Courtyard Garden Design

A striking courtyard garden is more than just the plants. Design trends of today place the main courtyard adjacent to the internal living space of our homes. Expansive windows enable a picture perfect opportunity to present our courtyards as a seamless extension of the interior.

Great if the courtyard is only for entertaining, but given the multi purpose expectations we have, courtyard design is a specialised skill. Perhaps unknowingly, we all have high expectations of our courtyards. We need them to be the entertainment zone, the play zone for the kids and pets, maybe the drying area for the clothes, a patch for the herbs and sometimes the place to park the car. There also needs to be a hiding place for the refuse bins and a few other items we do not want on show when we are entertaining. It is a garden that facilitates all of the above, highlighting some and minimising or even hiding others.

How to create a Courtyard Garden

To create a courtyard garden, decisions will need to be made about priority activities to occur within the space. The needs of a young family will be vastly different to those of a professional couple, None the less, the design will need to create focal points that enhance the extension of the overall living space, incorporating complementary furniture. If an outdoor kitchen is envisaged, clean lines will minimize its presence. Focal points will also diminish the presence of the must haves, like the refuse area.

Small Courtyard Gardens

For small courtyard gardens, a design that achieves a sense of space, good flow, light and shade will overcome any shortcomings in size. Good courtyard garden design avoids clutter, incorporating large and bold pots and plants, adopting a restricted plant pallet. Hard surfaces like paving, privacy screens, fencing will be a harmonious addition to the building architecture, again to create the illusion of space.

Should the courtyard be adjacent a multi level home, the horizontal and vertical elements of the courtyard design will need to be in the right proportions or scale. Vertical elements to the design should be more significant.

The Benefits of a Courtyard Garden

The benefits of a courtyard garden are to highlight and accentuate the relaxing, entertaining and greener elements of the courtyard, whilst losing the other, but necessary infrastructure elements such as the refuse area etc.

If you are not optimizing the full potential of you your courtyard, both aesthetically or functionally contact Leaf Stone Water for professional advice.