16 Courtyard Gardens Ideas to Maximize Your Small Space and Inspire Your Dreamy Al Fresco Moments

What makes for the perfect courtyard garden? It's all about knowing how to work with your space; designing your outdoor oasis in the way that you want to use it, and the way you want to feel when you're in it, whether you're spending some time to yourself or entertaining friends and family.

Now that the weather is treating us well, there's no better time than the present to get your creative courtyard garden ideas flowing. From beautiful foliage and clever designs to creating a tropical retreat, there's so much you can do to take your courtyard garden to a whole new level.

Want to learn how you can bring your vision to life? Here are 16 ideas to inspire you that will ensure your modern garden is set up for the ultimate hosting season.

1. Choose a Green Scheme

For this small courtyard garden idea in Camberwell, London, garden designer Ula Maria took inspiration from the color and material palette of the main house.

The earthy greens and terracottas of the planters and pots blend in with the plants themselves, creating a tropical garden feel with far greater impact than the size of the plot would suggest.

This space is giving me all the outdoor oasis vibes I need.

2. Offset Symmetry

This Bristol garden by Innes Design Studio and Crafted Landscapes has a push-pull of symmetry and asymmetry. The pergola highlights the plot's uniform shape, but a combination of clever hardscaping and intuitive planting offsets the scheme and adds interest in this courtyard garden.

"We used the planting beds to inset and help soften the hardscape," says Jamie Innes. "It creates layers of planting as you look across the main view and softens the squareness despite it being a geometric design. Asymmetry is something I always think about — balancing and counterbalancing height and structure."

3. Incorporate Little Nooks

Tashima Architects worked with garden designer Cali Rand to make sure that every inch of this courtyard garden had a sense of purpose. "We incorporated pockets or nooks on either side of the central extension, creating moments where the garden visually and spatially interacts with the house," says Charles Tashima.

"We spent a fair amount of time ensuring that they were wide enough to be usable. They’re well suited to a French-style bistro table and chairs as a great place to have a cup of coffee or to sit and read. They are spaces within spaces — an idea we follow in the work we do."

4. Think of Your Furniture

Even the most narrow courtyard garden ideas have space for outdoor seating — just opt for elegant, thin-profile options to ensure the furniture doesn’t visually or practically obstruct the rest of the space.

Rather than crowd the ground with plants, Bristol-based Belsize Gardens and designer Andy Stedman used a pergola and the surrounding walls to grow greenery vertically, creating an enveloping feel without making the plot feel cluttered.

Vertical garden ideas are a great way to maximize ground space, leaving more possibilities for your furniture choices.

5. Create the Perfect Setting for Entertaining

A series of courtyards intersects this house designed by Mexico City-based architects RA!, including a small raised area with a garden bar, set just off a living-dining area, and another outdoor seating space on the other side.

It shows that a smaller courtyard garden idea can be the perfect setting for entertaining: the lush planting and minimalist garden lighting create a cozy, convivial space that only gets more atmospheric as the sun fades. These Smart Garden 10 Vintage Festoon String Lights from Argos will look perfect in a courtyard garden.

6. Bring the Indoors, Out

Setting up an outdoor living room is the perfect way to relax, unwind, and blend indoor-outdoor living — there's nothing better than being able to be outside with friends in the glorious sunshine, but with all the comforts of the indoors.

This courtyard garden (above) has been set up like a living room and is embellished with a rug, elegant wall lights, seating, and lots of beautiful greenery — at first glance, this space could easily be considered an additional room of the home.

7. Center Your Courtyard to Create a Balance

Centering your courtyard garden idea is the perfect way to create a seamless flow in your outdoor living space, as the home above proves.

Interior designer Anne Carr wanted this space to be easily accessed and viewed from most rooms. The French doors from the home face towards the courtyard, really centering the space.

Topped with stunning furniture, including some wonderful vintage pieces, the courtyard garden was transformed into a model outdoor space for hosting and dining.

8. Go for An Elegant Mediterranean Look

It's time to bring those Mediterranean garden ideas to your courtyard. This stunning space captures nature in the most unique way and draws attention straight to the courtyard.

Floor-to-ceiling glass doors are a great way to look into the courtyard while also embracing natural light indoors.

This house is centred around two courtyard gardens with a glass corridor slotted between them, framing views on both sides. The olive trees with gravel and up-lighters create a very clean, low-maintenance, and well-defined look.

9. Bring the Outdoors, In

This Bloomsbury townhouse beautifully captures how the outdoors can make its way inside. Creating a sense of calm and space, the home has an easy access sliding door that leads to the lush, green courtyard — we love this patio door idea.

The wood ceilings carry through the partition between the two spaces, flowing through the open plan space into the courtyard garden. It's the perfect way to keep the doors open to the outdoors, no matter the weather.

10. Brave the Brutalist Look

This Brutalist home in the countryside is centred around a courtyard that reflects the rest of the home's raw, minimalist design in the interiors, as well as the exterior.

The courtyard has a handful of large trees, creating a sense of openness and an outdoor dining area set up for the perfect al fresco nights.

11. Add a Glass Roof to Your Courtyard

The best way to draw in natural light without the concern of the weather (because we know the UK is unpredictable) — glass ceilings!

This gorgeous former Victoria Dairy in London is surrounded by a retractable glass roof, allowing homeowners to enjoy the courtyard all year round. It's also filled with several plants, placed in every corner, creating a lush indoor garden.

12. Decorate Your Courtyard With Tiles

Tiles are a great way to bring style and dimension into your courtyard garden ideas. From tiles on patio flooring to tiles on the exterior of the home, which will add interest and beauty to the overall look and feel of the space.

For your courtyard garden ideas, tiles create a clean and bright look while injecting a much-needed dose of color. I mean, who doesn't love color, right?

13. Landscape Your Courtyard Garden

In this courtyard garden, the landscape is elegantly wrapped around the home. It also makes for the perfect water garden idea with its dainty fountain right in the middle.

The courtyard garden has also been wrapped around with lots of trees and plants, creating extra seclusion — one of the great ways to make an urban garden more private.

14. Make the Most of Basement Light-Wells

If you have a basement light well to let in light downstairs, transform it into the ultimate courtyard garden idea.

Mix it up like this design with a bistro-style table and chairs. Container gardening is the perfect way to transform the space and make it greener and inviting.

15. Create a Spa-Like Feel With a Bathroom

This modern space certainly knows how to capture a spa-bathroom feel. Michelle Fieldsend of A Fresh Touch has transformed this space into a calming oasis through potted plants and a living wall.

"I also purposely chose a dark, moody tile to create a beautiful contrast with the natural light," says Michelle. Very chic, if you ask us!

16. Think Open Concept Design

This courtyard garden idea is an open concept that brings nature indoors. Above the dining table, a retractable glass roof lets in plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

This is a great way to draw attention to the courtyard and essentially make it the main event. "Whether you’re looking to improve air quality or create an acoustic barrier, we look at light levels and location to ensure plants will thrive," says Calvin Dalrymple, sustainable design consultant at ANS Global.

FAQs

What's Is a Courtyard Garden?

A courtyard garden is an open space that is often enclosed, either by walls, trees, plants, or buildings. They can be varied in size, but are primarily used for relaxing, entertaining, or adding a needed dose of greenery to your urban garden space.

Courtyard garden ideas just got a whole lot more interesting with these inspirational designs. If you're working with a particularly small space, these tips on how to make a small garden look bigger will help you with your concept.