How to get the most from a small garden: Chelsea Flower Show medal-winner Jonathan Snow's top five tips for tiny outdoor spaces

Garden design is a popular second career, but not every budding Capability Brown sketches their first garden plans in a military tent in the desert.

Former Scots Guard Jonathan Snow supplemented security work in Iraq and Afghanistan by creating planting plans for anyone who asked when he was back in the UK. Now he has two RHS Chelsea Show Garden medals.

Back at home in Battersea with his wife Birgit and young daughter Flora, the designer has packed his tiny 5x5m garden and even smaller roof terrace with plants to make a tranquil, leafy refuge.

“It’s a small space, but my aim was to be surrounded by greenery,” he says. He’s certainly achieved it. For anyone who doesn’t want to leave home to get a fix of the green stuff, Snow’s garden has plenty of great ideas.

As with many London houses, sliding doors mean the garden is in full view, so it’s a great opportunity for creating something fabulous to look at.

“A classic mistake is to have measly beds around the edge and leave a big, blank space in the middle.

Be bold with the depth of the beds — 1.2 metres at least if you can — and fill them with plants, it will make your garden feel bigger when you’re sitting in it,” Snow advises

Forget large dining tables. “It’s just the two of us and our daughter most of the time,” says Snow. Two comfortable wicker Ikea chairs create a tempting newspaper-reading spot either side of a small round table.

Real wicker won’t last forever, but Snow gave these a coat of varnish and leaves them out uncovered all year. They’re going strong after three seasons.

In a space this small plants that flower only for a couple of weeks don’t make the grade.

Instead Snow rates those such as lavender Hidcote, thalictrum delavayi, giant hyssop, hydrangea Lanarth White and salvia Amistad that will keep flowering for months.

“The fewer species of plant you have in a garden the more impact they will have. Avoid buying one of anything unless it’s a large shrub or tree.”

He divides plants into “early, mid and late” interest and has at least three in each group that look good together.

People often avoid trees in small gardens but they are invaluable to create atmosphere and Snow has found room for two.

A weeping crab apple has great spring blossom, while cornus (dogwood) Eddie’s White Wonder is kept in check with pruning and has beautiful white flowers in early summer.

“Neighbours are always asking, ‘What on earth is that amazing tree?’”

When it comes to garden lighting, Snow’s advice is: “Buy once, buy well.”

He uplights the trees with LuxR LED Spotlights (darklight​design.com, from £115) and has strung Festoon Lights (from £45, gardentrading.co.uk) across the whole garden.

Go for warm white bulbs with the lowest-possible voltage to avoid glare, he advises.

It’s important to get an electrician to wire lights into an outdoor socket and avoid having wires trailing through the house.

Upstairs, the tiny 3x3metre roof terrace shows how much impact you can make by just keeping things simple.

Dark grey planters bolted around the perimeter of the wall teem with vibrant lavender Hidcote.

A couple of potted olive trees “can take abuse from the wind and sun and won’t grow too quickly”.

Early colour comes from a ceanothus Trewithen Blue slowly training up the chimney breast, and there are agapanthus flowers for later. There’s still space for Flora’s ball pool.

Commission Jonathan Snow at jonathansnowdesign.co.uk

Follow him on Instagram @jonathansnowdesign