Windsor Garden Design with a Mediterranean courtyard

This small, shallow Windsor garden needed a complete re-design. The garden is overlooked on both sides, but not from the back. The brief was to create a contemporary garden with a Mediterranean flavour that would be easy to look after. The client requested a large terrace by the house for sunbathing and eating, and a second more intimate seating area separated from the rest of the garden.



There was an enormous Leyland Cypress hedge, plus some over grown Laurels and other evergreen shrubs that combined to give a thick screen along the back boundary. The client liked the feeling of privacy and safety these gave.



Initially, it was intended to keep the Cupressus hedge, but it soon became apparent that if we removed the shrubs the hedging would then have ugly dead patches. In the end it was the client’s decision to remove all existing trees and shrubs and start again. I was relieved as not only do I think the old trees and shrubs were past their best, it’s always nice to be given a blank canvas.



Here’s the scheme I designed:-





Week one – clearing. The saying goes ‘you need to break a few eggs to make an omlette’ and this was Greg Tranckle Landscapes version of egg breaking! Everything was removed from the garden.





Week two and the the old garden is gone, a new fence is installed and the excavations start for the new garden. A footpath runs along the back of the property and the client wanted the fence to be the maximum height to discourage casual intruders.





Week four and the courtyard is taking shape. The blockwork walls are up to their full height and Greg and the lads have constructed the arched windows that give the courtyard a more Mediterranean feeling.







Week five and the courtyard is really starting to look finished. The circular steps are constructed and the render is on the walls. The water feature blade on the front outside wall of the courtyard is in place and the reservoir is constructed.








I think I’ve lost the battle to paint the courtyard walls pink – the debate about colour is ongoing. I really want the walls to be a strong, statement colour, but the client is understandably nervous.

Keep following – I’ll post more progress shots in a few days.

If you need help designing your garden please feel free to email me linsey@linseysgardens.com. You can visit my Web site and see some of my other completed projects and get a bit more information.