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Stones HQ - Garden Stones
Courtyard Gardens
– Planning Tips by Malcolm Kay
With an increasing tendency for empty nesters,
young couples and singles towards higher density inner city living,
and the desire to spend minimal time on maintaining gardens or
other outdoor spaces, most new apartments, townhouses and condominiums
tend to have only pocket sized backyards, courtyards or balconies.
So it becomes particularly important to make
the most of such limited areas by landscaping and utilizing the
space in the best possible way.
But you don’t have to be a professional landscape architect
to create an inviting courtyard space - you just have to follow
a few basic design principles.
Whilst you can’t physically increase the size of a small
garden, you can certainly employ a few visual tricks to create
the illusion of space.
One important way of doing this is to create a thematic link
between the indoor and outdoor areas. Linking the backyard or
courtyard to the family room or kitchen, breaks down the division
between inside and outside, making the total area appear larger.
To establish this link, try to use paving materials that are
similar to those used in the house. If you have a tiled area inside,
consider extending the same or similar tiles outside. If you have
a solid wood or wood laminate floor, one simple solution is to
lay interlocking wood deck tiles on the external patio or courtyard
(see for example www.ezydeck.net).
Although such tiles are best laid over a concrete pad, they can
also be laid over a level and well compacted gravel surface. And
they can be moved and re-laid at will should you decide to change
the design of your outdoor space at any time.
Light colours in the paving and on the courtyard walls will also
create an impression of space, so lighter colored tiles would
generally be preferable in small spaces.
In confined spaces, more space should be devoted to sitting &
walking areas than to plants which should be placed in wide, raided
beds. Deck tiles could be used as “stepping stones”
along a pathway interspersed with gravel or stones and bordered
by plantings. Don’t overdo the garden art. One sculpture
or water feature is more than enough.
Clan simple lines are generally better in small situations rather
than a “busy” appearance and a formal look is usually
more suitable than an informal look. Several large pots or planter
boxes will look less cluttered than numerous small ones.
Avoid using flowers with strong red, yellow or orange colours
as they tend to “advance” towards you. Blues, purples
and grays are preferable because they are not dominating. And
make sure plants are selected for all round appeal and not just
for a brief burst of colour for a few weeks, but dull for the
rest of the year.
With a bit of planning, even the smallest of areas can be made
to look larger than you may think.
About the Author
Malcolm Kay is the CEO of Intex Pacific Pty. Ltd. an exporter
of landscape materials including modular decking tiles. For further
information see www.ezydeck.net
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