Garden Details: Maximizing Space on a Small Lot

Front Yard: Tall Plants for Presence

Tall house, short setback—common in tract housing. Instead of diminutive plants, designer Theresa Clark uses tall plants to compensate for lack of foreground. At the Hogans’, a pair of field-grown, multi-trunked olive trees serve this function. Layered plantings fill remaining space. A garden-path feel: paving stones with dwarf thyme, or thyme in step risers; an arbor with a vine.

Side Yard: Focus on Foreground

Five-foot width typical. Another olive tree brought in; from courtyard, its trunk is visible; from second story, its canopy obscures neighbor. Star jasmine in diamond pattern, yellow clivia, dwarf abutilon in hanging baskets add interest.

Backyard: Softening Hardscape

Antique straw pavers from France mortared for stability create indoor-outdoor transition. Flagstone slabs set farther apart with thyme and dwarf succulents (sedum) between soften hardscape. Planting pockets between flagstone and dining area act as room divider. Seat wall/planter with outside pockets for trailing plants gives walls a leafy skirt.

Maximum Space Strategies

• Connect the dots. Add greenery everywhere: vine on garage roof, potted plants at door, plants in driveway (cobblestones with zoysia grass), creeping fig on block wall, planting sconces on walls/gates.
• Use small textures. Avoid many large-leafed plants.
• Select trees carefully. Height good, width not; use urn-shaped; prune for understory light.
• Make plants do double-duty. Jasmine perfumes courtyard; rosemary hedge provides kitchen herbs.