dcsarah's Profile

My back yard in my DC rowhouse is almost the exact size as yours, from the looks of it. I'm in the middle of redoing it. A great book that I got and read through is Small Garden, by John Brookes. It is dedicated to gardening in small spaces, including balconies, porches, courtyards, and small urban backyards. It is also broken down in several easily accessible ways: first by type of backyard, then with an explanation of how to go about planning, and finally with a whole section on plant and flower options, with great pictures.

A television resource, if it rotates through again, is the show Urban Outsiders on HGTV, hosted by Matt James. He specializes in small city yards (his BBCA show is called City Gardener, which was set in Britain) and has absolutely fabulous taste, and can do some astonishing things with small spaces. http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_plans_strategy/article/0,,HGTV_3569_4803066,00.html

Your soil looks like it could use some help--you could have a landscaping service truck in topsoil. Two lower cost and more environmentally friendly options would be to check craigslist for fill dirt or top soil (which people often give away free as long as you come pick it up) or call your local stables to see if you can get manure (I know, ick) from them to add to the nutrients in your soil.

People often give away bushes and flowers on craigslist, too, when they are redoing their yards.

I put it in place in my 100-year old rowhouse, rather than break into the plaster walls. It works quite well, and is still linked into the phone system. (Plus, more than half of ADT's security is provided by having the stickers on your windows.)

--Sarah