Bay Area designers Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet have two decades of combined experience designing hundreds of gardens, and along the way "we've learned that almost any space can benefit from a few vertical gardening techniques," says Morrison, owner of Creative Exteriors Landscape Design and a founding member of the Lawn Reform Coalition. Her coauthor, Sweet, writes for Horticulture magazine and has a design practice called Harmony in the Garden. Here are some ideas featured in their latest book, "Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces."

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‘Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces’

Bay Area designers Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet have two decades of combined experience designing hundreds of gardens, and along the way “we’ve learned that almost any space can benefit from a few vertical gardening techniques,” says Morrison, owner of Creative Exteriors Landscape Design and a founding member of the Lawn Reform Coalition. Her coauthor, Sweet, writes for Horticulture magazine and has a design practice called Harmony in the Garden. Here are some ideas featured in their latest book, “Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces.” (Cool Springs Press)

Vertical elements help to turn a balcony into an outdoor room. Iron trellises and space-saving boxwood topiaries are ideal for narrow places. Although the wall fountain was made from a lightweight resin, it was too heavy to hang on the balcony wall, so a false wall was built to support it. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

A cinder block wall in Theresa Loe’s “urban homestead” in El Segundo gains a colorful curtain of scarlet runner beans supported by an inexpensive section of painted lattice. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

Just about anything can be reinvented as a planter, a notion illustrated here with wood file drawers that contain herbs and lettuces in a San Francisco apartment courtyard. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

An industrial-grade bucket hung by hardware store chain makes an unusual container for growing upside-down tomatoes against the fence. Strawberries seem to thrive in drilled PVC pipe. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

Detail of the strawberry “tower” fabricated from recycled PVC piping. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

“Garden Up!” coauthor Susan Morrison used bold magenta paint to transform her fence, where she hung circular mirrors. The simple design makes a striking backdrop for plants and containers. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

An old ladder gains new status as an unconventional trellis against Theresa Loe’s cinder block wall. A nest for pollinating bees rests on one rung. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

To hide an ugly chain link fence, this gardener bought a standard wood lattice, artfully cut out portions to create a custom pattern, then stained the whole thing as a vertical backdrop. A tri-fold rattan screen was stained the same color, reflecting light back into the garden and further camouflaging the chain link. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

Rebecca Sweet’s planting strip is only 5.5 inches deep, but she makes the most of the space with vertical layers -- vines, espaliered plants, wall art and trellising. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)

A bright purple-blue trellis pops against a stucco wall, aided by the vibrant gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba) and the leaves of orange clock vine (Thunbergia gregorii). For an easy way to track our future coverage, join The Times’ Facebook gardening page.
For a look at more California homes and gardens, bookmark our Homes of The Times gallery. (Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet)