Courtyard garden – Surbiton
A 5.5 m by 5.2 m courtyard rebuilt around a paved terrace, gravel planting and two retained Acers.
Scope and constraints
A rear courtyard of about 5.5 m by 5.2 m behind a house in Surbiton. It had loose gravel, a small circular patio, composite decking by the house, a shed, a water feature, a clipped privet and a mature Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’ whose canopy covers much of the space. The owners had met three landscaping companies before choosing us.
- Space. Room for a table and chairs without paving over the whole courtyard.
- The Acer. Its roots run close to the surface, so soil could not be built up round the trunk or dug out near it.
- Privacy. Overlooked on all three side boundaries.
- What stays. The decking, shed, water feature, privet and a second, potted Acer were all kept.
- Access. A confined site, worked from the house and the gate to the side alley.
Design intent and proposal
The aim was a courtyard that feels intimate, layered and settled, where the terrace and planting run into each other rather than sitting side by side.
- Take out the gravel and circular patio and lay one larger terrace in the middle of the courtyard
- Wrap the terrace in gravel, as a permeable surface, with stepping slabs to the shed and side gate
- Hold the soil down under the Acer with low corten steel edging, so the root flare stays clear
- Screening trellis on all three boundaries and the shed, with a new timber gate
- A small, mostly evergreen planting palette with white flowers, drifting into the gravel
The drawings
Designed by Craig Davis, BSc (Hons) Horticulture, and Eli, our in-house garden designer, who holds a BSc in design and a postgraduate diploma in garden design from the London School of Garden Design. Two concept sheets were drawn: a dimensioned layout plan fixing the terrace, trellis and plant positions round the existing trees, and the planting direction plan below, followed by a planting proposal with the plant list.
What we built
- Gravel and circular patio broken out and removed, digging by hand round the retained trees
- Geotextile membrane under all paved and gravel areas
- Compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base under the terrace, laid in layers
- Terrace laid on a full mortar bed, falling away from the house, joints grouted
- Decorative gravel and stepping slabs, with metal edge restraint where needed
- Corten steel edging under the Acer
- Timber screening trellis to three boundaries and the shed, and a new timber gate with heavy-duty hinges and latch
- Planting pockets improved with topsoil and conditioner, planted and mulched
Planting palette
A small palette, mostly evergreen, with white flowers, so a space this size stays calm through the year.
| Role | Plants |
|---|---|
| Trees and focal points | Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’ (kept), a potted Acer, planted out, Ligustrum japonicum, cloud-pruned, Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Snow Cream’ |
| Shrubs and underplanting | Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, Sarcococca confusa, Geranium macrorrhizum ‘White-Ness’ |
| Climber | Trachelospermum jasminoides on the trellis |
| In the gravel | thyme and ornamental grasses |
The result
From the outset Flourish Landscaping stood out. Craig was able to perfectly bring our vision to life, suggesting elements we never would have thought of. Working together with Craig and his colleague Eli the detailed design of our new garden was developed.
Pamela, Google review, March 2026
- A terrace big enough to eat outside, with the rest of the courtyard still planted
- Both Acers kept and now the centre of the garden, with the soil level under the mature tree left untouched
- Screened on all three sides
- A permeable gravel surface instead of more hard paving
Planning a courtyard of your own
In a courtyard, walls and fences decide how much sun each corner gets. Check yours with our free garden sun planner and read our garden orientation guide for your aspect. Our courtyard garden guide covers layouts, materials and plants for small enclosed spaces, and planting for shade helps with the darker corners.
Explore further
See how our garden design service works, with fixed design fees, or read about our landscaping in Surbiton. The services used here were design and build, patios and paths and fencing and screening. For another small garden, see our small front garden in Thames Ditton, or browse the portfolio.
Get a quote for designing your garden
Tell us where your garden is, roughly how big, which way it faces and what you would like from it. A few photos help. We will arrange a visit and send you a fixed design fee in writing.
This page was written with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy by Craig Davis, BSc (Hons) Horticulture.
