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Small Garden Ideas for Cincinnati Homeowners

11 February 2016

Gardening certainly involves a lot of dedicated work, but the rewards are more than worth it for you and your home. If space is at a premium in your yard or patio, check out these small garden ideas for making the most of your small space.

Use Trees to Your Advantage

If you have a small yard bordered by trees yet with not a lot of space to grow grass or large flower beds, pave the area underneath with flagstone, add a table and chairs, and define the area with potted plants or low-lying shrubs.

Add a Natural Water Feature 

A water garden isn’t something you need a huge yard for; rather, target areas of wet or low spots and turn it into a pond. Dig the area out, line with stones and rocks, add water lilies, install a liner and pump, and voila – instant water garden that will attract all sorts of colorful birds and butterflies.

Fences and Trellises

If you have a small garden but love greenery, maximize your space by going vertical. Add a trellis or low fence or gate behind your flower beds. Vine crops can climb the trellis upward instead of taking up more horizontal space.

Choosing the Right Local Plants

Living in Cincinnati, a USDA Hardiness Zone 6, you’ll need a nice mix of low-growing plants to give you plenty of ground cover as well as taller flowers for your beds. Some great choices that thrive well in this climate include Virginia Bluebells, black-eye Susan’s, bee balm, Dense blazing star, and heart-lead foam flower. Be sure to plant all of your flowers in the right environment – some like shade and some like sun, while others prefer a blend of both.

The pride of Ohio, also known as eastern shooting star and the roosterhead, thrive in acidic, sandy or rocky soils with partial shade. The buttonbush, also known as the button willow, loves moist soils and does particularly well around swamps and marshes. The state tree, the Ohio buckeye, prefers rich, acidic soils that can flourish in both full shade and full sun. This tree is often used as a border along a yard or stream.

Want more smart garden ideas? We can help. Get in touch with our team for advice on how installing new gutters can improve your surrounding landscape and garden with smart arrangement of the water downspouts to benefit your yard.