Conservatory in smallish garden

[OfUselessBooks]

Our new garden has a smallish garden (abt 8.5 m wide and 10.5 m long). We are going to convert it mainly to grass with a small7sh patio and just a few bushes at the edge to maximise play space.

Our old house had a lean to style conservatory and I loved sitting in it with a drink and watching the kids play. But is our garden to small? The old one was 2m deep, which was fine for 2 armchairs so we would only have a small one. An alternative might be to have a small glass extension to the dining rooms but I understand these are more expensive and it's not our forever home, but I do want to enjoy it while our kids are small. Has anyone got a small garden and small conservatory?

There was a conservatory when we bought our house but I find them naff so we removed it. Instead, we’ve got full height windows from the rooms at the back of the house and one of the rooms is set up as a garden room for basking in the sun and looking over the garden.

That sounds lovely, we have considered putting in patio doors (at the moment it's a single glass door with a small window either side). Problem is the house is tiny too so the room it would back onto is the kitchen diner and not much room for my lovely armchair!

Don't get a conservatory, too hot in summer and too cold in winter and you'll miss your outdoor space.
If I could afford it I would get rid of mine and have a lovely garden.

We have one. It's north facing, and great in the summer. Cold in the winter though. It's nice to have a chill-out space, and useful for drying clothes and feeding the cat.

We have almost the same size garden with a 9' conservatory facing north (so it doesn't really get too hot) put in by previous owners. Works well and I sit in it for hours if it's raining or colder.

Wish it had proper wired-in heating and not a wheelie oil heater but the previous owners were a bit clueless (no small opening windows or vents either... so I have to crack a door to get air in).

If you have it designed right with part wall part glass, decent glazing on the roof and ventilation you can leave open if you're out, it will be part of your garden and not 'lost' space as you can also put window boxes on the outside wall part and fill those with flowers or veg.

What about just having a patio with outdoor rattan sofas? You could have a parasol for shade - and let's face it, if it's raining, the kids won't be playing in the garden anyway.

Also, while you're planning your garden, please may I put in a word for the honeybees? A blank swathe of grass and concrete slabs doesn't leave them anything to feed on - how about a load of pot plants to add colour and a trellis with some climbing plants on the fence?

That sounds lovely @FlamedToACrisp - I think we will definitely get some herbs and flowers and a budlea for the butterflies too. I definitely want to break it up a bit but not have wide borders like it has now (they are gravel so we're not removing any plants). I have a wildlife gardening book so we will definitely add to it over time with plants for the bees!

Haha, my kids spent most of yesterday running around the woods in the pouring rain! I love sitting in our little lean to when it's throwing it down...I do like the idea of outside furniture though.

I'm thinking maybe if it's rectangular and maybe 2 × 4 and glass it won't take up too much. I wish so much the garden was bigger but it is big enough to play in if we are careful and make the most of the space!