The creator of a lush 66-square-foot garden shares her expertise Marie Viljoen knows a thing or two about gardening in tight spaces. After all, her first terrace in Brooklyn measured just 66 square feet, yet she managed to turn the sliver of a room into an outdoor oasis with a small grill, a table and chairs, and dozens of plants: roses, herbs, figs, lilies, strawberries, vines, and more. Her micro garden grew into a blog and a book, both named after the tiny terrace?s size. Here, Viljoen shares her time-tested strategies for small urban gardens.

There is very little as luxurious in a city as coming home to your own green retreat where you can smell the roses. Or pick the blueberries. Or dine beneath the light-polluted stars while watching a migrating hummingbird feeding on scarlet runner bean flowers. Each outdoor space is unique, with attendant challenges and possibilities, but this six-step guide will give you a sound strategy for tackling the creation of your leafy refuge.
1. Create a blueprint for your garden
Measure your space. Then draw it on graph paper or touchscreen. It does not have to be pretty, but the scale must be accurate. For printed portability it is best if the sketch fits onto a standard sheet of paper (8.5" x 11"). Convert each linear foot to a scale that will fit on the paper. A half or quarter inch per foot is easy.
Now that you are looking at it objectively, you can see how and where things will fit.
2. Allocate space
How will you u...