Make a Big Impact in a Small Urban Space with Tropical Plants

When I moved into my Victorian-era Minneapolis home 25 years ago, all I could see from my apartment was a narrow strip of neglected lawn. The yard was half-shaded by a stray red mulberry tree (Morus rubra, zones 5–9), and only sparse grass grew on it; its sole purpose seemed to be to encourage my creativity. I had little money, but plenty of time and vision. Since I was a renter, I asked my landlord for permission to make changes to the space, and she enthusiastically agreed.

Use what you have

I quickly found a pair of vintage porch columns in the basement; they became pillars for an arbor and lintel, which I erected halfway across the side yard, now covered in vines during the summer months. With this structure in place, the once-empty area felt instantly connected to the house. Then I started thinking about the bed lines by installing a small patio and putting down my garden hose. When setting up the garden, I often worked with plants and materials that were cheap or free, such as granite pebbles from a local street-renovation project. These were used to create a walkway under another tree that became the entrance to the garden (photo above). Over time, I have become more aware of my intentions for my small space.

I have curated and revised most of those original freebies and finds, replacing them with more desirable choices that look and work well together. Among other things, focusing on plants that play off each other’s colors is crucial for adding interest, and adding dozens of containers allowed for more plants than I would otherwise have been able to accommodate in such a small area. Finally, it’s important to maintain a living space, allowing me and any visitors to fully immerse themselves in this hidden escape in the middle of an urban environment. Today, the result of these design tactics is a small landscape that makes a big impact.

Strong plant pairings in vivid hues set the scene

Passersby are immediately met with a wave of contrasting texture and color that accentuates an arbor and a pebble path leading to the backyard. Most notably, the deep color of the purple-heart Tradescantia is offset by lighter hues of Tropicanna® gold cannas and a ‘Golden Teardrop’ sedum (Sedum lineare ‘Golden Teardrop’, zones 3–9) (below).

Space-conscious combos help divide up precious real estate in a small garden

Small ‘Emperor I’ Japanese maples, with their upright habit and dark foliage, help to distinguish the drifts of nearby Japanese wild grass from the sea of green. This contrast allows this perennial to make a big impact with its relatively large spread. Pops of color and bold patterns in adjacent pots add extra interest.

Once I’ve settled on a star plant combination, I also think about the proportion and shape I want the plants to occupy in the landscape or container. This is especially a concern in a small garden, where space is at a premium. For example, I love Japanese wild grass (Hakonecloa macra, zones 5–9) for its elegant texture and brightly colored blades, and I wanted a proportionally large area to really emphasize its horizontal movement. But I found that all I needed was a pair of relatively small ‘Emperor 1’ Japanese maples (Acer palmatum ‘Emperor 1’, zones 5–9) to make that statement with their dark satin-purple leaves (below). Together, they make a dynamic duo. Directly beneath the trees, a sea of various ground covers grows in contrasting shades. This combination becomes especially spectacular in the fall, when the maples glow neon against the cool green. To me, it's a bold pairing with pleasing proportions in all seasons.

Make Size Look Relative When Placed Carefully

Playing with proportion and scale, in addition to color and texture, adds extra intrigue to any composition. Both ‘Emperor 1’ Japanese maples (above) and elephant ears (below) look larger than life compared to their much smaller counterparts nearby.

Containers can also add a touch of contrast. Not only do their rustic and refined finishes look great against the foliage of almost any plant, but they can also be placed where their size is most effective in emphasizing the surrounding shapes and textures. The plants they are paired with also play a role. I use a variety of large tropical foliage to achieve scale in containers, especially elephant ears (Alocasia spp. and cvs., zones 9–11; Colocasia, spp. and cvs., zones 8–11) and caladiums (Caladium spp. and cvs., zones 9–11). The effect is striking when the woody, umbrella-sized leaves are placed on top of something like a small ‘Blackout’ heuchera (Heuchera ‘Blackout’, zones 4–9). They look bigger than they really are, and make the perennials below seem even smaller.

Use container groups within a limited space to create a design in miniature

When I ran out of space, I started collecting containers. Since I work at a retail garden center, I’m blessed to be able to request imperfect pots. With a little Gorilla Glue, many discarded pots now have a home, and I use over 80 containers each year. They not only increase my planting space, but also give the garden visual weight and solidity.

A place for every pot

I’ve found that to keep my numerous containers in this small space, I’ve found that strategically placing them is essential. Every spring, I spend days finding pots, arranging them, and rearranging them. I look for places that feel different from last year — fresh and new — but balanced and full of opportunities for amazing plant combinations that will guide you through the garden as you walk the paths. I first group my pots together, often in units of two, three, or five. As I do when designing with plants, I then organize the containers based on similarities or contrasting characteristics, such as color or material, such as polished ironstone or hypertufa.

Then I consider what to include in each pot. Typically, I group several pots together with one plant in each pot, or I install a large, individual, mixed container. When I plant a collection of pots, it becomes a complete design unit in miniature. I arrange single plant pots in a pleasant arrangement, with specimens like variegated lilyturf (Liriope muscari 'Variegata', zones 5–10) and 'Beeve Maribo' dwarf variegated ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba 'Beeve Maribo', zones 3–9) next to 'Gatsefiana' Barbados gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata 'Gatsefiana', zones 9–11), a rare cactus with golden leaves instead of spines. These single plant pots, grouped together in a design, are much easier to create than multiple mixed containers. I find these units are much easier on the eyes and add less clutter to my small space.

Throughout the garden, I alternate these groupings with smaller, more compact, mixed-container plantings. In these creations, I’m careful to choose plants that don’t clash with their neighbors in the ground, so that things don’t get too messy. When thinking about these complex plant combinations, I’ve learned to include all my options and then consider the context and eliminate the ones that don’t work.

Through this process, I’ve found that sometimes the right plant pairing can elevate a very common plant, like a common American agave (Agave americana, Zones 8–11), to superstar status. Together, my collection of dozens of containers guides the viewer through the space, allows for a radical change of design from year to year, and emphasizes my perennial plantings that live in the ground.