Do you want to create a beautiful garden? No matter how small your space, there are design principles you can apply to beautify your balcony, porch or yard.

1. Add Flowers or Flowering Plants

Flowers aren't just for looks, many are edible, attract beneficial insects that will happily pollinate and clean up any pests for you, or build the soil for next year. Flowers are an all around win for any garden.

Here are a list of both beautiful and beneficial flowers for your garden.

Calendula

This annual herb with a cheerful, yellow, daisy-like flower can grow 18-24 inches tall. It exudes a sticky sap that traps pests like aphids and whiteflies, and keeps them off of nearby crops.

It attracts many types of pollinators and beneficial insects like ladybugs, hoverflies, and green lacewings who enjoy not only the flower nectar, but also the buffet of their favorite pests.

Calendula can even be grown like a cover crop over the winter to hold the soil in place.

German Chamomile

These cute-as-a-button dainty flowers with their lacy foliage attract pollinators and beneficial insects.

Growing to about 12 inches, chamomile is a prairie plant that has deep roots which dredge up nutrients. When the season is finished, cut the plant back to allow the nutrient-rich plant matter to fertilize the soil.

Chives

These are a staple in any culinary herb garden. They have edible leaves and flowers with a mild taste. Not only are they used in many dishes they make a deer-resistant ground cover. Because of their onion-y scent, chives (and any other member of the Allium family) help repel pests that do not like the strong scent.

2. Group plants around a theme

Create a collection of plants with the same foliage or flower colour for greater impact. Theming an area of your garden by clever use of colour is an easy trick to use. Stand back and take a look at the colours in your garden now. Could you move them around for better effect?

3. Lay down paths and create raised beds

Garden paths and walkways also give the garden landscape some structure along with delineation. Garden paths may create a pattern in the garden; allow for ease of harvest, pruning and weeding and protect grass or tender plants from being trampled upon.

When considering garden path ideas and placement, it’s helpful to sketch out a plan on paper that can be reworked and tweaked before investing in materials or randomly digging up sod. The placement of paths for the garden can then be laid out with twine, rope or even a garden hose to better access the correct placement. Consider which areas of the garden will benefit most from the construction of pathways.

4. Add some garden art

Garden art can be any ornament, collection, treasured find or something you make. When you add decorative items to your garden, it reflects your personality and adds character to your small space.

5. Have a dedicated seating space

Is there any point in having a beautiful garden if you can’t fully enjoy it? To do this, one of the best options is featuring a seating area in the garden. This way you can unwind in comfort, surrounded by the soothing segments of nature you’ve created.

There are numerous choices available when opting for a dedicated seating space. One of the most popular is a patio. It provides a well-sized area, free from other garden features, which is great for relaxing and mingling with others. Add a barbecue and a patio and it’s the perfect space for outdoor dining.

If your garden doesn’t have enough space to facilitate a patio, not all hope is lost. A bench, deck chairs, or, for the more adventurous, a hammock – all of these supply a comfortable spot for your garden.