A surprising tale of a garden that didn't know its own potential, until someone let the light in.
When Kylie moved into her Melbourne home, she inherited someone else's garden. Long-established by the original owners, the small courtyard garden didn't really work for her. Large yuccas and heavy shade-casting trees blocked the light and left little room for anything else to grow.
For years, her young daughter would play in the cubby house, surrounded by artificial grass, happy enough. The garden basically worked, but it was never really 'hers'.
Thirteen years passed. Her daughter grew up. The yuccas kept spreading. And somewhere along the way, this small courtyard garden became the kind of space you glance at through the back door and keep walking.
It was time for the garden to catch up with the family it belonged to.
The yuccas had outgrown the space - crowding, thickening, blocking the light. They needed to come out. So they did. What Kylie and the rest of the family never anticipated was what would happen after they were gone.
Suddenly light came back into corners of the garden that hadn't seen sun in years. And with it, something significant shifted. Not just in the garden itself. But in how the whole space felt from the kitchen window, from the back door, from anywhere inside the house that looked out towards it. That one change inspired everything that followed.
With the yuccas gone, a desire to create a whole new garden emerged. From that a design evolved which opened up new possibilities for this garden. The fake grass is gone. Now Limestone pavers extend from the back door, giving you somewhere to linger, to pull up a chair and actually be in the space. From there, stepping stones wind through white gravel towards the gate, past the water feature, drawing you deeper into the garden rather than keeping you back.
Kylie fell in love with the tractor seat plants. It's easy to see why. They're structural, tactile, and a little unexpected. Exactly the kind of planting that makes a garden feel like a considered choice. Paired with Colocasia and soft ground covers, the planting palette is lush without being fussy, and designed to carry the garden confidently through every season.
At the far end of the courtyard, a sad and forgotten boundary fence became a feature of the new design. A rendered privacy screen in two tones of terracotta - deep brick red beside a softer clay - now glows in the afternoon sun like it was always meant to be there. Handmade ceramic tiles mounted on the original brickwork beside it bring texture and craft to the wall without overworking it.
In front, sits an L-shaped hardwood bench, wrapping around the garden bed. Simple seating that invites you to stay a while.
Because a garden is only as good as the time you spend in it.
Not every corner of a garden needs to be filled. Especially in a courtyard. Down at the far end of the garden, near the mirror, a small section of ground was left unplanted. It wasn't an oversight - it was deliberate.
Kylie always wanted to bring some plants from her mother's garden. Now she has pieces of a place she loves, transplanted into the garden she's now made her own. That little patch of bare earth is one of the most personal parts of the whole design. It's a reminder that the best gardens aren't finished all at once. They grow with you.
Her daughter turns eighteen soon. The same daughter who once skipped on artificial grass and played in a cubby will celebrate this milestone in a garden that has 'grown up now' as she has.
The bench seats will be full. There'll be laughter echoing past the mirror. The tractor seat plants will hold their own. This garden is barely weeks old as you read this. The plants are still finding their feet, the soil still fresh and dark. In a year it will look entirely different. Fuller. Softer. More itself.
That's what a garden is for. Not just the big occasions, but every quiet morning that comes afterwards. Morning coffee in hand, the water feature murmuring, a family at home in a space that finally feels like theirs.
Time to get creative?
Do you have a courtyard or smaller garden that leaves you feeling uninspired every time you see it. Do you wonder what you could possibly do with it? Why not have a free consultation with one of our landscape designers and see if we could "pull out the yuccas and open up the light" for you!
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The most impactful first step is usually removing whatever is blocking the light in your garden. Get rid of overgrown trees, large structural plants like yuccas, or anything that has outgrown its space. Once light returns to a courtyard, the design possibilities start to open up significantly. From there, a landscape designer can help you rethink the layout: replacing artificial grass with pavers, introducing layered planting, and adding features like water elements or privacy screens that give a small space real character. Even modest courtyards can become genuinely beautiful, liveable gardens with the right plan.
Once shade is reduced, a range of structural and lush plants thrive in courtyard conditions. Tractor seat plants (Ligularia) are an excellent choice. They are bold, tactile, and low maintenance. Colocasia (elephant ear) can add dramatic tropical foliage, while soft ground covers help knit the planting together and suppress weeds. The key is choosing plants that complement each other through every season, so the garden looks considered and full even as it matures. A landscape designer can tailor a planting palette to your specific light levels, climate, and style.
The physical installation of a courtyard garden redesign, including hard landscaping, feature walls, and planting, can typically be completed within a few weeks. However, a garden truly comes into its own over the following 12 months as plants establish, fill out, and soften the space. Newly planted gardens often look quite different a year in: fuller, more layered, and more natural. Planning ahead for a milestone occasion, such as a birthday, a gathering, a celebration, can be a great motivator, and the garden will only keep improving long after that.
Absolutely. Small gardens are often harder to design well than large ones, because every decision is visible and mistakes are costly to undo. A landscape designer brings expertise in space planning, plant selection, material choices, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor areas. These are things that are difficult to coordinate without experience. For a courtyard, good design can make the difference between a space you glance at and one you actually spend time in. Many designers, such as Whyte Gardens, offer an initial consultation to explore what's possible before any commitment is made.
For a courtyard that looks great without constant upkeep, consider: limestone or natural stone pavers (durable and easy to maintain), white gravel as a ground treatment between stepping stones, a simple water feature (the sound adds atmosphere with minimal effort), rendered feature walls in natural tones, and a planting palette built around structural, slow-growing plants. Raised garden beds with an L-shaped hardwood bench are both practical and visually grounding. The goal is a garden that holds its shape and appeal through the seasons without demanding daily attention.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope it has been of help or inspiration to you.
Andrew Whyte