Courtyards: Crafting an Oasis

By Sarah Wright, House and Home Editor

A circumscribed area, often by walls, the courtyard has a rich history, which stretches back to ancient times. They can be lush — filled with all manner of plants and even a small lawn — paved or a combination of paved and lawn. Others might fit in a small pool or wood deck. No matter the style, courtyards offer an intimate escape from life’s rat race.

COURTYARD 101

How will your courtyard be used? What maintenance are you willing to do? What ratio of hardscape versus plants do you desire? Additionally, will guests enter the space, or will it primarily be viewed from windows? In line with that, pay close attention to where windows are located.

“Often one or more areas are primary viewing points with characteristic low windows,” Mark Myers, owner of Myers Landscape Nursery in Syracuse, said. “In those spaces, it is important to recognize the foreground of the design must be the area right outside those low windows. Make it easy to keep tidy, but start with year-round attractive plants there, just be careful they are far enough from the wall to receive direct

Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea

Shutterstock.com

rainfall or irrigate them. If low windows exist in a courtyard that is also viewed from the center, it is a common mistake to allow the low windows a relatively boring view of the back of a bed. Don’t do that!”

Try to use plants with a long season of interest, he advises, noting green mountain boxwood and green velvet boxwoods make great evergreen options for shade or sun. Hydrangeas, meanwhile, are great flowering shrubs, and if you have a sunny spot, try native perennial Cheyenne Spirit echinacea. This coneflower comes in a mix of yellow, orange and red.

“Most new varieties of coral bells provide over 10 months of color, including yellows, oranges, caramels, greens with silver and red veins and deep reds,” Myers noted. “A wonderful grassy groundcover is liriope spicata, which looks a bit like a lawn but never needs mowed! In a courtyard, you can use some of the less winter hardy but fancier liriopes like variegated liriope and Purple Explosion and Big Blue Liriope. To attract hummingbirds, try some of the new dwarf reblooming weigelas like sonic bloom or snippet, which comes in both pink, dark pink and red.”

Hardscapes constitute a significant courtyard component, with numerous options available. Pavers require very little maintenance, and if used without the inclusion of a small lawn, they enable homeowners to forgo a mower. Superior Hardscapes offers various paver options in addition to decorative concrete curbing to polish off courtyard landscape beds — whether seeking a brick or stone look. Decorative concrete can also be used in place of pavers. It’s available in numerous colors with a host of stamp patterns able to mold it to resemble fractured slate, planks, brick, stone and more.

MAKE A STATEMENT

Complete a courtyard with eye-catching features. Calming water has been a go-to for centuries. The sound of trickling water creates a tranquil environment and each water feature will sound different. Mixing colorful Spanish tile with a traditional wall fountain brings old-world charm to any courtyard, while stone fountains offer a more natural, zen-like vibe. Small ceramic, fiberglass or concrete fountains work well in a corner or near a seating area.

On the opposite spectrum, fire features stun. Kuert Outdoor Living offers a variety of fire features from manufacturer the Outdoor GreatRoom Company, with Randy Jones noting, “Everything we’ve gotten from them has worked great, which is good for the customer. They are great people.”

Fire bowls with gas burners are available through Kuert Outdoor Living from the Outdoor GreatRoom Company, which offers different sizes. Jones noted customers can select a layer of glass or pebbles depending on the look they want, plus there is a choice of natural or LP gas.

“We have natural gas or wood-burning fire pits,” Jones added.

Fire tables are a fabulous gathering place and come in various sizes, materials and styles, with the same option of broken glass or pebbles; they also feature glass wind guards, which prevent wind from hampering gatherings, and an insert for when the flame feature is not in use. LP and natural gases are both options, and Jones offered a pro tip: “Always have two LP gas canisters on hand, especially when guests are going to be over. You don’t want to run out midway through cooking.” n

Big Blue Liriope

Shutterstock.com Shutterstock.com

RESOURCES:

Kuert Outdoor Living, Goshen, 574-312-7557, www.kuertoutdoorliving.com Myers Landscape Nursery, Syracuse, 574-457-5354, www.myerslandscapenursery.com Superior Hardscapes, Middlebury, 574-370-4002, superiorhardscapes.com

photos courtesy of Kuert Outdoor Living, Goshen