Happy Friday GPODers, and welcome to our second installment of GPOD Vignettes! In case you missed it, check out our first installment of this series here: GPOD Vignette #1.
When I was assembling this collection of submissions, I didn’t realize at first that all of these photos and gardens fit into a common theme: small spaces. Whether a small garden or a small section of a larger landscape, all these GPOD contributors wanted to share how their small space was making a big impact.
I know the GPOD community at large appreciates seeing gardens of all size, but many particularly love seeing the smaller, more “relatable” garden spaces and I have to admit that I’m in that camp. Though this shouldn’t come to a surprise to anyone who has read my posts about living and traveling in a camper van for months out of the year, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my love and appreciation for those smaller spaces.
Whether it’s an indoor plant collection, raised vegetable garden beds, or beautiful ornamental borders, more is always more. More space allows for more plants that create more flowers, fruit, foliage, or all of the above. When someone catches the gardening bug, in whatever form it manifests, one of the most common sentiment is “if only I had a little more space for X.” This is, I think, a completely normal and logical reaction to something we love and brings us joy. However, the idea that more = better is where I draw the line; because more space is also more work, more time, and more money. Yes, more space is more, but less space does not equal less opportunity. If you’re ever feeling defeated by your lack of “more”, fall down a tiny home rabbit hole on YouTube (Tiny Home Tours is one of my personal favorites). While not directly garden related, I promise you will come out appreciating the space you have and having a whole new perspective on what you need to create something inspiring.
Small spaces, whether a dwelling or an outdoor area, are only limited by the creativity and perspective of the inhabitant. And this is not to put down large spaces in any way, as I mentioned there is a great deal of challenges that go into crafting and maintaining large spaces that should be applauded when done well. If you’re reading this post from a large home with a sprawling garden, this is not a knock to you by any means. I’m simply waxing poetic for those of us who may never want a bunch of space, or have to make the most of the small space they’re working with right now.
That’s enough babbling from me. Let’s get to what we’re all here for, three amazing small spaces that foster creativity, love, and abundance for three gardeners:
1. Packing a Lot of Plants into a Small Garden
This first submission comes from Gerald Daniels, who shared this gorgeous shot of his small but mighty garden all the way back in June:
My garden is quite small but packed with plants. I’ve created a full screen around the plot consisting of trees and large shrubs.
Gerald is the epitome of seeing not limits in his space! While the chairs make this a perfect spot to sit back and take in the serenity of the space, I would be far too interested in his incredible plant collection to sit down. The variety in color, textures, and forms make this photo hard to turn away from. I’ve looked at it several times over the course of the past month and each time I find something new that delights. Is there anything you see that distinctly catches your eye?
2. Finding Fortune in a Small Garden
Hello! My name is Donna Minnix and I am from Bluefield, WV. We live in a depressed area; however I am more fortunate than most. I have flowers to work in, a husband that faithfully follows me around with a shovel and a good neighborhood. Many of these flowers were grown in a greenhouse that was student centered with special education students. I was blessed to be their educator for four years before obtaining a new position as a Special Education Specialist.
I love working in my flowers and have passed that trait down to my fantastic grandchildren who cannot wait to see if another flower has bloomed.
Thank you for looking at my flower garden and have a blessed day!
Donna’s garden is a stellar example of how much meaning, history, and importance can be found in even the most unassuming locations. Someone unknowing might only see a small garden with a modest amount of plants from this plot, but to Donna this space connects back to her whole world—a loving partner that she tends this space with, a career where many of these plants stem from, and the grandchildren she gets to pass her passion on to.
Some meaningful plants, a shady place to sit and enjoy the space with loved ones, and even a small fountain to relax to the gentle sounds of water. To me, the epitome of a dream garden.
3. Creating Privacy Around a Little Garden Oasis
My name is Suzannah Pugh. I live and garden in Springfield, Missouri, zone 6b, or 7a depending on who is reading the map. Thank you, for considering these.
The first photo is of my patio garden. I created a sense of privacy from the rest of the yard by using Emerald Green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’, Zones 4–8) and dwarf ‘Ruby Slippers’ hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’, Zones 5–9). This spot gets sun until about 2pm and then the rest of the afternoon and early evening is shaded. I can have some full sun and part sun plants in this area. I have a lot of boxwood in pots. A few perennials that might be indistinguishable; salvias, rudbeckia, sedums, native daisies, and agujas. The foreground is millenium onion (Allium hybrid ‘ALLMIG1’, Zones 4–8), echinacea and more sedum.
Privacy and plants galore! Hard to tell from these pictures just how much space Suzannah is working with in total, but whether or not she has an expansive garden just beyond those shots, this little slice is divine.
Plants themselves even come in small packages that pack a punch! Millenium allium is an award-winning perennial with spectacularly bright blooms that are loved by pollinators and often ignored by rabbits and deer. All that garden power in a plant that doesn’t grow larger than 20″ tall and 15″ wide. Thank you for sharing your incredible selection of plants and dreamy garden oasis with us, Suzannah!
Thank you to all submitters and members of GPOD community for sharing your gardens and being open to the many different spaces we explore. No matter the size of the garden you tend or how many plants your care for, we love to see it. Follow the directions below to submit, and if you only have a a photo or two to share, I’d be happy to include you in the next Vignette. Have a great weekend!
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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