Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Quote from bettysteatoom on 25th April 2026, 9:14 pm
Good evening,
I have a small patio space that looks a bit sad and unloved. I'm cat proofing it, so the gates will be shut majority of the time.
I would like to make it look more presentable and introduce some colour into it. However my gardening knowledge goes about as far as knowing what a dandelion is.
Would it be possible to turf over the patio half where it's the larger grey slabs and put a flower bed in by the wall and the fence. I've got a drain there, would that be an issue?
It seems like a lot of work for such a small space but it's very boring. I don't want to use artificial grass because of the cats and wildlife.
Open to any other ideas, thoughts.
Thank you in advance for any advice!
Good evening,
I have a small patio space that looks a bit sad and unloved. I'm cat proofing it, so the gates will be shut majority of the time.
I would like to make it look more presentable and introduce some colour into it. However my gardening knowledge goes about as far as knowing what a dandelion is.
Would it be possible to turf over the patio half where it's the larger grey slabs and put a flower bed in by the wall and the fence. I've got a drain there, would that be an issue?
It seems like a lot of work for such a small space but it's very boring. I don't want to use artificial grass because of the cats and wildlife.
Welcome to the forum, and what a lovely small garden project to be thinking about. A small enclosed patio that gets a proper makeover can become one of the most-used and loved parts of a garden, so you're absolutely right to want to do something with it.
On the Turf Question
I'd gently steer you away from the idea of turfing over the patio slabs, and not just because of the practical challenges involved. For a space this size, laying turf over hard standing rarely works well. The depth of growing medium needed to support healthy grass, the drainage complications that come with a drain already present in that area, and the ongoing maintenance of a tiny patch of lawn that cats will use regularly all combine to make it more trouble than it's worth. A small patch of real grass in an enclosed patio tends to get worn, patchy, and tired looking very quickly, which is the opposite of what you're hoping to achieve.
What Would Actually Make the Biggest Difference
For a small patio space, a large L-shaped raised bed running along the wall and wrapping around to the fence would almost certainly have the biggest single impact on how the space looks and feels. It immediately gives the space structure, softens the hard lines of the slabs and fencing, and gives you the planting opportunity you're looking for without any of the complications of trying to establish a lawn. Raised beds also give you complete control over your compost and soil quality, which means you can grow exactly what you want regardless of what's underneath. The drain becomes a non-issue because the bed sits above it and the drainage continues to function perfectly well beneath.
Fill it with a mix of structural evergreen plants for year-round interest, some flowering perennials for colour through spring and summer, and perhaps a few pots of seasonal colour to dot around the remaining patio surface. Even with limited gardening knowledge that combination is very manageable and the results can be genuinely lovely in a small enclosed space.
Getting the Design Right
The honest answer is that a space like this benefits enormously from having someone look at it properly before you commit to buying materials or plants, because the decisions you make about the proportions and layout of a raised bed in a small space really do matter. Too narrow and it looks mean. Too tall and it can feel oppressive. Getting those details right from the start saves a lot of expense and frustration further down the line.
My garden design consultation service is built for exactly this kind of project. We'd look at your space, your priorities, and your budget and come out the other side with a clear plan that you can implement at whatever pace suits you. For a small enclosed space, it's often the most cost-effective thing you can do before spending anything on materials or plants, because it removes the guesswork entirely.
Welcome to the forum, and what a lovely small garden project to be thinking about. A small enclosed patio that gets a proper makeover can become one of the most-used and loved parts of a garden, so you're absolutely right to want to do something with it.
On the Turf Question
I'd gently steer you away from the idea of turfing over the patio slabs, and not just because of the practical challenges involved. For a space this size, laying turf over hard standing rarely works well. The depth of growing medium needed to support healthy grass, the drainage complications that come with a drain already present in that area, and the ongoing maintenance of a tiny patch of lawn that cats will use regularly all combine to make it more trouble than it's worth. A small patch of real grass in an enclosed patio tends to get worn, patchy, and tired looking very quickly, which is the opposite of what you're hoping to achieve.
What Would Actually Make the Biggest Difference
For a small patio space, a large L-shaped raised bed running along the wall and wrapping around to the fence would almost certainly have the biggest single impact on how the space looks and feels. It immediately gives the space structure, softens the hard lines of the slabs and fencing, and gives you the planting opportunity you're looking for without any of the complications of trying to establish a lawn. Raised beds also give you complete control over your compost and soil quality, which means you can grow exactly what you want regardless of what's underneath. The drain becomes a non-issue because the bed sits above it and the drainage continues to function perfectly well beneath.
Fill it with a mix of structural evergreen plants for year-round interest, some flowering perennials for colour through spring and summer, and perhaps a few pots of seasonal colour to dot around the remaining patio surface. Even with limited gardening knowledge that combination is very manageable and the results can be genuinely lovely in a small enclosed space.
Getting the Design Right
The honest answer is that a space like this benefits enormously from having someone look at it properly before you commit to buying materials or plants, because the decisions you make about the proportions and layout of a raised bed in a small space really do matter. Too narrow and it looks mean. Too tall and it can feel oppressive. Getting those details right from the start saves a lot of expense and frustration further down the line.
My garden design consultation service is built for exactly this kind of project. We'd look at your space, your priorities, and your budget and come out the other side with a clear plan that you can implement at whatever pace suits you. For a small enclosed space, it's often the most cost-effective thing you can do before spending anything on materials or plants, because it removes the guesswork entirely.
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Lee Burkhill
Lee Burkhill, known as the Garden Ninja, is an award-winning garden designer and horticulturist with over 30 years of gardening experience and 15 years as a professional garden designer. A qualified RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) professional, Lee specialises in sustainable garden design and practical horticultural advice. He designs and presents on BBC1’s Garden Rescue and in leading gardening publications. Lee combines three decades of hands-on gardening knowledge with professional design qualifications to help gardeners create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
