Shingle, unlike most gravel, is made up of pebbles/stones which have no sharp edges because the action of the sea has smoothed them down. The pebbles can actually be quite large. Shingel beaches are not very pleasant to walk on barefoot ! 🙂

[@sujaysukumar123]

Small garden like 15 foot by 35 foot? Lol, thats my entire house

[@katharinedavis4947]

I loved seeing the gardens, but it seemed rather rushed. I would have liked more time to appreciate individual plants and views . K

[@slashangryface]

Lovely video :) However, perhaps speak a bit slower and calmer.. and lets us see the picture of the garden more often. (To much video whit you speaking, even tho you look nice and are kind) If you dont have to many picture of the garden, then just use zoom in/zoom out effect. Beside that.. Super channel, great videos :) highfive from Denmark

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

Thank you - I really appreciate the feedback

[@helenachase78]

I'm either inspired or intimidated when I watch your videos... Tonight I feel inferior... and inadequate. Like I,'m just not intelligent or gifted enough to have a beautiful garden.😔

[@TheMiddlesizedGarden]

I'm sorry to hear you feel that.

[@nowirehangers2815]

All plants are beautiful. Make that your goal.

[@nancytear3746]

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