At Toronto’s Canada Blooms, the country’s largest flower and garden festival, the trend in growing vertically has grown up–gorgeous, smart, sophisticated examples were everywhere. This should come as no surprise given the appeal: great for small urban spaces and for turning plants into art, literally. Here are some highlights.

Hollander Landscaping Ltd specialize in living walls for interiors but who wouldn’t be inspired by this design of theirs to rethink an outdoor brick wall.

Here’s a closer look.

This wall, also by Hollander Landscaping Ltd, is state of the art.

Another wall by Hollander inspires new ways of creating a jardin potager.

A painted frame sets off this small vertical herb garden.

Harvesting herbs is easier when they’re grown vertically like this featured in the Ontario’s West Coast display.

Also in the Ontario’s West Coast display is this example of taking tulips to new heights.

Bromeliads got the vertical treatment, too.

This wall of bromeliads by Jensen Botanicals Direct was built using supports bought at Ikea.

This “tropical haven”, designed and built by Jacob’s Gardenscape, features a living tapestry hung on a bamboo wall.

Sedums get a painterly treatment. This is gardening as art, literally.