Small "pocket gardens" can be just as wonderful as a large landscape; in many ways they are better, because they feel more intimate by their very nature. The owner of this Miami duplex asked me to tackle his neglected back garden, which had several issues: Overgrown palms, lots of dry shade, and a need for maintenance access throughout the planting areas. The finished solution has lots of mid-level shrubs and perennials to bridge the gap between the overgrown palms and the ground plane. Dieffenbachia, white liriope, sansevieria, Japanese farfugium, Australian tree fern and burgundy false-aralia, all of which thrive in shade, create an elegant textural composition. Installing a small irrigation system solved the problem of dry shade, and the river rock beds are not just decorative, but also allow for maintenance access throughout the garden. Lastly, I mounted a series of orchids directly onto the palm tree trunks, to give a splash of color at eye level.