What Is A Capsule Garden & What's The Best Way To Design One?

With the seemingly endless variety of plants out there, deciding what to have in your garden can leave you scratching your head. It's easy to get carried away and end up with a hot mess of a garden. You might think that there's no such thing as too many plants — fair enough. But clutter is clutter, especially if your outdoor space isn't all that big. The idea is to make the most of a limited collection of plants, and a capsule garden is one way to do that.

A capsule garden is essentially an arrangement of curated plants and accessories. It's all about quality over quantity, only keeping what adds value to the design. This is not to be confused with a time capsule garden, where you choose plants based on garden designs from the 1700s and 1800s. In a capsule garden, you can interchange your plants in a way that you get a wide variety of different layouts. It's a trending design choice that stresses the idea of doing more with less, perfect for balconies, small terraces, and for those who prefer a low-maintenance setup. Each plant and accessory needs to serve a purpose in form and function. You can even curate the flora by theme by growing culinary herbs together, opting for aromatic greenery, or keeping your choices purely aesthetic. The result is usually a beautiful garden that's compact, thoughtful, and sustainable.

Designing a capsule garden is a form of art in and of itself. It all begins with auditing the collection you already have (skip this step if you're starting from scratch). Get rid of plants that aren't really doing well. Plants that — in the words of Marie Kondo — "don't spark joy" also need to go. But this doesn't mean that you should throw them away. If the plant is still in good shape, you can always gift it to friends or family. The next step is to pick a color palette that makes it easy to mix and match. Think neutral colors such as white, cream, and light pastels. You can add a bright-colored plant or two for a splash of vibrancy. Then, you'll want to choose the key pieces you want to include in your garden — the special list of plants you want to keep or add. Pair them with foliage plants for a lush look.

For the theme, you can choose something as specific as a Mediterranean or Japanese garden, or something more general, like a cottage garden design or a contemporary look. Next, you have the accessories. These should be stripped down to the bare essentials — a hand trowel, a garden fork, and maybe a watering can. The same goes for decorative items. It's easy to get carried away with details, but this prevents your curated pieces from really shining. A comfortable seat can tie the place together. If your capsule garden is the decorative idea for a small balcony, you'll also need one piece of furniture, like a bench or a lounge chair. The result will be an urban oasis that you can't get enough of.