15 Must-Have Plants for Small Gardens (2024)

15 Small-Space Garden Ideas Perfect to Help You Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space

Lily Turf

Ornamental grasses provide low-maintenance foliage—without being picky about where they're planted. "Transform your shaded garden spaces with this captivating tufted grass-like perennial," says Rich Christakes of Ship My Plants. "Its glossy, arching, dark green leaves set the stage for a stunning display of lavender-and-white flowers. The versatility of this lily turf makes it a great option for small gardens because of its compact size and bold appearance when massed together as a ground cover."

• Zone: 4 to 10
• Size: 16 inches tall x 12 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun to part shade; average to moist soil
  

Allium Serendipity

Tall, thin alliums show off brightly colored globes of tiny flowers without outgrowing their plot. "Elegant, upright clumps of blue-green, strappy leaves, complemented by rounded clusters of purple flowers in midsummer, are eye-catching," says Christakes. "They're perfect for long-lasting cut flowers and stunning when massed together. These blooms add a touch of beauty to any garden."

• Zone: 4
• Size: 20 inches tall x 12 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun; average to moist soil
  

Orchid Frost Lamium

Even the foliage of this ground cover plant for small gardens is striking, says Christakes: It boasts oval-shaped and blue-green with silver edges. "With its fast-growing nature and compact stature, this enchanting ground cover effortlessly blankets small-space gardens in no time at all," he says. "Delicate spikes of pale pink flowers bloom gracefully during the summer months."

• Zone: 2 to 8
• Size: 8 inches tall x 24 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full shade to part sun; dry to wet soil
  

Caramel Coral Bells

Coral bells provide a leafy complement to beds filled with flowers and shrubs. Christakes likes this variety for several reasons: Its look—"cream-colored bells emerge from a compact mound of peach-gold foliage with eye-catching reddish undersides that turn fully red in the spring"—its adaptability, and its smaller size.

• Zone: 4 to 9
• Size: 18 inches tall x 18 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun to full shade; average to moist soil
  

Snowcap Shasta Daisy

It doesn't get more iconic than a (small) garden bed full of daisies. These cheerful yellow-and-white flowers have a small spread that makes them an ideal fit even in tiny spaces, says Christakes. "Embrace the beauty of this sought-after Shasta daisy variety, celebrated for its prolific bloom rate, abundant white flowers with sunny yellow eyes, and deep green foliage," he says.

• Zone: 4 to 9
• Size: 18 inches tall x 18 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun to part shade; average to moist soil
  

Leaf Lettuce

If you prefer to use your square footage as a practical kitchen garden instead of an ornamental flower bed, start with leaf lettuce in the spring, says Ginny Rosenkranz of the University of Maryland Extension program. "It grows quickly and can be cut to grow again," she says. "When summer comes, the lettuce will stop and can be replaced with summer vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers."

• Zone: 2 to 11
• Size: 6 inches tall x 12 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun to part shade; loose, moist, well-drained soil
  

Peas

Installing a trellis for peas to grow on triples the edible harvest you can get from a small space. "Peas, pea shoots, and the pea tendrils are all edible," says Rosenkranz. To increase your yield even more, plant seeds on both sides of the trellis.

• Zone: 2 to 11
• Size: 2 to 8 feet tall
• Growing conditions: full sun; rich, well-drained soil
  

Miniature Tomatoes

While tomatoes of all sizes will grow upward on a trellis or cage, smaller fruits provide a more bountiful—and just as delicious—harvest. "Patio, cherry, co*cktail, or grape tomatoes produce small, cherry-sized fruit with a delicious taste," says Rosenkranz. "Supersweet 100 is a classic sweet red cherry tomato and Sun Gold is a bright gold cherry with intense fruit flavor."

• Zone: 3 to 11
• Size: 2 to 3 feet tall
• Growing conditions: full sun; well-drained soil
  

Cucumbers

Though you can let cucumber vines spread out across your yard, Rosenkranz recommends putting them on a sturdy trellis instead—to both save space and protect the cukes. "They will grow off the ground for cleaner fruit and the fruit will hang straight from a trellis," she says."Always wait for the soil to warm up before planting cucumbers; they don't like the cold."

• Zone: 4 to 12
• Size: 3 to 6 feet tall
• Growing conditions: full sun; rich, well-drained soil
  

Winter Squash

Round out your garden season with acorn, butternut, or delicata squash, suggests Rosenkranz. They also provide a hearty yield when supported by a strong trellis.

• Zone: 3 to 10
• Size: 2 to 8 feet
• Growing conditions: full sun; rich, well-drained soil
  

Thai Basil

Basil is a versatile herb for any home chef, and a perfect complement to the other summer vegetables you grow in a small garden. "When the weather is warm enough to grow cucumbers and tomatoes, plant a basil plant—and if space is really at a premium, plant Thai basil," says Rosenkranz. "It doesn't grow as tall or wide as Italian basil."

• Zone: 4 to 10
• Size: 12 inches tall x 12 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full to part sun; moist, well-drained soil
  

Oregano

In pizza sauce, chili, or marinades, oregano adds a savory depth of flavor. Rosenkranz also recommends it for its decorative look—white flowers standing out against dark green leaves.

• Zone: 4 to 10
• Size: 8 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun; well-drained soil
  

Rosemary

Easy to use when fresh or dried, rosemary is a fragrant addition to any herb garden. If you're short on space, opt for the Blue Boy dwarf variety—it stays smaller than its bigger relatives, but has the same rich, aromatic flavor, says Rosenkranz.

• Zone: 8 to 10
• Size: 6 to 8 inches tall x 15 to 18 inches wide
• Growing conditions: full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
  

Summer Thyme

Another small-space-friendly alternative to a classic herb, the Summer thyme variety stays low and compact. "Summer thyme thrives as a low growing evergreen with tiny fragrant green leaves," says Rosenkranz.

• Zone: 6 to 8
• Size: 6 to 8 inches wide x 6 to 8 inches tall
• Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; dry, well-drained soil
  

Chives

If your garden doesn't allow room for onions, consider chives instead—a prettier version of the root vegetable. "Chives are small bulbs that grow into long thin leaves with a mild onion flavor," says Rosenkranz. "The flowers are pretty and edible as well—and are great for decorating salads."

• Zone: 3 to 10
• Size: 10 to 15 inches tall
• Growing conditions: full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil