Vertical Landscaping

The typical new-home yard is the "contractor's special" -- a square of lawn framed by an 8-inch strip of dirt where a few trees and some small shrubs or blooming perennials have been placed. Most homes also have a side yard that usually becomes a storage area for trash bins, and the kids' toys that won't fit in the garage. Vertical landscaping can rescue these non-yards for the benefit of the homeowner and the landscape contractor.

The secret to building a good vertical landscape is in the layers.

Top layer: The top layer could be vines that grow flat against a wall or vase-shaped plants.

Examples: Bougainvillea, Abutilon (flowering maple), climbing roses.

Middle layer: Human eyes rely on a variety of cues to perceive depth. When two or three plants are visible in a space that appears to only have room for one, an illusion of depth is created.

Examples: Nicotiana alata (tobacco plant), Anigozanthos (kangaroo paw), Calamagrostis '"Overdam" (feather reed grass).

Bottom layer: Use mounding plants growing no more than two feet tall, focusing on foliage rather than just flowers to extend the life of the bed.

Examples: Heuchera, Echeveria (hens and chicks), Geranium "Rozanne."

Additional Tips
For a budget-friendly way to add excitement to a narrow space, paint a simple wooden trellis blue or purple and add a flowering vine or climbing rose in a complementary color.

Break up a mix of vines and tall and narrow perennials with artwork. Choose objects that are meaningful to the homeowner.

Adding a mirror gives the illusion of a window to another garden beyond. This is an effective way to make a smaller landscape look larger.