Courtyard Garden

The design concept for this garden aimed at creating a tranquil and private courtyard and entry space which leads visitors to the main house entrance while also providing a usable area for seating and play (particularly in the morning).

The concept builds on the existing strong structure of plaster walls which create individual planting beds. These create an edge to the courtyard and help to soften the hard paved space in the central area.  The planting palette focuses on a limited easily maintained range of plants which will form a strong structural element to the space.  A contrast in textures is achieved by use of the rounded shapes of the golf ball pittosporum and the strap like leaves of the Xeronema.  

These strong textures are then softened by the soft star jasmine and snow in summer plants which are interspersed throughout the garden beds.  

The colour palette picks up on the grey and white tones of the house and focuses on shades of green and grey with white flowers and occasional drama supplied by the splashes of red of the xeronema when it flowers.  

The hard surfaces are a mix of large rectangular pavers which assist in leading the visitor to the front door and white gravel mix which allows for a softening effect to the paved area while still being usable by the clients.  Feature olive trees provide a soft open screening of the bedroom spaces at ground level while still allowing light into these rooms. They also assist in delineating the movement of visitors to the steps and up to front entry rather than trying to access through the bedroom doors.  Feature pots provide sculptural form and additional softening within the hard space.  

A feature diamond trellis is provided on the timber fence and garage wall to create a further interest and to soften those hard elements.  This feature will be softened over time with the flowering star jasmine which will climb the wires and create a vegetated diamond pattern against the wall.