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Courtyard gardens often seem to be the simplest gardens to design, yet these seemingly small, spaces have a maze of complex issues to be resolved if the result is to be successful. | |
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A great idea, simple and well executed |
Courtyards often have high walls or are overlooked by taller buildings, and the courtyard space can seem dark, even dank, and shady. It can be too hot, too dry or very shady and thus difficult to get plants to grow. It can be cramped with little space for planting, and the result is 'isty-bitsy'. There may be little room for sitting out or dining. Clothing the garden, hiding stark or ugly walls can be difficult. Creating a great courtyard with a feeling of privacy, a restful setting, or a bright and jazzy one can seem well nigh impossible.
Yet courtyard gardens give us one of the best opportunities to demonstrate great design skills. The lack of space encourages us to stick to one central and well thought out scheme - this is one of the keys to a good design and a successful garden in any context. Think of all those covetable garden Show exhibition gardens; these succeed in a tiny space by following good design principles and sticking to the design. The key to a good courtyard is one great idea well executed. |
First check the territory- the blank canvas on which you are going to make your brilliant courtyard garden. Identify the sunniest area of the garden, or where the evening sun is. Think about when are you going to sit in the garden? A mid-morning suntrap is useless if you work all day and play sport on weekends.
Then look from the windows, does the garden seem to close in on you? Which wall or space is seen from most of the windows and what dominates the view? What looks attractive and what do you desperately need to conceal? ? And are there any neighbours you wish to screen out? |
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Perspectives: Changing the perceived dimension |
| Different perspectives will make your courtyard seem larger- if you emphasise the width in a narrow space or the length in a shallow one you will make that dimension stretch visually. Using a diagonal will give you the longest possible dimension in a small space. Thus you can plan which space or wall to make your focal point. |
The focal point gives the garden a focus, a reason for being and reinforces the design concept. A focal point can be a water feature, a small tree, a sculpture, an arbour of even a trompe d'oeil effect. That is, use a perspective trellis or wall mural to give the illusion that the garden continues beyond its boundaries. A mirror can be used, reflecting light and apparently carrying the eye beyond the garden wall. Mirrors were very much in evidence at the Chelsea Flower Show 2000, and with good reason. Chelsea designers work with a fairly confined plot and use the mirror to increase the amount of light and to create a feeling of spaciousness. |
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Chelsea 2000: Mirrors expand the garden |
As a rule (and rules should not be slavishly copied) leaving the central space free will make the courtyard seem larger, roomier and less crowded. [photo bankhouse] Think carefully before over-filling your space with planting.
Similarly, large, monochrome paving will expand space and busy, patterned pavers decrease it by drawing attention to the number of pattern repeats. Sometimes dividing a space into two can increase the apparent size of the courtyard- a paved seating area and a planted area will divide up the garden and, well handled, will make it seem larger. Too many divisions will give an itsy-bitsy look, lacking coherence and making the area smaller.
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