Urban garden fix-up

Create focal points
"Plant something dead smack in the middle of your long narrow garden," says Rene, "create something that you have to walk into to see what's there." If you don't want a large shrub or a small tree in the middle of your yard, put in a flower-bed. "And create vertical height and depth in the garden by planting at different heights," adds Rene.

Raise your flower-beds
"This way you can add compost, fertilizer or anything that will improve the quality of the soil," says Rene. Besides compensating for the poor soil quality in my space – that large maple sucks up most of the water and nutrients, starving off all other plants near by – raised beds also help keep the neighbour's dog out. "Pile up stones or build a wooden platform to create an elevation – 12 to 15 inches is fine, 18 at most," says Rene.

Embrace angles and curves
"Tapering paths creates the illusion of more depth," says Rene.

Use small stones for paths "Interlocking brick should be placed diagonally or at an angle to create the illusion of a wider path," says Rene.

Create vertical visual impact
Plant big, shade-loving beauties – Rene recommends Goatsbeard (Aruncus Dioicus in Latin), which grows to about 3 feet, or Ligularia (Ligularia Przewalski is the full name) that gets a foot higher. "Among the best plants for creating vertical visual impact are the taller ornamental grasses, like Feather Reed Grass (or Calamagrostis)," he adds, "they are low-maintenance, disease resistant and thrive in relatively poor soil."

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