Gardening expert's simple trick that will make your garden look much bigger this summer

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

After a glorious bank holiday weekend, it looks as though summer is well and truly on its way. With warmer weather comes a desire to get outdoors, which for many homeowners means spending more time in their gardens.

From barbeques to garden parties, summer is the ideal time to host get-togethers with your family and friends. But if your outdoor space is on the smaller side and feels slightly crammed, there are some ways you can make it feel a whole lot bigger.

Gardening expert Sara Thompson has shared one trick that she advises people to try to give the illusion of a larger garden, and it won't cost you much at all.

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Keen gardener Sara, 59, said: "It’s as simple as painting your fence. Small outdoor spaces can look a lot bigger by making use of the right colour scheme.

"To make a small garden look bigger, you want to avoid using dark colours on your fences as these will suck up any natural light and give the appearance of less space.

"Instead, use light colours as these reflect natural light, making your space look bigger."

Sara says you should either paint your fence light blue, cream, soft pink or a cool grey to emphasise the space.

"In the summer, when the sky is a nice light blue colour, blue colour fence paint can help to blend the fence panel with the sky and give the illusion of space," she said.

"Neutral tones such as a cream help colourful flowers to pop out and stop the fence from being a focal point.

"Like cream, a soft pink will also allow your garden’s natural features to shine and create zones of light and colour that promote the illusion of space.

"Just like blue paint, cool grey can