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A Courtyard Garden

2nd August 2019

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Walled gardens were all the fashion in Victorian and Edwardian days allowing the creation of a micro climate providing ideal growing conditions.

The growing season with a greenhouse starts early where, under the protection of glass, seeds can be planted and seedlings nurtured for planting out later in the season. Here the raised beds are being put to good use whilst the growing season is in full swing, no doubt fuelled by seedlings started in the greenhouse earlier in the year. But in the summer the glasshouse does rest idle, instead plants can be grown inside the greenhouse that would not otherwise thrive in the normal British climate. As can be seen this greenhouse is in full production even shortly after fitting. Measuring 3.2 metres wide by 7.8 metres long there’s plenty of room for summer crops. The strong staging supporting the weight of dozens of pots of healthy peppers and capsicums. Being wide the greenhouse has room centrally down the length for growing a couple of rows of tomatoes. An irrigation system has been rigged up to save time on watering.

As the greenhouse is abutting the internal wall is being put to good use. Painted white to reflect the light a series of stainless-steel wires span the wooden portals to offer support to climbing plants such as cucumbers and heritage tomatoes. The walls warmed by the heat of the sun in the day will retain this heat well into the evening providing a consistent growing temperature. The dwarf wall on which this greenhouse sits has a low raised bed running along the length which is softened by the planting of nasturtiums. On the open side manual eaves vents run the full length of the greenhouse. Preparing for a greenhouse like this requires planning. We provide full technical drawings and specification for the wall construction for you or your builder to work to.

One advantage of a courtyard garden is that services such as water and electricity are usually close at hand. There’s some helpful greenhouse ideas here, evidently this customer has installed lights in the greenhouse allowing it to be used at night or on darker evenings. An attractive greenhouse like this does not need to be hidden in a corner, instead it has pride of place near the house which also happens to be convenient for nipping out to pick some tomatoes perhaps.