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Entry landscape design Verandahs & Decks

Entrance courtyard ideas needed

last month

Hello ideasbank, please could you help me with ideas to pretty up this area. I’d like an attractive entrance into the granny flat. I’ve repainted the wooden fence and deck, but now I find the area even more unsightly. The fence faces west and is 4.4m long the width of the deck is 4.8m. there are 3 different surfaces; tar, wood and concrete. The doorway leads into a granny flat and has an ugly little step up. The rain drains into this little courtyard and under the deck so I need to keep an eye out for drainage. I’m based in northern Tasmania, out of ideas and would really appreciate yours.
Thanks in advance

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Comments (8)

dreamer
last month
Lots of plants in pots and a timber mat for the door step. Easy fix. Just cover the unsightly concrete.
joyzzz
Original Author
last month
Thanks Dreamer, the wooden entry mat makes a lot of sense. You’ve given me some ideas with the wall too.
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You need to add something dark, for contrast and "punctuation".. I agree with the others about painting the front door black (not gray) and would also paint the planter boxes, step, and sides of the porch black. Perhaps as well the window trim and even the eaves trough although I would want to see the roof color better to decide on that. Then some brightly coloured plants in the planters and maybe a small brightly painted stool or chair or small table to the side of the door on the porch area. These things would make the font of the house "sing" and add personality so the home stands out from others around it.
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Looking at the shadows, I am wondering whether the wall with the plaques on it faces north. If so, can the height of this be reduced? If it is north facing, the room beyond the courtyard would be extremely dark in winter - miserable and cold. If this wall could be dropped so that it is 1.5 metres tall, possibly with a line of fastigiate deciduous trees on the far side to then provide DECIDUOUS height, winter would be lighter and the solid mass of the wall would be reduced. It really is a rather difficult spot. And the paved base of the courtyard only allows for pots unless you want to dig up the pavers and put in tree ferns etc. But then it looks as though the area would get the full blast of hot midday sun. I live in coastal SW Victoria where our climate is similar to yours. But we still get hot days during summer which can scorch plants that haven't acclimatised to this heat.
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Hi Chris, yes garden 4 would look stunning and compliment your house beautifully, the magnolia’s have an upright rounded look, I have them in my garden and they are gorgeous , I have both little gem and teddy bear, little gem seems to be hardier, have you thought of a small gabian wall maybe incorporating a seat with rock colour similar to the house, or Corten steel that ages beautifully , a stacked stone again in colours of the house could look great.
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wendyec
last month
I would probably paint the cream door and colorbond too, either in a dark colour or match it to the windows on the house. Some pavers or even paving paint on the concrete would make a huge difference before adding the pot plants.
Julie Herbert
last month
I think if you are able to pressure wash your concrete that will lighten up the area immensely, as dreamer says lots of lovely pots, you could add architectural plants for a modern look, planting succulents and trailing plants like dichondra’silver falls’ in your planter box would look great, adding wall planters under the window would look great, this could either be baskets or half pipe ones as shown. Could look lovely.
Julie Herbert
last month
For your decking add a small table and chairs in a metal or plastic for longevity, gorgeous planters, a market umbrella for shade when needed, the perfect courtyard.
dreamer
last month
Because you said the water runs over the bitumen and concrete and drains under the deck, I would not lay pavers or any covering over that surface. Just lots of beautiful potted garden plants. Will look very inviting.
joyzzz
Original Author
29 days ago
Oh, you are fabulous! Thank you Julie and Wendyec for your thoughts too. Do you think building a little frame over the concrete and putting white pebbles? Or letting ivy grow down to cover the concrete would be better?
Julie Herbert
29 days ago
There are so many options and ideas available, but getting your drainage fixed if it’s a problem would be best, other than pressure washing and painting here are are few inspiration ideas that could work for your courtyard, a layer of stones and pavers, or something adding a mixture of both. If you went the ivy as you suggested you could use stepping stones scattered amongst it, but would that be ok with the water running through.

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