Green: Simple Ideas for Small Outdoor Spaces

Simple gardening ideas for transforming an outdoor space with containers, furniture, lighting and other low-maintenance elements.


'Spending so much time outdoors in my childhood made me think of a garden as a natural extension of my home - an inseparable part of everyday life. It wasn't until I moved into a rented property in the city that I felt an undeniable urge to make the most of the little exterior space that we had and re-evaluate it. In time, creating outdoor spaces that people truly care for, no matter how small or large, became much more rewarding than perfecting any indoor space. Many say that a home is a true reflection of self, but I believe it is the garden, where personalities and relationships with our surroundings truly blossom.' - Ula Maria

Gardening ideas for time-poor urbanites and the new wave of millennial gardeners. Includes gardening instructions for small spaces, flowers in small pots and tips on growing plants in urban areas.

Designed for those with small gardens, terraces, balconies and roof gardens who see their outdoor space as an extension of their home, rather than the horticulturally committed.

Ula Maria is an award-winning garden designer, landscape architect, and illustrator.

Ula attended the School of Fine Arts in Lithuania before moving to England permanently in 2008. She studied a BA and MA in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University, where she was awarded the Landscape Institute's John Knight award for both her undergraduate and postgraduate projects.

Since graduating, Ula has worked for a number of landscape practices (including that of Tom Stuart-Smith) prior to entering and winning the 'RHS Young Designer of the Year' competition where she received a gold medal for her garden 'Studio Unwired' in 2017. Since then, Ula has established her own practice and won 'Best in Lifestyle category' award for her 'Style and Design garden' at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Ula is also a visiting tutor at Birmingham City University and an author of the latest 'Design' series in Gardens Illustrated magazine.

Ula has a deep connection with nature originating from her childhood spent in rural Lithuanian landscapes, collecting berries and swimming in the river Ula with its banks dotted with coniferous forests, thick woods, and high sandy cliffs. She seeks to create meaningful designs with a sensitive approach to an existing space. Her particular interest is in creating emotive garden spaces that evoke innate connections to nature through memories, senses and experiences.