Romantic courtyard garden, North Dublin
This pretty Victorian terraced house had a small and unloved north-facing garden behind, but after extending the kitchen the client was keen to maximise the space. The brief was to create a restful and private courtyard, with as much greenery as possible.
The quality of finish was very important, using a light grey tumbled limestone, with matching capping on the raised beds. The brick construction of the beds echoes the brick of the house, and the houses in the borrowed landscape beyond, so that the courtyard feels like a continuum and sits comfortably in its setting.
A pretty detail is the vintage tiling on the riser of the step down into the courtyard, visible when looking back to the house.
The planting is at three levels, with sun-loving choisya, roses and ceanothus at the far end of the garden, and camellias near the house in the shade. The planting is full, blousy and romantic, creating a scented and colourful hideaway in an urban setting.