Small space gardening is becoming a big time marketing opportunity as North Americans become increasingly urban.
Landscapers and plant breeders are beginning to take notice of these urban and suburban residents whose only available garden sites other than neighbourhood plots are on patios and decks, rooftops and courtyards, balconies and windowsills.
Raymond Evison is one such plant breeder. He is developing something called the Patio Collection Clematis, a half-dozen cultivars of that popular flowering vine bred specifically for container use.
Varieties in Evison's collection grow just 1.2 metres tall, making them ideal for tight spaces.
"We recognized that there would be a demand for small space gardening and some companion longer-lived cultivars," said Evison, who has logged more than 45 years of breeding experience, raises some 4.6 million clematis a year and supplies 25% of the world's market from his nursery on Guernsey, the largest of the four Channel Islands between Britain and France.
"These would do well in terrace-type gardens or in planting boxes. The concept is starting to establish itself quite nicely in the U.K. and central Europe," he said.
Jay Murray, owner of TLC Professional Landscaping Design and Construction in London, Ont., says reflective surfaces are a useful trick in small-space gardens.
A reflecting globe, a mirror or a shiny metal sculpture will all create a play of light and a larger feel to the area. In the right position, a mirror can double the look of the area, he says.
Lighting, he says, is often misunderstood -- a few glow lights doesn't really suffice. But proper lighting can make a dramatic difference in a small space.
"You're not getting full bang for your buck out of your backyard living if the space is not well lit," says Murray.
"You only need two or three lights to totally increase the function of your yard."
If you don't think you can design your own space, hire a designer who knows plants. For $3,000 or less, you can have a garden that suits your space and is lifestyle designed and installed.
-- with files from AP and Sun Media
