Courtyard Garden Design

What is courtyard garden design?
Simply put, it is the cultivation of special garden space or spaces inside a courtyard of some kind. Since courtyards tend to be highly individualized outdoor rooms, courtyard garden design often features a very high level of customization.

Why consider a courtyard garden?
A garden will enclose an otherwise sterile hardscape enclosure into a true outdoor living room by incorporating living things into the fabric of its design. You will feel like you are more of a part of your landscape if you are seating in the midst of greenery and flowers. Your patio, fountain, and ornamental masonry will take on an added dimension of life that will transfer directly to the occasion at hand. Nothing stirs the moment more than something else stirring in the night around you. Nothing else brightens up the day than something alive for the sun to shine on.

What type of courtyard garden design should I choose?
Look through our case history section to get some ideas on basic garden styles. Then, think of ways you would like to see these forms altered and customized to match your particular tastes and lifestyle, and make a list. Let us discuss your preferences with you and lend you our professional expertise in style, materials, color, and finishes to make an impeccable final produce.

Are architectural details important to consider?
Yes, but you do not need to worry about making your garden match your property. Our core philosophy of residential landscape design hinges upon the appropriate compliment of home architecture with hardscape structures and softscape elements.

Would drawing a plan to scale help me?
We do not expect you to draw a garden design plan to scale. Just draw what you want to see. Make it look the way you want to feel. This gives us a better idea of what is in your heart and mind than anything else. Consider it your option to create a rough draft of sorts that communicates your core values and perceptions to us, and our professional duty to formalize and polish this rough draft for you as part of our service offerings.

What types of plants are used in courtyard garden design?
That depends on the size of the courtyard. Hedges are used for organic walls in smaller courtyards to allow for a partly open view of the Houston landscape. Smaller plants are used in courtyards built in smaller yards in order to make the surrounding property look bigger than it really is. Conversely, many courtyards in extremely large yards need shielding from the sense of too much vast expanse. These courtyards tend to have gardens with very large or very exotic tropical plants. They also have higher walls made from custom masonry or mid-level trees planted as an organic wall.

How can I make my courtyard garden a true reflection of me?
Itemize your favorite indoor decorations, activities, and works of art. Anything goes when it comes to brainstorming. Be generous with yourself when it comes to the flow of ideas. Never feel embarrassed when it comes time to talk to our design team.

You will find that our staff has a remarkable ability to go through your list and find outdoor equivalents to your indoor living experience. Special features such as statuary, custom fountains, lighting pools, ornamental seating, and elaborate patio stonework suddenly emerge in concrete reality as a courtyard that creates your own personalized expression of Houston outdoor living.