This neglected courtyard is now a flower-filled cottage garden - a peaceful place to sit, unwind and enjoy leafy views from the house. Clever zoning and layered planting maximise every inch of space, creating areas for seating, storage and abundant planting without feeling crowded. A mix of classic cottage-garden plants, pots and climbers brings scent, colour and year-round interest, turning the courtyard into a welcoming retreat for both people and pollinators.
Clifton Street patio garden
Before - weedy and overgrown
Before - shed dominating the space just outside the house
Design concept before and after zoning and reorganising
Cottage garden inspiration
Mock-up of the new design looking west towards the house
Site cleared and reorganised
Obelisk with evergreen honeysuckle bringing height in the corner, with sweet box, fuchsia and snake's head fritillaries in lower pots
New wooden trough with star jasmine climbing an arched trellis, underplanted with Vinca minor and Geranium macrorrhizum
Partially self-fertile apple 'Laxton's Superb' on ultra-dwarfing M27 rootstock, underplanted with Vinca minor
Upcycled vintage sink planted with ferns and Vinca minor, in a shady spot behind the shed