71 clever ideas for city gardens

‘The smaller the garden, the more important it is to curate its contents,’ says Sheila Jack, a designer who knows a thing or two about chic simplicity. Keen to create a garden worthy of their recently renovated house in west London, Australian expats James and Olivia Markham enlisted the help of Sheila Jack. She has combined a clever planting palette featuring a mix of foliage with curved motifs that echo the interiors.

Here, a beautiful multi-stemmed Tibetan cherry (Prunus serrula) planted near the house provides year-round interest, with its gleaming coppery brown bark, spring blossom and autumn leaf colour. At its base, set among a froth of ferns and knotted cranesbill, a clay water bowl captures reflections of the sky