Courtyard Forest

Together with our clients we created a strong vision for what this little courtyard would look like and how it would function. They were inspired by Shubhendu Sharma’s movement to create biodiverse forests in home garden spaces. Check him out here @afforestt

We loved this idea as this is a way of mimicking nature. The more you can mimic nature in your home garden space, the more it will be able to sustain itself (less water, less effort, less external inputs) and be in alignment with the needs of the earth.

So we created a garden that in time will look and function like a mini forest. We brought in boulders and installed a stone pathway. The diversity of plants creates a visual delight of foliage and flowers, colors and textures. We’ve also used clumping bamboo (Tibetan Princess) and have planted 4 varieties of Japanese Maple.

All of this is nestled under a Chinese elm tree that is over 100 years old. The layers of the trees, shrubs, smaller perennials and ground covers will work together to provide the nutrients and microorganisms needed for all.

The giant flat boulder serves as a coffee table and the solar lights make it all sparkle in the dark.