How to create an outdoor oasis – regardless of the size of your home

Now that the summer is upon us, we’re all itching to get outside, head to our little outdoor oasis and raise our faces to the sun.

Just because you live in a condo or townhome, doesn’t mean you can’t have a lush, beautiful garden. Anyone can have a gorgeous garden right on the deck or terrace with a little pre-planning, some fundamental principles and great looking containers.

Assess your space

Figure out how much room there is, and the type of exposure – higher floors on a condo create different planting zones, because they are more exposed to harsh sun and wind. Check with the nursery to see which plants are hardiest under whatever conditions you have.

Calculate the amount of sun – and whether it’s morning or afternoon sun – to determine the type of plants. If there’s a lot of shade, you’ll be checking out impatiens, periwinkle, Hostas and hydrangeas; while geraniums, salvia, coneflowers and peonies are sun worshipers. To create pockets of shade, try planter boxes along the railing, letting the ivy trail and providing cover for plants below.

Create a garden plan

You want to enjoy the garden not just outside, but from every vantage point inside, as well, so figure out the views to coordinate colours and feel. Alternatively, maybe your clean-lined modern interior would be great with a riot of colour to draw the eye outside.

Keep proportion and ratio in mind, so vary the heights of plants by mixing tall plants such as palms or tropical trees with shorter bushes. Tall plants also create privacy from neighbours, as do trellises – but check with the condo board to see if you’re allowed to install those. Add a couple of comfy chairs and a small table, and you’ve created an oasis.

Decide on a colour scheme – not only simple but beautiful and elegant, too, as it will restrain you from buying every plant at the store. Choose two or three plants and repeat them. It saves money in the long run and creates a unified look that is calming and easier to care for.

Containers

They come in such a variety of sizes, they’ll help with the varied heights. Now in durable lightweight materials that look like wood or stone, they’re easy to move around. And so easy – no mulch, weeding or digging.

If you like a clean look, choose identical containers that complement simple plant colours, such as glossy green leaves and white blooms. If it’s a cottage-like effect you’re after, use anything – an old metal wash bucket for growing herbs, wire egg baskets for hanging planters, for those coral geraniums and pink begonias, lime green or silvery foliage.

You can also use perennials in your containers – although they don’t spread quite like annuals, and if you’re in a condo you’re not likely to overwater them. In a large pot, place the tallest plant in the centre, and lower the heights as you move outward. For example, surround a tall tree or bush such as hibiscus or Mandevilla, with shorter transition plants and add trailers at the edge.

Best money spent is on plants that spread – impatiens, portulacas, various ivy such as periwinkle and pachysandra – but leave enough room in the pot for them to grow. Otherwise they’ll die off after a month.

Bring out your indoor plants – they flourish outdoors in the summer as long as you keep an eye on sun exposure, which can burn them. Ideal are rubber plants, Schefflera and Christmas cactus.

It’s also fun to grow a tomato or basil plant or two. There’s nothing sweeter than freshly picked cherry tomatoes, and with the basil and a little bocconcini and olive oil, you’ll have a delightful summer snack.

When grouping containers, remember the three-five-seven principle – grouping in threes or fives or sevens. If you’re attaching pots to the fence, position at eye level; if they’re placed on top of the rail, you’ll see only the bottom of the pot when sitting down.

And finally, do add some garden accents. There’s nothing like the sound of water burbling all summer, so add a water feature. Many of them are plug-in, and the water circulates within the feature. Add a fire pit while you’re at it – summer evenings can be chilly, though it’s also handy to have a basket of pashminas at the ready for wrapping around your shoulders.