Designing a garden for a rented property can be frustrating and confusing, especially since you don't own the property or flat. For many renters and rental properties, the garden is ignored. Maybe a few lack-lustre container plants, pots, and many temporary bits and bobs.
However, designing for a rental property can be far more enriching than you may think. You can do it without breaking the bank or asking for permission to change rental agreements to make huge, expensive design changes.
This beginner gardening guide will give you tips and ideas to help you design a garden for your rented property that you're proud of and can take with you if you move.
The first thing to note is that garden design doesn't need to include huge amounts of hard landscaping, paving, or expensive landscaping. Solid design can be applied to existing layouts, structures, and paths, even if they are not to your taste. When designing a garden for a rented property, think of it more as applying a design overlay to the current garden structure, taking it from a boring, uninspired garden to something fantastic.
Before making any changes to the garden, carefully review your lease agreement to ensure you understand any restrictions or limitations imposed by your landlord or property management company. Some landlords may have specific rules regarding alterations to the property, so it's essential to know what is allowed and what is not. This guide will give ideas for temporary or movable fixtures that allow you to take your garden with you.
However, it's important to check that there are no restrictive covenants or rights you need to be aware of. It's also good to have a quick, friendly chat with your neighbours; in most instances, they will be enthusiastic about having a beautiful garden to peek at from their windows!
The best idea when designing a rental property is to use container gardening. In this method, plants, shrubs, and small trees are planted into large containers that can be moved and don't require 'breaking ground' or changing the design layout.
Using pots and containers has several immediate benefits when designing a rental property:
Opt for portable garden features such as raised beds and potted plants that can easily be moved or taken with you when you move out. This allows you to enjoy gardening without making permanent changes to the landscape.
The key to making container gardening look impactful and effective is to opt for fewer larger containers. Yes, these will be heavier to move, but they will bring a much more considered design style than hundreds of smaller pots. Smaller pots may be cheaper, but you will end up with lots of little bits of planting rather than a considered scheme. Always choose fewer larger pots for ultimate impact when designing a garden for a rented property.
The benefits of using the largest pots you can find are:
Select low-maintenance plants that require minimal care and attention, such as succulents, herbs, and drought-tolerant herbaceous perennials. These plants are easy to grow and require less water and upkeep, making them ideal for rented properties where long-term maintenance may be uncertain.
When researching your plants, pick those that are listed as drought-tolerant or have a long flowering season. This means you can spend more time enjoying them rather than trying to fill gaps in the garden when plants have gone over. Thyme, like the plants below, in between stepping stones is a great low-maintenance plant for poor rocky stones in full sun.
Try to avoid using annual plants that will have a one-season shelf life before dying. While annuals can provide a pop of colour in pots, constantly refilling them each year can become expensive and increase your carbon footprint. Opt for a mix of herbaceous perennials and suitable shrubs (lists can be found further on in this article).
Instead of installing permanent structures like fences, pergolas, or paved pathways, consider temporary options such as freestanding trellises, portable privacy screens, or even outdoor rugs (Yes, they exist!). These features can enhance the garden's functionality and aesthetics without violating your lease agreement.
Freestanding screens can be a really good way to divide up a garden and create 'rooms' without needing landscapers or the expense of putting in permanent fixtures. Outdoor sculpture can be another fantastic way to inject excitement into a rental garden. Like I've said above, with choosing a few larger containers, the same can be said for sculpture. Choose one large piece rather than many small trinkets in the garden, as it has a far greater impact.
The colour wheel is your friend. Rather than having a mismatched palette, aim to choose one colour and then blend it with similar colours for a harmonious space. If you want a contrast, choose one colour off the colour wheel, say blue, and then choose the colour directly opposite (orange in this example) to create dynamic contrast!
Aligning your colour palette can make even the most awkward garden feel cohesive and intentional rather than disjointed. A quick fix is to move your existing plants around to group colours together or edit out anything too classy. You can always gift the clashing plant to a neighbour or friend!
Make the most of limited garden space by utilizing vertical gardening techniques such as wall-mounted planters, hanging baskets, or trellises. Vertical gardening maximises space and adds visual interest and texture to the garden. You can even buy modular living wall containers that stack together, which can be removed if you move. These make an excellent choice for renters who want to bring vertical gardening to their spaces without needing permanent living walls.
The same goes for climbing plants such as Hydrangeas, Clematis or Wisteria. These can be planted in containers and then grown on a trellis. A great idea is to use containers and trellis as temporary screens in the garden to separate off different rooms.
Choose garden features and plants that are easy to maintain and won't require extensive upkeep or specialized care when designing a garden for a rented property. This will help ensure that the garden remains attractive and well-maintained throughout your tenancy without requiring significant time or effort on your part.
Herbaceous perennials come back year after year and require little plant fertilizer other than deadheading and a yearly feed. Evergreen shrubs help to add structure and interest, so they can be a great addition to a rental garden, even in containers to bring structure that's removable when you move.
As a rule of thumb, more formal plants, like topiary, take a lot of maintenance, whereas more informal and loose planting schemes, such as prairie borders, are far easier to maintain, and you can get away with not being as fastidious with the weeding!
While designing your garden, be mindful of your budget and avoid investing in expensive or permanent fixtures that you may not be able to take with you when you move out. Focus on cost-effective solutions and prioritize investments that offer the most value and flexibility, such as stand-alone furniture or beautiful containers.
The same goes for buying plants, too. You don't need to spend a fortune when you can propagate your own plants with a bit of patience. Growing from seed is an excellent way to grow your own plants without breaking the bank.
If you are going to buy ready-grown plants, then make sure you read my guide on how to shop for cheap plants here. Shopping around and buying smaller plants can save a fortune; the same goes for buying bare-root plants in the winter, ready for planting for next year's flowers.
Finally, remember that your garden design should be flexible and adaptable to accommodate changes in your living situation or future gardening preferences. This is why off-the-shelf containers and solutions are best compared to customised bespoke items. You can take them with you to any garden and replicate the look in your new rental property.
Keeping your design simple, versatile, and portable allows you to enjoy your garden fully while renting your property. Then, there are no heartaches if you need to move, as you've not invested vast sums in permanent fixtures or plants.
Using perennial plants that come back year after year is a great way to reduce the cost of gardening. Picking plants suitable for containers ensures you can move them if you change addresses and reduces the overall maintenance amount. Here are my top 10 easy-to-care-for container plants.
Example varieties include English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and French lavender (Lavandula stoechas). They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, offering fragrant blooms and foliage. Lavender thrives on a yearly prune, so read my guide on how to prune lavender here.
Example varieties include 'Victoria Blue', which has vibrant blue flowers, and 'Hot Lips', which has bi-colour blooms. They prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, and they attract pollinators to the garden. Try Salvia Caradonna for blooms from March through to October.
Hardy Geraniums are the secret weapon of all garden designers due to their longevity and ability to survive in full sun or shade. Example varieties include 'Rozanne' with blue-purple flowers and 'Johnson's Blue' with sky-blue blooms. They tolerate many conditions but prefer well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade.
These bright yellow and orange beauties will add drama to any garden! Example varieties include 'Moonbeam' with yellow flowers and 'Zagreb' with golden-yellow blooms. They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, offering continuous blooms throughout the summer.
Commonly known as coneflower, it produces large, daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun and attracts butterflies and bees to the garden. White varieties like Echinacea 'White Swan' will last far longer than some of the more hybridised varieties or flashy and showy forms. Be sure to keep slugs away from them as they emerge each year.
This is one of the hardiest bullet proof evergreen plants going! Example varieties include 'Autumn Joy' with pink flowers and 'Angelina' with yellow foliage. They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, offering succulent foliage and late-season blooms.
Known for its aromatic foliage and lavender-blue flowers, it prefers well-drained soil and full sun. Once established, it's drought-tolerant and attracts pollinators to the garden. It does need full sun but will cope with poor soil and is fantastic in containers to add much-needed height to rental property gardens.
Nepeta is a great bulky herbaceous perennial that is a good gap filler and doesn't mind being fully baked in poor soil. Example varieties include Nepeta faassenii 'Walker's Low' with lavender-blue flowers and Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' with grey-green foliage. They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, attracting bees and butterflies. These plants are easy to divide and propagate each year by divisions in autumn or spring, giving you more plants for free.
Commonly known as coral bells, they offer colourful foliage in shades of green, purple, bronze, and silver. They prefer well-drained soil and partial shade, adding interest to container gardens. Just watch out for vine weevils, which can eat their roots. When you take them out of their pots, check for grubs and remove any to reduce the damage they can cause.
One of Garden Ninjas' favourite herbaceous perennials is the Rudbeckia genus! They are bold, brave and easy to grow for late summer colour. Example varieties include Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' with golden-yellow flowers and Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer' with large, daisy-like blooms. They thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, attracting pollinators.
Shrubs are often overlooked in garden design and especially in rental gardens. However, shrubs give the backbone of the garden and ever-green specimens, even in containers, can really help with year-round interest in your rental gardens. Here are my top ten, which will be fine in containers and are low maintenance shrubs!
Swarf Rhododendrons help bring evergreen form to your garden all year round. In spring they will be filled with bright coloured blooms helpiujng to entice you into the garden. Example species include 'PJM Elite' with pink-purple flowers and 'Ramapo' with lavender-blue flowers. They prefer acidic soil and partial shade.
Hydrangeas have made a massive comeback, and for good reason. They are low-fuss shrubs great for beginner gardeners and container gardening in a rental property. Example varieties include 'Endless Summer' with blue or pink mophead flowers and 'Limelight' with greenish-white panicles. These smaller varieties will thrive in pots and containers. They prefer moist, well-drained soil and partial shade.
Lilac shrubs are a brilliant example of wildlife shrubs. Hardy and prolific flowerers these shrubs will attract honey bees and butterflies to your garden all summer long. Example varieties include 'Miss Kim' with fragrant lavender blooms and 'Palibin' with pink flowers. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil.
Potentilla shrubs, again, are easy for beginners. When they bloom, the entire shrub is covered in tiny yellow flowers. Example cultivars include 'Goldfinger' with bright yellow flowers and 'Abbotswood' with white blooms. Once established, they are drought-tolerant and thrive in full sun, great for sunny hot gardens.
Azaleas are the close relative of the larger Rhododendrons and work well in pots. They tend to be far smaller so can work with with balcony gardens and terraces. Example species include 'Girard's Crimson' with deep red flowers and 'Delaware Valley White' with pure white blooms. They prefer acidic soil and partial shade.
This is a shrub that requires zero skill or care to get the best out of it. Other than watering it to establish it Weigela will be covered in pinky whirte flowers from May to October. For example, cultivars include 'Wine and Roses' with pink flowers and purple foliage and 'Sonic Bloom Red' with vibrant red blooms. They prefer full sun to partial shade.
Buddleja has a bad reputation for getting out of control and talking over it even though it's fantastic for encouraging butterflies to go to the garden. However, plant breeders have now created dwarf varieties like 'Physcadelic Sky' that don't get bigger than 1.5m tall. They are almost impossible to kill and slug-proof. Example varieties include 'Blue Chip' with lavender-blue flowers and 'Miss Ruby' with deep pink blooms. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil.
Mock orange is another easy-to-grow shrub that has an fabulous fragrance from late spring to autumn. It is great for sensory gardens. Examples of species include Philadelphus coronarius 'Natchez', which has highly fragrant white flowers, and 'Manteau d'Hermine', which has double white blooms. They prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Slow to grow, this evergreen beauty will bring glossy green foliage to containers and then, in spring, reward you with masses of red, white or pink flowers. Example varieties include Camellia japonica 'Kramer's Supreme' with rose-pink flowers and Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' with red blooms. They prefer partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.
Roses thrive in containers where you can feed them during their profuse flowering period in summer. Use shrub roses for that romantic feel in your garden design. Feed when flowering and then prune each winter. Follow my rose pruning guide here. Example varieties include 'The Fairy' with pink clusters of blooms and 'Sunshine Daydream' with yellow flowers. They require full sun and well-drained soil.
If you want to set yourself apart with your gardening skills, why not consider one of my online garden design courses? You can study at your own pace, and access to the materials is unlimited, so you can return to the tuition as many times as you need.
My new build garden design crash course can be completed in as little as 5 hours and trains you in everything you need to know to make great plant choices and layout ideas.
Garden Design Examples for Small Gardens: 30 Design Templates & Planting Plans: In this online gardening course, I'll walk you through 30 fantastic garden designs, explaining the logic behind the layout, the plant choices, and take-home tips for applying them in your own garden.
Learn how to transform and design your own garden with Lee Burkhills crash course in garden design. Over 5 hours Lee will teach you how to design your own dream garden. Featuring practical design examples, planting ideas and video guides. Learn how to design your garden in one weekend!
Garden Design for Beginners Online Course: If you want to make the career jump to becoming a garden designer or to learn how to design your own garden, this is the beginner course for you. Join me, Lee Burkhill, an award-winning garden designer, as I train you in the art of beautiful garden design.
Gardening in a rental property doesn't need to be offputting, expensive, or permanent. Using the guide above, you can turn even a temporary garden into something that feels like your own.
Using containers for a rental property garden design offers numerous benefits, making it an ideal solution for tenants. Containers are portable, allowing you to take your plants when moving. They also provide flexibility in arranging and rearranging your garden layout to suit your space and preferences. Containers help manage soil quality and drainage more effectively, reducing the risk of poor soil conditions affecting your plants.
Additionally, they make it easier to control pests and weeds. Overall, container gardening is a versatile, low-maintenance option that maximizes the potential of a rental garden while ensuring you can enjoy your greenery wherever you go. These tips allow for a removable garden that can grow and follow you as you move over the years.
So what is stopping you, Ninja, from turning that rental space into a garden fit for the gods?
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