Help me fix my uneven, shady, chalky courtyard garden please!

[GordonGarden]

Name changed in case anyone recognizes the photo.
As per the title, we've recently moved into a house with a tricky garden. Basically it's been cut into a hill so on the left hand side is a small slope held up by a breezeblock wall that drops down about 3 feet to a courtyard. The wall ends about 3/4 of the way up the garden so at the far end it just slopes the whole way, and this slope is covered by ivy. I've attached a photo in case that doesn't make sense!
It gets morning sun on the left-hand side but the right side is always in shadow.
There is what looks like a flowerbed on the left hand side but is actually just a couple inches of soil on top of the paving slabs. We'll probably pull up a row or two of paving slabs on that side to make an actual flower bed. (Flower / shrub recommendations welcome! The soil is shallow and chalky - you hit solid chalk about 8 inches down.) The ivy at the far end appears to be covering a pile of rubble that feels like it's stopping the slope from turning into a mini-landslide, so I'll probably leave that there.
What can I do (without spending a fortune or completely landscaping it!) to make it better?
Is it worth pulling up half the paving slabs to put down lawn or is that more trouble than it's worth in terms of having a small patch of grass to mow?
Would you paint the fences / repaint the breezeblock wall a different colour?
I'm basically stumped and open to suggestions!

I would do as you suggest and pull up those two rows of paving slabs by the wall to create a flower bed. You could use sleepers to make a raised bed pretty cost-effectively as you already have a wall at the back there.

Personally I'd paint the fences and wall all the same colour. I really like black fences/walls with just green foliage and white flowers as it makes a real statement (I stole that idea from a Chelsea Flower Show garden a couple of years ago.) Appreciate that's not for everyone though so I'd go for whatever colour you like but if the wall and fences are the same colour it will blend in better.

I wouldn't bother laying a lawn and would keep it as a courtyard garden. Once you've planted up the left hand side I would just use pots on the right hand side and choose shade loving plants. With a table and chairs and some festoon lighting or fairy lights around the fence it would look lovely!

Something like this would bring more interest in the patio, whilst still using affordable materials. It would be a very easycare garden.
Once the basic patio plan is established, you could add other items such as the trees and pots gradually over time.
I would move the line post to a less conspicuous place further back, or use a retractable line as its the first thing your eyes are drawn to.
Also, you could fill the top holes in the breeze block wall with small pots or soil, planted with trailing plants to soften the appearance of the wall and add more interest.

I had a courtyard garden. I agree that trees and large shrubs would provide height and interest. Google small trees for containers. I’ve got mahonia and bay for evergreen. a small flowering cherry, a dwarf lilac and a Rowan tree. Use bottomless containers to give you height and get over the chalk issue. Use John innes in the containers. Use the walls for climbers. Work out a sitting area. Plant lots of scented things as the courtyard holds scent beautifully.

On the RHS where you get little sun I would put things like japanese maples, ferns and hostas in a raised bed.

On the LHS where you get some sun I would put mediterranean plants/herbs which need little soil and are happy with chalk. Things like lavender, thyme, rosemary and so on.

I would definitely render or at least paint the wall. And stick a climber on it.

Ah these ideas are just the sort of thing I was looking for!
I hadn't thought of painting the fences and wall the same colour - I was thinking to go for contrast but now that you mention it, @ThreeRingCircus I think you're right that a single colour would tie it all together.
@brambleberries your layout has filled me with hope that the garden could be really quite lovely 😊 I love the idea of trailing plants growing out of the breezeblocks, and I think defining different areas with coloured edging slabs will also make it look a lot more intentional and less depressing 🙈
Also great tip about scented plants, @BarrelOfOtters. I hadn't even thought of that. DH loves the smell of honeysuckle and that seems to do well in chalky soil!
And thank you for the plant recommendations @CatherinedeBourgh. 3yo DS had a great time planting a herb garden for my mum last year so I'll get him involved in the Mediterranean plants and herbs!

I'm liking the ideas so far. 🙂Nice if you can have a bird feeder as @brambleberries suggests in the sketch, something for DS to enjoy and learn from too.

Google "container gardening": a lot of plants could do well in pots. You could have spring bulbs, some annual flowers eg. petunias, pansies, African daisy (try different ones next year depending on what does well. Look in garden centre or supermarket in spring/early summer to see what you like). Even a tomato plant or strawberry if you fancy it. The containers themselves (look of them, material, colour, height) can add interest as well.

The cascading idea: good plants for walls - erigeron, aubretia, sedum, campanula (not sure about sun/shade though).

Is the paving child friendly enough?

Think big when doing the planting. Buy several the same rather than lots of variety. And a few large specimens over quantity. Once you have a strong structure of plants you can wait for them to grow and fill the space.

Think about what do you want to use the garden for. Drying laundry, lounging, dining, playing etc.

@HelloMist @redspottedmug Thanks for your responses and the advice about plants! I think we'll mostly use the garden for eating dinners outside, and (sounds a bit odd, but) looking out the window at. Our living room and both bedrooms overlook it so it would be nice to have something a bit more pleasant to look out at! Would also love to use it for growing a few vegetables in summer as a project with DS, and the bird feeder is also a good idea on that front. We probably won't do huge amounts of playing as we have a (communal) grassy space in the front of the house, and are spoilt for playgrounds, woods, countryside etc within walking distance, so most of our outdoor play is catered for. So I'm not too concerned about the paving from the POV of DS spending lots of time playing there and getting hurt.

@brambleberries your design is genius.

In terms of colour, less is more in a small garden. If you want to add light - you do - use sage green or turquoise on the walls. Bright yellow works a treat. (I did this and quailed but everyone loves it). These shades make the space look bigger and go well with foliage.

The golden rule is one big plant = better than lots small ones, and it’s true from a design pov. BUT I can’t cope with so many eggs in one basket when I don’t know what will thrive in a new space yet. I’m on year 2 of large terraced garden and merrily experimenting with lots and lots of plants to see what sticks and looks the best.

We have a N facing courtyard, as part of our garden, it does get some E and W sun in high summer. Hydrangeas in large pots do very well shade and they flower for a long time. Winter interest can be Camelias, Azaleas, small Rhododendrons, winter Jasmine and winter flowering clematis. All happy in pots. There are also a wide variety of Ferns that happily grow in damp dark situations.
In the more difficult parts of the borders, I find that the perennial Cranesbill geraniums are very easily grown and provide long lasting pretty flowers.
A water feature would be lovely, but only one that would be child safe.

Powerhose the paving before you do anything. They should come up much lighter.

I wouldn't paint the fence but I would pain the wall.
I wouldn't bother with a patch of lawn - it's a pain.

Pull up the grassy bit along the right of the path towards the gate and either pave it or put gravel down.
I'd get rid of the ivy and replace with cascading rockery plants. I'd also plant some of these along the top of the wall.

Jet wash the patio then a few large and small tubs/planters.

Agree about painting the wall. A darkish sage green would look nice year-round.

If you want a nice view, be sure to include pollinator friendly plants and a bird feeder or two.

Buddleia is pretty tough.

Will you want a table with umbrella to add vertical interest? Will you need a tiny shed for tools?

Also meant to say, factor in some evergreen plants for winter interest and nesting habitat.

I would caution against removing the ivy from the slope. In fact I would encourage it further round to the slope on the left. Or at least wait until the rest of the garden is well established before making a decision.

Ivy on a steep slope is ideally suited to keeping it stable, weed free and maintenance free. It is also wildlife friendly. Removing it will lead to excessive and thankless hours of weeding and maintaining the stability of the slope which is difficult to reach easily. It will suck all of your available gardening time away from other more enjoyable parts of the garden (as I know from bitter experience in a previous garden).