b'feature gardentop tips for small gardensBe disciplined - you cant have too many different plants or materials.Use standardised plants to visually open up the garden. Espaliered plants, trained along a fence, need less room to grow.Large pavers are less visually busy than smaller formats.BelowA quiet corner with aResenewelcoming seat and potted plants.JalapenoThe walls behind are ReseneReseneArrowtown and Resene Sea Fog. MoreporkMarion has used scale and repeating pattern to trick the eye into believing the space to be larger than it is.While Marion sometimes sighs in regret at the limitations of her 389sq m land size, she has enjoyed designing the hard landscaping and planting to maximise whats wonderful about living small.I like rhythm and structure, so I really enjoy my three rows of carpinus fastigiata (upright hornbeam). I like buxus and topiary. As both lend themselves so well to small, ordered spaces, they work well here. The plants are offset by a wall painted in Resene Sea Fog. The fact that Marion prunes the hornbeam as trees with measured gaps is part of the magic of this garden. Being able to look between them lends a certain mystery, as well as visually lengthening the garden. And while extensive use of concrete might be another answer to maximising the space and keeping maintenance down, Marion has employed restraint. I dont like concrete. Where I use pavers, Ive often used them alternately with squares of mondo-grass planting. 63'