Please show me your courtyard gardens!

LawksaMercyMissus · 2023-02-06T22:56:35+00:00

I'm starting it from scratch. South facing, completely walled, long hot summers, usually short, mild winters but this year has been very cold and dry. I'm thinking jasmine, evergreen honeysuckle, white hydrangeas and lots of roses....

Sunriseinwonderland · 06/02/2023 23:03

You wouldn't want to see mine, its a horrible weedy gravel pit. I'm saving hard for some landscaping and raised beds to be put in - I loathe gravel, its the laziest form of gardening.

007DoubleOSeven · 06/02/2023 23:05

I don't have one sadly, but wanted to add cannas to your list

And agapanthus

Original poster

LawksaMercyMissus · 06/02/2023 23:06

I love agapanthus and have been trying to remember the name

OP posts:

Sunriseinwonderland · 06/02/2023 23:12

I always have winter interest (in previous gardens) hellebores, cotoneaster horizontalis, pyracantha (shaped), winter jasmine, You need that splash of colour in the dark days as there are so many of them.

Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight · 06/02/2023 23:17

I don’t have one, but am thinking of downsizing and a walled south facing courtyard is just what I would want.

Also make sure you have plenty of evergreens so it doesn’t look bare in winter. I would start with an evergreen base structure and then add in, although if you are having hydrangeas (presumably on the North facing wall) I would go for Annabelle (Anabelle Strong if you can get that as they don’t flop as much as normal Annabelle), they make lovely winter interest with the dried heads

I would add a white or purple wisteria.

Alliums, lots of alliums!

overkeen · 06/02/2023 23:19

Ooh, following with interest. I know nothing about gardening, but have just bought a cottage with south facing walled garden and would like some tips!
There are plenty of pots in the garden and I have noticed a large clipped back rose bush amongst some shrubs.

I'd love to have fruit trees in the future, but no idea if they'd grow.

I love the smell from a honeysuckle in the summer evenings when the walls are still warm.

007DoubleOSeven · 06/02/2023 23:56

Espalier!

007DoubleOSeven · 06/02/2023 23:57

And a pink camelia for winter

medianewbie · 06/02/2023 23:59

.

buckeejit · 07/02/2023 00:17

This isn't a courtyard but courtyard feel, although NE facing. Low maintenance!

DaenerysD · 07/02/2023 00:48

I have a mid terrace with walled courtyard however I'm in the process of taking a wall down and extended the area slightly. Only been here a couple of years so early days plant wise as it was just mud and icy when I moved in.
Lots of alliums! Jasmine, Wisteria, honeysuckle I need!!
Grasses and lavender so far.
Tbh it's anything that takes my fancy!
Oh and a rampaging pasiflora which smells gorgeous and is loving the sun but needs to be kept under control!
There's a lot of random poppies and primrose around the outside walls
Oh and Buddleia is abundant round here too which is pretty but messy.
I wish I could keep Bougainville alive as it's one of my favourites to take outside during summer

Original poster

LawksaMercyMissus · 07/02/2023 04:03

Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight · 06/02/2023 23:17

I don’t have one, but am thinking of downsizing and a walled south facing courtyard is just what I would want.

Also make sure you have plenty of evergreens so it doesn’t look bare in winter. I would start with an evergreen base structure and then add in, although if you are having hydrangeas (presumably on the North facing wall) I would go for Annabelle (Anabelle Strong if you can get that as they don’t flop as much as normal Annabelle), they make lovely winter interest with the dried heads

I would add a white or purple wisteria.

Alliums, lots of alliums!

Aah, useful, I had Annabelle on my list but didn't know about the flopping.

The house is only used in the summer so I'm not too worried about winter colour.

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LMBoston · 07/02/2023 07:16

Here is mine last year — I’ve lived here for nearly 12 years, and when I moved in it was pretty sparse (a huge fatsia, holly, conifer and a vine running riot so you could hardly get down the steps!). The bare bones were great though, but only a few squares of actual soil to plant in so most things are in pots which has its pros and cons :)

The walls retain heat so although I’ve lost a few plants with the frosts this winter, plenty have come through, even a melianthus. I love my garden and it feels like a tiny oasis in the middle of town!

LMBoston · 07/02/2023 07:17

Sorry, those photos look really blurry… hope they sharpen up as I’m really not (that) bad a photographer 😅

Original poster

LawksaMercyMissus · 07/02/2023 07:30

@LMBoston that's gorgeous!

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BarrelOfOtters · 07/02/2023 12:03

Can't post mine at the moment. But it's great if you can get some height in. I had a small cherry tree, a small lilac, a bay and a big hydrangea all in pots that really helped bring height. Also planted a mountain ash (joseph Rock) in a raised bed.

Keeping it watered if it's south facing will be a challenge so maybe think about some automatic watering.

sevenbyseven · 07/02/2023 12:08

Lavender likes sunshine and is great for attracting bees 🐝

If you enjoy cooking I'd grow some herbs out there too.

YellowMonday · 07/02/2023 12:54

Very early days for me. I have a lot of pollen allergies too, which limits what I can plant. My back wall is going to be a vertical garden. More pots on backo rder.

007DoubleOSeven · 07/02/2023 13:25

I have serious garden envy!

VenusClapTrap · 07/02/2023 15:57

@LMBoston that’s properly gorgeous. Looks like you’re next door to a cathedral too for added charm!

Not a courtyard exactly but I have an awkward narrow space in my garden that is enclosed by a Lonicera hedge on one side, the house wall on the other and fences at the narrow ends. North facing, full shade and always damp. I’ve had the brick path that goes through it properly relaid, and created a stumpery either side filled with ferns and the occasional Hosta (although snails…). I’ve also experimented with a Podophyllum Spotty Dotty which I really, really hope has survived the frosts, because I love it.

larchforest · 07/02/2023 16:08

Rosemary. Every south facing courtyard garden needs rosemary.

VenusClapTrap · 07/02/2023 16:21

This was my stumpery last summer. It is in need of some TLC right now, but I just acquired a couple of lovely stumps this week to bulk it out a bit.

LMBoston · 07/02/2023 19:43

Thanks @LawksaMercyMissus :) If you’re only there in summer then I’d make sure (as pps say) you have some evergreens for structure/anchor points, lots of herbs and lavender (drought tolerant once established for when you’re not there), then go mad with bedding. Easy to maintain and change round if you get bored!

Oooh @VenusClapTrap a stumpery! That’s fabulous! One of my gardening clients wants to create one, I’ll show her your pictures 😊 My yard is opposite a beautiful church and the gate/steps side is north facing; surprisingly, that rambling rose Veilchenblau does really well against that shady wall if you ever fancy a bit of colour.

Notellinganyone · 07/02/2023 19:46

LMBoston · 07/02/2023 07:16

Here is mine last year — I’ve lived here for nearly 12 years, and when I moved in it was pretty sparse (a huge fatsia, holly, conifer and a vine running riot so you could hardly get down the steps!). The bare bones were great though, but only a few squares of actual soil to plant in so most things are in pots which has its pros and cons :)

The walls retain heat so although I’ve lost a few plants with the frosts this winter, plenty have come through, even a melianthus. I love my garden and it feels like a tiny oasis in the middle of town!

Gorgeous!

VenusClapTrap · 07/02/2023 23:05

Definitely making a note of that rose, ta