In designing my Oakville, Ontario, garden, I had heeded classic advice and worked with the borrowed view of the next-door neighbour's garden.
As our urban landscape stretches towards the plains and into the foothills, the "borrowed view" of the surrounding areas includes native plants that are valuable additions to the home Garden.
They have also taken advantage of the borrowed view from the woods adjoining their yard, making it look as though the islands are framing an entry way.
Ways in which small outdoor spaces are made to appear larger are addressed--such as screens, terracing, "the borrowed view," water as a reflective device, and Japanese garden design techniques. Also shown are paving techniques and planting solutions.
Do you see a large tree, hedge or rooftop that seems like part of your garden? If you can spy it, it is yours-at least in a design sense. Consider these "borrowed views" as extensions to your own garden and layer your elements accordingly.
Lindsey says the key is to find something that is "slightly to very different from the rest of your landscape in form, texture or color." It could be an architectural feature of your house or even a borrowed view.
  
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