Cheltenham is a fantastic place to live, with many residential areas characterised by period properties and neo-classical Georgian homes. The challenge for homeowners is that these properties often have smaller gardens or unused front gardens and side returns that detract from their curb appeal or serve no real purpose.
Although many clients assume that professional landscapers only focus on large garden projects, the opposite is true! Small and compact gardens, narrow spaces along the side of your home, and cramped front gardens command a great deal of creativity and skill—and the right high-quality landscaping can be transformative.
Our trusted Cheltenham garden landscaping team offer a complete range of services, analysing the best ways to refresh and upgrade even the tiniest outdoor spaces, using shrubbery, paving, locally sourced materials and flowers to breathe life, colour and practicality into every garden.
Tips on Maximising the Functionality of a Small Garden or Frontage
Front gardens can add significant value to your property, but many become overgrown or feature little in the way of plants, trees and shrubs due to limited space for roots to grow, a lack of ample drainage, or exposure to foot traffic.
The right options will always depend on how you’d like your garden or frontage to look and how you’d like to utilise the space – but popular options include:
- Landscaping small gardens to include courtyard-style decks and patios for entertaining, outdoor dining and relaxing.
- Using clever placement of soft landscaping to improve privacy and augment the aesthetic of fencing and borders.
- Adding hard landscaping like water features, steps and pathways to create a natural way to navigate a garden, or reach garages, greenhouses and sheds.
- Turning an unloved frontage into a private off-road parking space or adding block paving and fencing to build an area for storage, bicycles or wood stores.
Even the narrowest side return can be used to great effect, based on an analysis of the natural light available, the condition of your soil, and whether you’d benefit more from a smart, clean, paved area or more planting and shrubbery.
Our advice is to consider how you use the space and then turn to choices of materials, pathways and decking – since our landscape gardeners create customised garden design plans based entirely on your wishes to ensure the finished result is as practical as it is attractive.
The Importance of Consulting Expert Local Landscape Gardeners in Cheltenham
Working with a team of landscape gardeners in Cheltenham is highly advisable because the right types of planting, lawn turf and trees we recommend should be suited to the drainage and soil within your garden.
All too often, we consult with homeowners who have invested in an expensive landscaping project only to find that in a few months, lawn grass turns brown, shrubs start to die back, or weeds begin to grow between new patio paving.
Our focus is on customer satisfaction, and we complete all work in-house to the high standard we are known for – whether that involves construction projects and hard landscaping, selecting local materials, paving stones and gravel, or organising the sourcing and supply of hardy flowers and plants that will thrive in your garden.
The initial visit is a valuable opportunity for us to examine the condition and health of any soft landscaping you already have or to map out spaces for flower beds, borders, pathways, and trees to offer advice about landscaping and features that will work well.
For example, if you have established trees in your garden that you want to protect, this might influence the types of paving we suggest. Likewise, a small garden that is largely shady will be a great environment for some types of plants but not others.
Importantly, our landscape gardeners can also maintain gardens, drives and planting over the long term – ensuring your garden is easy to care for and remains in superb condition.
Transforming Your Property With a Small Garden Landscaping Project
There are numerous ways to make a big impact in a small space, whether you’d like to create a feature wall, use climbing plants to gain height or use planters, beds and boxes to bring nature into a paved patio or compact courtyard.
Smart planning can create a garden design that feels considerably larger than it is. Tiered and staggered levels are a great way to develop separate spaces for kids’ games, water features, dining areas, and lawns, ensuring you can use your garden throughout the year.
Options like raised decks for seating areas or hot tubs, covered pagodas to create a quiet reading nook in a small corner of your garden, or intelligent outdoor lighting can add ambience and style to any outdoor space – without trying to cram in too many features or areas that can make a small garden feel cluttered.
The key is always in the design process, looking at the available space and drawing up plans that meet your requirements and tie in beautifully with the exterior of your home. No project is too big or small, and a properly planned and installed garden, pathway or planting can bring a sense of order and structure, using lines and height that draw the eye.
Inspiration and Ideas to Achieve Your Dream Garden
If you’re stuck for ideas or need some inspiration from past projects, you are welcome to visit our landscaping galleries, where you can review the designs we’ve created for previous customers.
Cotswold Paving and Landscaping offers comprehensive services throughout Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, whether you’d like a straightforward hard landscaping job to turn an overgrown front garden into a paved driveway or need help making the most of a small back garden space.
Another option is to give us a call to arrange a good time for a home visit. We can discuss your aspirations, the ways you use your garden, and how to combine lawns, planting, fencing, and paving to create the perfect outcome.
Please contact us at your earliest convenience, and our professional landscaping team will contact you as soon as possible.