Here, Garden experts offer some suggestions for the small garden, whether an urban backyard or a rooftop, a border around a townhouse patio, or plant-filled pots on a balcony or deck.

Small outdoor spaces can be dramatic or charming or meditative. In small urban gardens, your goal may be to block a less desirable view or soften the building next door. In that case, according to Tim Johnson, the Garden's director of horticulture, choosing the right plants becomes more critical when space is limited.

"If you're planting a hedge, consider plants that are more narrow in habit. For example, Techny arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Techny') is popular, but for a small area, pyramidalis arborvitae (T. occidentalis var. pyramidalis) may work better," he said. Plants that are narrow, dwarf, or slower-growing may require less pruning to keep them within the confines of the garden.

Don't overlook walls as opportunities to enhance your space. Growing vines on a fence or stair rail or creating an espalier—a fruit tree or ornamental shrub trained to grow flat against a house or a garage or a fence—also creates a sense of enclosure.

Consider planting a small space in layers so there is something of interest at all levels.

"There are many options for adding vertical elements to give height, such as really narrow columnar trees as well as using the horizontal ground plane," says Andrew Bell, Ph.D., former curator of woody plants. He recommends spring-blooming bulbs, which add color and take up little space, and, depending on how much light the garden receives, using hardy disease-resistant landscape roses and smaller flowering shrubs, dwarf conifers, or smaller ornamental grasses.

A variety of plant shapes and textures can make the space more interesting as well. Don't overlook containers, he adds, which draw attention to small planting beds. They can also hold edibles, such as lettuce, herbs, or tomatoes throughout the growing season.

A small space may appear larger if you can work in an arbor to serve as a doorway or create a winding path, rather than a straight sidewalk.

Small gardens can also benefit from "found" objects, like ornamental ceramic tiles placed on the ground or on a wall, or a small sculpture that serves as a focal point.

SMALL-SPACE PLANTING INSPIRATION
	Helen and Richard thomas English Walled Garden  enclosed by walls and hedges, it offers a variety of different garden styles from formal to informal.
	Buehler Enabling Garden  features raised beds, dramatic containers and vertical walls planted with colorful annuals.
	Farwell Landscape Garden  offers formal and informal herb gardens, a perennial border, a rock garden, an easy-to-grow mixed border, and other small-scale landscaping ideas.
	Sensory Garden  raised beds highlight fragrant and colorful plants up close.
	Circle Garden  provides examples of ways to create garden rooms and features an ever-changing display of bulbs and annuals.
	Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden  presents a dramatic display of espaliered trees and small planting beds filled with vegetables and edible flowers.