Create The Perfect Courtyard Garden

You don’t have to fork out for a garden designer to transform that tired, soulless yard into a calming, leafy hideaway. Hazel Sillver reveals the plants and techniques you need that are perfect for the long weekend ahead

Lush planting that soars towards the sky, walls coated in scented plants, the sound of birdsong and a place to put your feet up – a courtyard garden can be a secret haven of greenery and a space to unwind, especially in a town or city.

The tradition of gardens within the buildings or boundary walls of houses comes from overseas: from the Zen gardens of Japan, the riads of Morocco, the courtyards of Moorish Spain, and the medieval cloisters of France. These outdoor sanctuaries are frequently surrounded by rooms into which the sound of trickling water and the perfume of plants drift.