With our houses getting bigger and our block sizes getting smaller its vital to make the most of every square inch of our properties outdoor space, side passages are often overlooked as just ways to get from the front of the house to the back, but they can be so much more than that.
A side passage is a great space to hide unsightly items such as the garden shed or washing line, maximising the space you have in your main entertaining and play areas. Slim line off the shelf sheds can be a good way to get the majority of what you need out of sight, but I think it’s better to invest a bit more thought and effort into this to really maximise the space.
Consider everything you need to store and then add anything you might need in the future – things like kid’s bikes are a great example. By mapping this out and planning effectively you can easily build a custom shed that will store everything you need for now and into the future. Having a large well thought out storage unit is a great investment too as if you come to sell, buyers will put great value into having a space to hide all of their goods too – just make sure access into the shed is also considered so it’s a breeze to use.
The side of your house is also a great spot for additional gardening areas such as a greenhouse or shade house, a potting station, compost area or even an outdoor workshop for woodwork. For compost areas try to get these as close to the kitchen as possible to make the process of taking our scraps out as easy as possible. Shade houses and greenhouses should be located to maximise the sun whether hiding from it of trying to maximise it and potting and work stations need to be at a comfortable height for working at so you’re not bending over in an already tight spot.
As most of us live between two other people our side access areas can be shaded by the house and side fence, even in the most northerly aspects, rather than thinking of this as a drawback think of this as appositive and utilise these areas for items that need protection from the sun. Having a pet zone is a great example of this, an outdoor bed and water bowls are perfect down in a shady spot as is creating a protected run for our house bound feline friends.
For the more active amongst us an outdoor gym is often unsightly so a chin up bar mounted on the house as well as a fold down bench to work on those bulging biceps is a great use of space. If you’re a fan of thrashing ‘battle ropes’ the side passage is one of the only spots with enough length to really get these going and get your heart rate up.
Side areas also make great play areas for kids to be messy without interference to the more manicured back garden. A simple mud kitchen is easy to install as taps are often located on the side of a house, a bench and sink where kids can collect soil and turn it into mud and make mud pipes is best done out of sight from the rest of the garden. Dedicating a section of wall to some blackboard paint is also a lovely way to get children to be creative outdoors.
I also think the side passage is a great way to include more planting into your garden but as these spots are tight going up is a better option than going out. Focus planting pockets where windows look out from the house and simple wires on the fence for climbing plants to flourish is a great way to get the vertical garden look for a fraction of the cost, for sunny spots hardy star jasmine is a great fast-growing option and for those in more shade Madagascan jasmine will tolerate the shade yet still provide fragrant blooms. I have creeping fig on my fences as it covers the fence with dense foliage and is self-attaching but does require maintenance to keep it close to the fence and dense in habit.
If you have a bit more space and a bit mores sun, then use the side passage for a veggie patch, beans and peas will climb the walls and herbs and tomatoes flourish baking on a hot northerly aspect. For a shady side passage why not add a touch of the tropics focusing on larger leaves and foliage accents to make a statement. Whatever your aspect, always include a spot to sit and relax and to take in all the planting otherwise you’ll never really enjoy the fruits of your labours.
