| Designing interior courtyards will generally follow the | | | | trellis works, and decor. Creating beds next to walls, |
| same rules for designing small gardens. The real major | | | | filling them with the same vines as the walls, and |
| difference is in paying more attention to vertical | | | | placing a few tall specimen plants or trees also has a |
| space - the walls that surround courtyards. Some | | | | nice dramatic framework effect with a lot of depth. |
| small gardens do require this attention but almost all | | | | The color of your walls also makes a big difference in |
| courtyards have this extra consideration. | | | | the depth, atmosphere, and mood of the courtyard |
| Generally, the first thing that comes to mind for | | | | garden. Bright and light colors have a closer closed in |
| decorating walls and vertical space is to cover them | | | | feel while darker colors add more depth and a sense |
| in climbing vines. While this has a lot of good | | | | of more space and distance. |
| character, it only decorates the existing boundary | | | | Wall decor, wrought iron wall decor, clay ornaments, |
| without creating a depth or illusion of boundary. | | | | and wall fountains are also some good elements for |
| In most cases I've found that creating an | | | | effectively using vertical space in small closed in |
| independent source of height in front of courtyard | | | | gardens. When using elements like this, pay special |
| walls and /or in corners can create a 3d effect much | | | | attention to the principles of unity, simplicity, and |
| like that found in paintings. In a sense, it makes the | | | | repetition. Stay consistent. Using more and varied |
| independent element a focal point while using the | | | | objects can start to look very cluttered. |
| decorated walls as a backdrop or framework. | | | | Small garden design and designing for courtyards |
| Framing an element this way helps create depth of | | | | needs to pay closer attention to detail rather than |
| boundary behind that element. | | | | filling up space. Using more is not always better. And |
| Some good elements to use are small trees with tall | | | | sticking to just a few elements a few basic design |
| trunks, tall pots, pots on stands, groups of pots, | | | | principles will create a much classier clean atmosphere. |