Restricting house-hunting to smaller properties is one of the financial realities facing many first-time buyers. Most of us must work towards family-sized homes with spacious gardens over a decade or two.
If you’re a new buyer who loves entertaining outside, don’t despair. You’ll find many small properties with courtyards that have fantastic potential.
Assessing small homes can be difficult for first-time buyers but often that’s because of walking through properties spoilt by oversized furniture and clutter. These properties feel even smaller than they should!
In these situations try to form a vision of what is possible rather than what is there.
Small homes with neglected courtyards are an excellent example of imagination working wonders. It’s amazingly easy to create a private paradise in a small courtyard. Often, you’ll be confronted by a cold, damp area, but it can be transformed with a wash-down, a pot of paint and the proper selection of plants, pots and screens.
This list of plants offers beauty, warmth and privacy in any courtyard.
Bougainvillea
This is a fast-growing climber with broad leaves and flowers of striking color. Pink bougainvillea is common, but the Burgundy Queen variety has deep-red flowers. Regardless of which variety you select, this plant is guaranteed to offer privacy from your neighbors. If you install lattice on the courtyard walls, it will thrive. Its thorns are sufficiently nasty to be an excellent security guard, too.
Juniper
The hardy juniper is an excellent option if you don’t have a green thumb. It’s drought-resistant and handles hot summer days, so you won’t have to water it regularly once it has bedded in. The Blue Arrow variety is a lovely choice, growing to 12ft with light blue foliage.
Jasmine
This is a favorite, of course. It comes in many varieties and is well known for the beautiful smell of its snow-white flowers in spring. It thrives on vines and is another excellent choice if you seek privacy. Star jasmine is a personal favorite, but check with your local garden store to ensure you buy the most suitable variety for your needs.
Emerald Colonnade Holly
At 12ft fully grown, this lush evergreen offers a thick, almost impenetrable border around any courtyard. It has dense green foliage that thrives when cut back. It likes full sun and needs regular watering, especially if planted in pots.
Potato vine
Not an attractive name, but this is a beautiful semi-evergreen with blue-white blossoms and thick green foliage. It’s a great ornamental choice to grow on lattice or overhead for shade.