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Cambridge courtyard garden

A small garden for immersive outdoor living.

This small 12m x 8m garden is designed to make the most of a small space for relaxed outdoor living.

Enclosed by a new garden wall of reclaimed Cambridge brick, a series of seating areas, including a sunken terrace with sofa and fireplace, are nestled within naturalistic planting.

Bespoke outdoor cooking, furniture and storage elements are integrated cohesively into the garden, carefully balancing visual form and function.

Photography:

Richard Bloom

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design seating area clay pavers natural planting

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design seating area clay pavers multi-stem amelanchier trees

Wow! ... just a short note to say I'm in awe of this garden every single day, it's a masterpiece!

Our client, Cambridge courtyard garden

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design sunken seating area clay paver path

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design sunken seating area clay pavers pleached trees

The carefully considered composition of this design creates three distinct seating areas, alternative pathways routes, improved privacy and screening, outdoor cooking and storage elements - all within a small courtyard garden.

Three new multi-stem amelanchier trees are introduced to shape space, frame views and provide privacy. Pleached beech trees define the backdrop of the garden and screen neighbouring properties.

Seating areas are positioned to allow sun and shade to be enjoyed throughout the day. Pathways of clay pavers meander through naturalistic planting, offering barefoot routes, while gravel detailing offers textural variation and interest.

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden outdoor kitchen natural planting

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design outdoor kitchen

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design sunken seating area natural planting

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden path multi-stem trees

A series of bespoke design elements are created, including an outdoor cooking area, benches and coffee tables, wood store, bin store and rear garden gate.

These elements are all nestled and seamlessly integrated to the soft and hard landscaping composition.

The considered placement of these elements along with a restrained palette of materials – clay pavers, gravel, timber and weathered steel – delivers all the functional requirements within a singularly coherent, unified, and visually harmonious garden.

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design outdoor cooking naturalistic planting

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design wood storage bin store

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden path clay pavers

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design seating clay pavers path

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design clay pavers gravel detail Erigeron sesleria

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design bespoke bench weathered steel clay pavers

Colm Joseph Cambridge courtyard garden design seating clay pavers outdoor kitchen trachelospermum

The planting design and built elements are intentionally integrated and blended to ensure a balance between hard and soft.

The naturalistic planting wraps around seating areas to create an immersive feel, while staggered pathways and tree placement offer a feeling of walking through and within planting.