Vernon Garden makes the most of a small space

If you live downtown in a city like Toronto, then you are likely familiar with the small-space challenges of urban living. At our Vernon Garden project, we proposed a simple design solution to make the most of this tiny rear yard: we shifted the garden’s focus from the ground to the wall of the garage to carry views from the family room through to the garden. A loom of criss-crossed steel cables stretch across the façade of the garage and sloped shingle roof, creating a meshwork of climbing plants. The patio consists of round concrete pavers with lush plantings filling in the “voids”. Sliding glass doors were installed to replace the existing bay window, providing direct access to the new garden. Lastly, a single bench acts as step down into garden. It screens the air conditioning unit, provides hidden storage, and serves as the threshold between the patio and the small coat closet inside the house.