Country courtyard garden

A design for a new courtyard garden which makes the most of a previously rather awkward and relatively unused space at the side of the house which felt dark with a scrubby area of lawn broken up by an old and unused small  conservatory (which was removed).

Client brief: A low maintenance garden which feels manageable and easy to care for with a defined and open area for eating outside and additional places to sit, relax and to enjoy the open views towards the countryside. Key words: clean lines, open feel, pots, flowering shrubs, different textures and shades of green, soft colours.

The design solution retained, as requested by the client, much of the existing planting on the boundaries plus the existing corner arbor and includes an open area of paving with plenty of room for pots, sitting, relaxing and entertaining.  Access to and from the courtyard is from the paving at the back of the house, the kitchen door and the gateway to the front garden. Each of these leads into a defined area of the new garden but the three are linked by paving ensuring that the garden works as a whole and that the views out of the garden are not compromised. Planting: simple, predominately shrubs and grasses acting as a foil to the pots some of which will include seasonal colour. Climbers on the arbor and to soften the wall of the house. Many existing shrubs retained.   Gravel mulch envisaged in some areas to cut down on maintenance and bring additional light into the courtyard.