Sunny courtyard garden

This sunny garden was almost completely paved when we took it on. We stripped out much of the paving to leave paths winding through lush planting. As a sheltered courtyard, it allowed us to experiment with plants that can’t cope with freezing weather. This expands our planting palette, and helps make sure something is flowering all year round. A relaxed seating area gives the owners somewhere to socialise, with the pergola creating shade in this south-facing city garden.

Eco-friendly upgrades:

Wildlife pond - we added a small pond, which the local wildlife quickly found - the owner saw frogs and dragonflies within a week!

Plants for pollinators - something flowers in this garden all year round

Homes for insects - bug hotels and wood piles give the pollinators somewhere to live. They also encourage ground beetles, which help keep the slug population down. With help from the frogs!