Garden Photo of the Day

Vince’s Small Magical Garden

Small space, no problem!

By GPOD Contributor
close up of light pink rose with light purple clematis

Today’s photos are from Vince in Sussex, United Kingdom.

Just before COVID, I started the Instagram account @small_magical_gardens.

The account has always been a hobby and faceless, as it’s about gardens and not me. It is not for personal gain. Drawing on my previous horticultural experience, I have a passion for sharing practical, realistically attainable ideas for smaller spaces.

I started the account initially as a bit of a journey following our move to the country. We purchased a tiny neglected Victorian cottage in a small Sussex village on the banks of the river Rother. Life now includes beekeeping and campanology in the little church next door. COVID was really the time when the garden revamp took place after house renovations had taken their toll on the previously neglected garden.

Here are some shots from our small garden.

narrow graveled area in the garden with lots of potted plants
This view of part of the garden space shows that even a narrow area can be full of flowers and romance.

close up of light pink rose with light purple clematis
A climbing rose (Rosa hybrid, Zones 6–9) and clematis (Clematis, large-flowered hybrid group, Zones 4–10) grow together backed up by the colorful foliage of a kiwi vine (Actinidia kolomikta, Zones 4–8).

climbing roses growing up the wall of a house with potted plants below
One key way to make the most of a small space is to grow up. Climbing roses turn walls into additional garden space.

purple flowers paired with yellow foliage plant
An ornamental onion (Allium hybrid, Zones 4–9) stands in the foreground of a beautiful garden scene.

small patio seating area in the garden
Even a small garden still needs a space to sit and enjoy the beauty.

garden structure with shelves to hold lots of potted plants
What a beautiful way to add color and interest—a small structure with a variety of potted plants growing on the shelves, with petunias (Petunia hybrid, annual) providing lots of flowers.

gravel paths lined with lots of plants

Every surface and edge of the path is a spot to put a plant to make the most of the garden space.

a growing gourd in foreground and purple clematis flowers in the background
A developing gourd (Cucurbita pepo, annual) is surrounded by a cloud of clematis.

close up of tall verbena flowers
Airy tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis, Zones 7–10 or as annual)

The front of the cottage—with an unusual sight in an English village: Buddhist monks from the nearby Chithurst monastery.

 

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 gpod@taunton.com 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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Telescopes from 4 to 7'. Cut and Hold (160) Blades. Drop forged blades for unsurpassed long lasting sharpness. Lightweight, 2.3 lbs., for continued use. Perfectly balanced for easy pruning.
Buy at Amazon

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
Buy at Amazon

Buffalo-Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Buffalo-Style Gardens is a one-of-a-kind, offbeat garden design book that showcases the wildly inventive gardens and gardeners of Buffalo – and offers readers "the best of the best” ideas to use in their own small-space gardens.
Buy at Amazon
X
View 14 comments

Comments

  1. User avater
    simplesue 03/28/2023

    I'm just in love with your garden! You created a fabulous space with gorgeous plant choices and great looking garden art and outdoor furniture!
    It's intimate and intricate and I just want to walk around there and explore the magic!

  2. drterrie 03/28/2023

    Wow! So inspired by what you have done! I have an urban garden which I tend to think of as 'large' because compared to my neighbors, I have a great deal of space. Compared with those who have almost unlimited space, I am reminded that my garden is teeny. I will be motivated to keep things tidy yet exciting this spring as I navigate the never-ending changes that gardening offers me.

  3. janetsydoruk 03/28/2023

    It truly is magical. It’s like a perfect place. Small English village and cottage even monks. But your garden is dreamlike and heavenly! Love your flower combinations. Love it all.

  4. sheila_schultz 03/28/2023

    Your gardens and plantings are charming, Vince. Two things really caught my eye, the intermingling of the climbing pink rose and purple clematis and the shape of the structure mimicking the roof line of your back door. Both are brilliant!

  5. User avater
    vanhatalosuomi 03/28/2023

    Looking brilliant Vince! Even though I'm on your side of the pond, it's always a pleasure to see what you southerners are up to :)
    Still pretty snowy out there for us in Finland - ugh sigh :/

  6. User avater
    cynthia2020 03/28/2023

    Vince, I enjoyed looking at all the photos. I hope you will come back and share your combinations from this summer.

  7. btucker9675 03/28/2023

    Utterly charming and beautiful - a perfect garden!

  8. User avater
    bdowen 03/28/2023

    Just beautiful and so inviting. Please do share more as the seasons change.

  9. MohawkValley 03/28/2023

    Very nice ! The pea stone paths make for clean walkways , that's for sure .

  10. janeeliz 03/28/2023

    Every inch is a delight! Thanks for sharing your magical garden.

  11. avajames 03/29/2023

    I am glad to see this post check this https://www.savewithblogs.com/store-profile/lightinthebox-discount-code

  12. User avater
    treasuresmom 03/29/2023

    So very, very lovely!

  13. John_Seagle 03/30/2023

    This is great and beautiful. Thank you so much for this kind of information. I like it concrete polish

  14. Dietmar_Knoechelmann 08/04/2023

    I was so happy to finally find this in the web! Also, you might was looking for tile flooring installation

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

Design
Planting Plans and Ideas from 3 Contemporary Backyards

Choosing great-looking plants that are well-adapted to a garden’s unique light and soil conditions will always be a challenge, and the variables presented by San Francisco’s diverse microclimates and topography…
Design
Gardening Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day 2025

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show your love and appreciation than with a gift that nurtures her passion for the garden? Whether she’s…
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants
Episode 179: Most Beautiful Flowers  

If your pulse quickens at the sight of a dogwood or peony in full bloom, this is the episode for you. Although a restrained, foliage-focused design is always a safe…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
How-To

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 179: Most Beautiful Flowers  
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 178: Best Interview Moments from Let's Argue About Plants