This tired, overgrown split-level courtyard has been refreshed into a relaxed, cottage-style garden that looks beautiful throughout the year without demanding constant upkeep. By carefully editing and improving the existing planting, then adding layered pots, climbers and subtle structure, the space now feels lighter, richer and more inviting. Warm materials, soft planting and personal touches give the garden a gentle, timeless character that reflects the client’s love of plants and outdoor living.
Brighton courtyard
Before - looking east towards the house
Before - raised beds choked with grass
Additional groups of large pots and architectural structural elements to create a sense of immersion within the planting
A section of the detailed planting plan showing new and retained plants
Asplenium scolopendrium and Polypodium vulgare ferns, together with Alchemilla mollis and Vinca minor - all good in shade - around a stone water bowl
Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle)
Vignette of much-loved treasures integrated into the planting
Liriope muscari and Euphorbia x martini under an existing fig tree
Erigeron karvinskianus and Briza media added in a sunnier position
Autumn colours of some of the existing plants