Courtyard garden
A sheltered corner
A former hard courtyard softened with fern, grass and a multi-stem tree.
Location
Alfriston
Area
110 m²
Planted
2025
Photographed
September 2026
Design & planting
Tilth studio
The brief
A former hard courtyard to be softened, with room for shade, texture and a morning chair.
What we did
We broke out the concrete and laid gravel over open ground. Fern, forest grass and a multi-stem tree now soften the corner where the walls meet.
The space feels cooler in summer and drains well in winter. A small change that made the whole house feel different.
Under the tree
Stepping stones
The corner in winter
A few of the
living ingredients.
Selected planting
Hakonechloa macra · 25
Hydrangea arborescens · 4
Viburnum davidii · 6
Betula pendula · 1