Courtyard gerdens are an extension of your home. Prevent problems like glare and heat build up by planting lots of plants and adding a water feature.
Courtyard gardens are spaces that are enclosed by walls usually on three sides and sometimes four sides. They usually do not have a roof. Most courtyards do no have a lawn. Mulched areas and/or paving is most common for the floor of a courtyard garden.
Home and garden plans: Courtyard garden design
The perimeter against the walls is where the planting beds are usually located. The walls protect the plants from wind but sometimes this leads to poor air circulation. With paving and courtyard walls heat can build up and present a problem. All courtyards need many plants and a water feature to keep down the glare and the heat. Vines growing on the walls will help add to the comfort level of a courtyard garden. Fountains or any type of water feature will serve as an interesting focal point and help add humidity and moisture to the plants.
Keep the courtyard design simple by having just a few types of plants in masses. If too many plant species and too many different colors are used it will take away from the calming effect a courtyard should have. Blues, greens, purples and whites are good cool and calming colors for courtyard gardens.
Choose plants that don’t have an invasive root system or you will have roots breaking through your courtyard floor. Keep plants in scale with the size of the courtyard. If the walls of the courtyard create shady areas then choose shade loving plants such as ferns. Always add compost and mulch to your planting beds.
Container plants are perfect for courtyards. Roses, dwarf fruit trees, palms and flowering annuals can all be used. Hanging baskets will draw the eye up. Divide the walls into three areas, ground level, eye level and upper level. Something interesting should be at each level, whether it be a plant or something else.
Espaliered plants look great against a courtyard wall and they take up very little space. This will also help reduce heat and glare. Avoid plants that will harm your walls. If you have rock walls with mortar then do not use plants like Climbing Fig or English Ivy because these plants have roots and feelers that will destroy the mortar in between the rocks and cause it to be unsafe in time.
Add garden art to your courtyard garden such as statues or gazing balls. An interesting addition can be a bird bath, bird feeder or a simple, yet decorative ivy pole. Hang up chimes or little wind gadgets that twirl and sparkle in the sun. If your courtyard wall is short enough to sit on, add cushions for more comfort, when you have guests. A small table and some chairs are needed in any outdoor room. Homemade benches can be unique and comfortable. Use an old stump to carve out a chair or an animal for a conversation piece. Take out some paving stones and add some plants that like to be stepped on, like the thyme plants. When you step on them they will release their essential oils and be very fragrant.
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