A tiny garden doesn’t mean a tiny imagination. In fact, small-space gardens can feel more intimate, dramatic, and—bonus—less work.

The trick? Don’t tiptoe around plants. Pack them in and blur the boundaries. Cover fences, soften corners, drape from above. When you hide the edges, the whole place magically feels bigger.

• Think upright. Choose slim, vertical growers that shoot skyward without hogging floor space. Add one or two bold, big-leafed plants (elephant’s ears, for instance) for drama, but don’t go jungle mad or you’ll end up with a green cupboard.

• Dress the walls. Vertical gardens, battens, mirrors, bold paint—it all tricks the eye and adds texture.

• Hang it up. Baskets and brackets keep greenery off the ground, freeing space for chairs, barbecues, or that little table where you drink wine and pretend you’re in Paris.

• Pot power. Pots are your best mates. Just remember the magic formula: a pillar (tall feature), a filler (bulk in the middle), and a spiller (something to cascade down). Suddenly you’ve got layers of interest instead of a pot of sticks.

Small doesn’t have to mean simple—it just means smarter.