Can't think of any books, but when you search for info I think if you use the word "courtyard" you may expand your search results. Most gardeners would probably tell you that 2 feet depth is not enough for gardening, but it is really a matter of taste and what your goal is. Personally, I bend towards the no solid slabs of concrete but some flagstone/brick type of thing that allows you to grow non-mowing ground cover in between. Or at least an irregular shaped patio that allows for some deeper beds for one or two larger plants. I have lived in those tiny kinds of condos and it seems that as soon as you put a solid anything, it takes up the whole space. I know many people garden in containers, but I avoid them at all costs because I travel alot, work long shifts, and am just lazy. Containers usually need daily watering. Ugh! The orientation can also make a big difference in your plans. If it faces due north, you will have a deep shade vs south, you can do light shade or even part sun. These are just points to ponder, there is no right or wrong way, no one else needs to see it, so it is completely up to your taste. Hope this at least helps a bit.

I have a suggestion for you; my townhouse yard is fully fenced but measures 17 x 17.5 feet. This year I decided to totally revamp the space and so had a friend who is very artistic [I cannot visualize if my life depended on it] come over and help me with ideas. She helped me design a new shape including a curved walk and circular cement patio moving away from rectangles and squares. I went to every free landscaping talk given by my favourite greenhouse - and came out with the concept of treating my entire space as one border - with a walk, patio and backstep as hardscapes within the border. The cement was poured and I've begun planting and it is really coming together. It seems much bigger than it did before. I am repeating some of the plants on each side of the walk and around the patio to make it look like the cement is just interrupting one large garden bed - amazingly it really is working. I still have some "specimen plants" but by picking 5 plants that I really love and including 3 of each within the garden it unifies the space - just a thought for you to consider

Fern

Really Small Gardens by Jill Billington. It's a British book and I don't know who the American publisher is, so I can't give you that info. You'll have to disregard a lot of the plant recommendations, but it's surprising how many of them would work in a northern garden.

The advantage of throwing sod in to begin with is that it's easy to modify afterward. In a space that small you can mow with a weed whacker and you can make up your mind slowly with less pressure.

Fern's ideas sound great.

Janet's Garden

A nice book on small gardens that I have is "Small Spaces, Beautiful Gardens" by Keith Davitt.

DON'T pour any concrete, at least not until you've lived there for a year or two and have a better idea how you'd like to use the space. It's a lot easier to remove grass than concrete if you decide you don't like it!

At the same time don't rule out eventually putting in a small concrete, brick or stone patio; it is a good idea to have someplace firm and level to put a chair, bench, or small table and you will use and enjoy your yard so much more if you have someplace comfortable to sit.

Check out this link. While most of these are bigger than yours, they might be inspiring as to what is possible in an urban garden

Here is a link that might be useful: Keith Davitt Portfolio

Thanks for the ideas and links.

Fern, I'm with you in the inability to visualize anything. I've been staring at a floorplan for this condo for 6 months and just got to walk through the first unit. What a difference seeing in 3-D makes! I will be in in late October which will be too late to do much in Wisconsin. So I will have the winter to stare at the space. Hopefully something will become clear!

The delay you face may be a blessing in disguise - I will do most of my planting of the "new area" next spring. This summer the Saskatoon Horticultural Society hosted a series of garden tours and by taking in the tours I have been able to figure out some pretty important things that I want and don't want in my "little space". The really important thing when working with a small space is that every plant needs to work. If you have the opportunity to go to any demonstration gardens do so and take lots of pictures. For those of us with a lack of "vision" seeing is believing. Good luck with the planning process - that is more than half the fun

Fern

I did get to a UW research garden of annuals, bi-annuals, perennials, veggies and fruit. And discovered they offer a nice booklet for the year, with each plant listed AND where to get it. I circled the ones I liked the look of and then googled some of them. It is a wonderful resource.

I'm totally unsure of what the light situation is going to be on my little plot. It faces north, with building on south and west and fence on north and east. It might be pretty shady OR the summer sun might make it over the roof line and blast it for part of the day. But I'm thinking in terms of shade. I had a north facing balconey in Florida that got pretty good light all day. I was amazed. Sun travel in Wisconsin will be a different deal tho.

Hi all, this is my first time to post in this forum. I like a book called "Courtyard Gardens" by Toby Musgrave, from the Country Living Gardener series through Hearst Publishing. Being a landscape designer, I'm a landscape/garden book junkie! Hope it helps, and good luck on the poject.

Cheers,
Jenny