Decorating & Design
15 Big Fixes For Small City Gardens
Author: Wendy Jacob
Published on April 10, 2018
In a city garden, size isn’t everything. Here are some smart solutions for city dwellers craving a garden oasis where they can unwind and escape the pressures of urban life.
Covering hard structures in green softens them, creates a calming environment, and blocks out eyesores. The key is planting a fast growing vine such as Virginia creeper or the Boston ivy shown here (“the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps”) and pruning it regularly for a dense curtain of green. Ivy never fails to lend a rich look, but some self-clinging varieties can crumble mortar and are better suited to fences and trellis structures.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home August 2012
Designer: Landscape design, Terry Ryan
Is your garden plagued by a patch of grass that never thrives? Or a dark corner shaded by trees pelted by oak keys or pine cones? Turn these liabilities into focal points with a pretty garden sculpture.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home April 2010
Designer: Ron Rule
In small gardens, the eye needs to be led. In this garden, pea gravel gives a path presence and delineates the space. The crunch of walking on gravel adds a sensory note and it draws bonus points for mimicking a romantic French parterre garden.
Photographer: Donna Griffith
Source: House & Home June 2010
Designer: Landscape design, Troy and Michelle Miller
In a small garden, every inch needs to be maxed out. This bench runs almost the length of the fence and does double duty by including storage underneath the seat for cushions and pillows, and even the folding chairs.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home April 2012
Designer: Gillian Green
This country garden has plenty of space, but a tent is also picture perfect in a small backyard to create a dreamy cocoon (with bonus weather protection). When the sides are closed you could be just about be anywhere, even somewhere as pretty as this century-old country retreat.
Photographer: Monic Richard
Source: House & Home June 2014
Designer: Anne Cote, contractor Reginald Clark and architect Douglas Dawson
This water feature doesn’t eat up a huge amount of space, adds a focal feature where plants are sparse, and helps muffle street noise. A miniature waterfall brings a spa-like feel to landscape designers Brad and Meredyth Hilton’s urban garden, while small ‘green velvet’ boxwood hedges soften all the hardscaping.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home July 2013
Designer: Landscape design, Brad and Meredyth Hilton
It sounds counter-intuitive, but filling a small yard with many little pots ends up looking cluttered. Instead, invest in a large container and fill it with a tree that has some height or a large, bushy plant to match the scale of the container. On this Toronto rooftop terrace, a supersize white Corian planter holds a low-maintenance Tamarack larch tree.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home May 2012
Designer: Ron Holbrooke
Fences are a reality in most city spaces, but lavishing them with architectural details turns a practical boundary into a luxe environment. A combination of applied trellis and box molding dresses up the fence in designer Sharon Mimran’s backyard. Painted in sophisticated neutrals, the fence seems to melt into the mature tree trunks surrounding the property.
Photographer: Ted Yarwood
Source: House & Home May 2010
Designer: Sharon Mimran
Garages are a resale asset, so we don’t suggest doing away with one entirely, but if you’re one of the urbanites weaned off your wheels by Zipcar, Uber, ride-sharing apps or a bike, why not convert a garage into a lounge you will use every day? In this Toronto backyard, the driveway and garage, which can be closed off thanks to a 20-foot sliding glass accordion door, become usable, picturesque spaces for entertaining and relaxing.
Photographer: Virginia MacDonald
Source: House & Home July 2013
Designer: Meredyth and Brad Hilton, Artistic Gardens
Gardens that don’t have space for a boxy fire pit can take a page from this design, where horizontal wood strips and steel create an “urban fireplace” with candles, turning the small space into a magical outdoor room.
Photographer: Joy Von Tiedemann
Source: House & Home October 2008
Designer: Anna Simone of Cecconi Simone
Containers allow you to vary the height of plants and move them around when entertaining. Designer Mazen El-Abdallah carves out zones in his small city backyard with flexible pieces that can be reconfigured at a whim, which includes plants. Another bonus? Poor soil conditions aren’t a problem when you plant in potting soil.
Photographer: Donna Griffith
Source: House & Home August 2016
Designer: Mazen El-Abdallah
Want a quick way to visually double the size of your yard? A mirror creates the illusion of greater depth. In this garden, pretty mirrored doors topped by trellis and a circular mirror up the indoor-outdoor feel.
Photographer: Ted Yarwood
Source: House & Home May 2010
Designer: Sharon Mimran
Long to turn your small backyard into a secret garden? Layer in some vintage finds with plenty of patina and character. In her urban backyard, designer Theresa Casey takes visitors on a journey and creates instant heritage using charming salvaged items casually displayed in nooks and crannies.
Photographer: Donna Griffith
Source: House & Home May 2014
Designer: Theresa Casey
Mimic the sophistication of a flagstone patio on a balcony using slate tiles, which look so much more polished than concrete. Designer Joel Bray gave his drab condo balcony a serious upgrade by laying a thin sheet of cement board on the existing concrete and gluing on 12″ x 12″ Montauk Black slate tiles over top.
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: House & Home July 2014
Designer: Joel Bray
A riot of clashing colors can make a tiny garden seem busy. Skip a bunch of low flowers for a larger bush with prominent blooms, and draw the eye up with a raised planter for extra impact. In this garden the pretty hydrangea bordered by a boxwood hedge are perennials, so they don’t require replanting in spring.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home July 2013
Designer: Meredyth and Brad Hilton, Artistic Gardens
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home August 2012
Designer: Landscape design, Terry Ryan