A small courtyard garden facing north-east, entirely paved with concrete slabs and minimal planting

BRIEF: Create a courtyard garden for lounging and dining with a slight Middle Eastern feel

• Inject character and softness to create a comfortable and inviting space with warmth and texture, and a layout that makes it more comfortable to relax and spend time in

• Reference courtyard gardens of the Middle East which centre around water in the middle, with the use of a well positioned water bowl in a bright colour or Corten steel

• To be used for lounging and dining if space allows

•  Plants to the edges to hide the fences; lush fragrant plants, grasses and other plants to create height and seasonal interest throughout the year – but must be low maintenance

• Would like a larger shed / storage space but ideally on the shady side to be concealed by planting

Design Solution:

The space has been divided into different zones for dining and relaxing with the use of three hard landscaping materials: earthy loose gravel; Egyptian limestone pavers and beige paving slabs to add texture and interest to the ground surface, whilst rusty Corten steel is used to define the planting beds and create height. The path leads the eye to the water feature nestled amongst billowing grasses and colourful perennials, which serves to divide the garden and create horizontal layers of planting to both widen the garden and conceal the storage shed. The planting is vibrant with terracotta Achilleas, vertical Salvias, gently arching grasses and small scale evergreen shrubs for year round structure. The fences are smothered with evergreen climbers to give a green backdrop to the planting