Don's Landscaping Tips: Tiled Courtyard

All too often backyards have a boring sameness about them, but recently Don visited a garden which dares to be different. When designer John Happ first saw the house, he knew that it was important to choose a paving colour to complement the strong, mottled orange brickwork. The courtyard also needed some kind of focal point when viewed from the kitchen window.

Design solution

White low glazed tiles give the area a very formal, up-market appearance. They also pick up the white grouting of the brickwork and the colour of the external window frames. The garden beds have raised tile edges which have a very crisp look and help to keep the area clean. A focal point was created by placing an urn in front of a mock French style window frame and mirror. A parterre made of glassy, ox blood red Pazotti tiles extends the French theme into the rest of the garden and helps to break up the large expanse of white. Lattice offset from the courtyard walls casts interesting shadow lines. Blue/grey coloured lime wash contrasts with the neutral tones of the tiles and latticework.

Plants

Gordonias (Gordonia axillaris) are espaliered onto the latticework. Their white flowers reflect the white theme of the courtyard. Spartan junipers (Juniperus virginiana 'Spartan') flank the French mirror and look very effective against the blue/grey lime wash. The parterre is planted with clipped box (Buxus sempervirens).

Practical considerations

Overall Don liked the design but felt there were a few practical problems: the urn was leaning on the mirror - it should have been supported by a strong plinth painting the walls behind the latticework would be difficult a pergola built over the whole area would help to cut down the glare from the white tiles in the height of summer

Further information

Our segment was filmed at Mirvac Homes, Homeworld, Kellyville, NSW. Garden designed by John Happ, 3rd Dimension Designs, 31 Wentworth Road, Strathfield, NSW, 2135. Telephone (02) 9744 2658. French Window Surround Mirror available from Parterre Garden, phone: (02) 9363 5874 in stone and fiberglass.

Copyright CTC Productions 2006