Pocket Garden - This intimate terrace garden demonstrates how a small space can be transformed through careful planting and attention to detail. Sheltered by a mature Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar), the terrace is a master class in shade gardening. The vertical surfaces are as carefully planted as the beds. Climbing hydrangea is trained on a mounted trellis attached to the house, while Baltic ivy has been meticulously trained against the fence with nearly invisible fishing line, forming a living lattice that changes with the seasons. At ground level, sweet woodruff and self-sown Kenilworth ivy soften the edges of the paving. The shade cast by the mature Cryptomeria supports a diverse understory of trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, miniature ferns, daylilies, and Vinca minor ‘Bowles Variety’. A substantial hosta collection forms the backbone of the planting, with cultivars including ‘Curly Fries’, ‘Praying Hands’, ‘Stained Glass’, ‘Wrinkle in Time’, ‘Mighty Mouse’, ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, ‘Smash Hit’, ‘June’, ‘Paul’s Glory’, and ‘Feather Boa’. Now firmly established, the biennial foxglove cultivars ‘Camelot Rose’ and ‘Excelsior’ have self-sown in the transition beds, drawing the eye from the cool, shaded terrace toward the sun-loving flower beds bordering the main lawn. The low rosettes appearing along the stepping stones are first-year plants; because foxgloves are biennials, they will produce their flowering spikes next season. The plant collection combines botanical interest with personal history. Many of the garden’s plants were gifts from friends and fellow gardeners. An enthusiastic propagator, the homeowner has divided and shared many of her own treasures throughout the Borough and beyond. - contributed by Anna Bell McLanahan