SIDE GIG

NO NEED TO RENOVATE. YOU CAN SIMPLY CONVERT A SIDE PASSAGE INTO AN OUTDOOR ROOM!

- CHARLIE ALBONE

1 ROOM TO STRETCH OUT

Call it a gallery room - long, narrow and intimate but still perfectly functional as a living area and garden combined that can give you a place to breathe and be protected from the elements.

2 POTS ARE TOPS

A rolled bamboo fence gives texture and colour variations, so add to them by lining it with containers of varying heights and balance, and plants of different shapes and sizes. Boring becomes intriguing!

You have a path. It's crammed in between two dull walls and its function is to take you from one place to another. It's ripe with potential, so why not turn it into a meander through a narrow garden, where you can stop along the way to sip a cup of coffee, or use the space for a quiet online meeting, some yoga practice or to read a book. Hard surfaces can easily be a place for a garden you just need an eclectic and exciting range of pots and a clever choice of plants that are suitable for their sun or shade aspect. Plus, you can still get from one place to another. It's just prettier!

3 SMALL IS EASILY ADAPTABLE

Mix up your plants and arrange them so you have some that are tall and give you privacy and/or room for intimacy and smaller plantings close to you that nestle around your space at eye or hand level.

4 GET YOURSELF IN A FLAP!

An elephant ears plant makes a great statement, either in your garden or in a pot. When you place one next to a window, you can see it from the inside, bringing your garden right up to your indoor rooms. It also distracts the eye from a dull wall or fence!

5 FALL FOR THIS!

Put hanging pots on display. They free up floor space and have a lovely tumbling effect.

DESIGN TIPS FOR POTTED GARDENS