How to Create a Court Yard Garden

Creating a courtyard garden is an effective way to extend the interior design of the home or plan a completely different theme. Because courtyards may not drain well, it is important to take that into consideration when planning your garden beds. By planting your plants in containers, you can alleviate many flooding problems associated with courtyard gardens.

Things You'll Need

• Containers
• Saucers
• Gravel
• Roses
• Ivy
• String beans
• Clematis
• Statues
• Waterfalls
• Fountains
• Lighting
• Candles
• Tiki torches

Instructions

1. Draw a diagram of your courtyard and include the exterior walls of the home, any immovable objects such as water fountains and any existing flower beds.

2. Monitor the area for one day to determine how much sun each area of the courtyard receives. Write down how many hours of sun each location gets. Full sunlight is considered 6 to 8 hours. Partial sunlight is 4 to 6 hours, and shade is less than 4 hours.

3. Make a list of the plants or trees you wish to use in the courtyard garden. Check the USDA plant hardiness map to find out your zone and choose plants that can survive your region's temperatures.

4. Choose containers that have draining holes that are at least 1/2 inch in diameter. Pick saucers that are large enough to accommodate the containers. Fill the saucers with 1 inch of gravel to help facilitate drainage.

5. Decide if you want to use the wall space to grow climbing plants. You can use netting or trellises to grow roses, ivy, string beans or clematis. Cut trellises to accommodate areas that have sliding doors or windows.

6. Create a focal point for the courtyard garden. Generally gardeners pick the center of the garden, but you can create additional space for entertaining by placing a dramatic feature like a stature, waterfall or fountain next to one wall.

7. Hang hanging baskets to use the vertical space. Plant the baskets with succulents that are low maintenance and hang down from the baskets.

8. Install lighting for entertaining at night. Hire an electrician to come in, or use candles and tiki torches to create soft lighting for parties.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the architecture of your home as inspiration for creating a streamlined look that fits the motif of the home.

• Avoid using too many containers, because it will create a cluttered look.

References

• ACS Garden: Courtyard Garden