subject: Design Ideas For Courtyard Gardens [print this page] With an increasing tendency for retired professionals , young couples and singles towards higher density inner city living, and the desire to spend minimal time on developing and maintaining gardens or other exterior areas , the majority new apartments, townhouses and condominiums tend to have only pocket sized backyards, patiosor balconies. So it becomes particularly important to make the most of such limited areas by judicious landscaping work and utilizing the space in the best possible way.
However its really not nescessary to be a professional landscape designer to create an attractive courtyard space - you just need to observe a few important design principles. And although you can't physically enlarge the size of a small garden , you can undoubtedly enlist a few visual techniques to create the illusion of space.
One important way of doing this is to create a thematic connection between the indoor and outdoor areas. Connecting the backyard or patio to the living room or kitchen, breaks down the barrier between inside and outside, making the total area seem larger. To create the link, try to use paving materials that are similar in appearance, materials or color to those used in the house. If you have a tiled area inside , think about extending the same or related tiles outside.
If you have a solid wooden or floating wood floor inside, one technique you can conceive this thematic linkage with a bare minimum of effort is to use interlocking wood deck tiles on the patio or courtyard. While these kinds of tiles are best laid on top of a concrete pad, they may also be laid on top of a level and well compacted gravel surface if you don't have an existing patio outside your living zone. If you have a tiled area inside, it's possible to purchase interlocking tiles in a variety of other surface materials including porcelain , granite, sandstone and slate.
Try to always use light colors for floor surfaces and walls which will also create an impression of space and light , so lighter colored tiles would by and large be preferable in small areas.
In confined spaces , you should try to devote more space to seating and foot traffic than to plants which should be located in wide, raised beds. For pathways , you could use deck tiles as "stepping stones" interspersed with gravel or small pebbles and enclosed by plantings.
A favourite piece of sculpture can be used a focal point providing it is in keeping with the overall motif of the patio. But don't go overboard with the garden art. Just one piece of sculpture or water feature is more than enough .
Clean, unfussy lines are generally superior in small situations rather than a "busy" appearance and a formal look is usually more suitable than an informal look. And the inclusion of only one or two sizeable pots or planter boxes will also give the impression of being less cluttered than numerous small ones.
With any plantings, avoid using flowers with dominant, bright red, yellow or orange colours as they tend to "advance" towards you. More subdued blues , purples and grays are preferable since they are not dominating . And make sure plants are chosen for all round appeal and not just for a short-lived burst of colour for a few weeks , but dull for the remainder of the year.
With the above factors in mind, you'll find that even the smallest of areas can be made to look larger than you may think .
