Small Garden Corner Looks Empty. Any Easy Ideas?

hitarpsuk · Wednesday at 11:27 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a few ideas for a small corner of my garden that I have ignored for years.

The space is around 2 metres by 3 metres and at the moment it is just grass with a few weeds around the edges. I don't want anything fancy or expensive. I would just like it to look a bit nicer and maybe become a place where I can sit with a cup of tea in the evening.

I was thinking about adding a small gravel area with a bench and maybe a few plants in pots. I don't know much about gardening though, so I would prefer plants that are easy to look after and can survive even if I forget to water them sometimes.

The area gets morning sun and shade for most of the afternoon.

Has anyone done something similar in a small space? I would love to hear your ideas or see what worked for you.

Thanks in advance.

this image of my garden

Wayners · Thursday at 10:09 AM

Mirrors.
Look out for old wardrobe mirrors going free or cheap

endecotp · Thursday at 10:38 AM

hitarpsuk said:
maybe a few plants in pots.

Why pots? You have soil. Planting into the ground avoids the watering problem (once they are established).

Go to a garden centre and buy a few things that say "partial shade". Small shrubs or perennials. Whatever you like. Maybe look at other gardens for ideas - it's now easy to identify plants using the PlantNet app.

jj4091 · Thursday at 12:39 PM

Preferably evergreen but not something that will outgrow the space, so check height and spread before buying ( pruning is a chore),
Acers and dwarf rhodedenfrums or azaleas are good but don't flower for long.

opps · Thursday at 1:18 PM

hitarpsuk said:
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a few ideas for a small corner of my garden that I have ignored for years.

The space is around 2 metres by 3 metres and at the moment it is just grass with a few weeds around the edges. I don't want anything fancy or expensive. I would just like it to look a bit nicer and maybe become a place where I can sit with a cup of tea in the evening.

I was thinking about adding a small gravel area with a bench and maybe a few plants in pots. I don't know much about gardening though, so I would prefer plants that are easy to look after and can survive even if I forget to water them sometimes.

The area gets morning sun and shade for most of the afternoon.

Has anyone done something similar in a small space? I would love to hear your ideas or see what worked for you.

Thanks in advance.

View attachment 417185

this image of my garden

I cannot offer advice about the garden... I seriously recommend that you remove your actual address from your profile. London would suffice.

Assuming that you are using a browser- top of webpage, to the right you will see your username. Click on that. Scroll down to account details. You can then change your location. Again, London will suffice.

Best of luck.

foxhole · Thursday at 7:13 PM

Stick a pergola over area , maybe put a clear roof on so you can use whatever the weather , could also be used in winter to dry washing outside .

johnny2007 · 2026-06-26T10:00:24+0100

Build a bar and get friends around.
They bring the drinks!

blup · 2026-06-26T10:07:20+0100

Looks fine as per the picture, just tidy up and maybe add a few pots. Alternatively, might be useful for storage if needed.

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Small Garden Corner Looks Empty. Any Easy Ideas?

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