How to makeover courtyard space?

[diynewbie1]

Hello! We have cleared out most of our courtyard to have a blank slate the start transforming it, however struggling to visualise the best use of the space. I feel that the patio position is really limiting what we can do.

I want to absolutely maximise the amount of lawn space we can have, so any suggestions on which pavers to remove or move would be great. Also unsure what to do between the patio posts and the fence line. Would love any ideas or inspo pics!! 

 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @diynewbie1,

If you're looking to maximise the area for a potential lawn, then you need to consider where it is likely to grow and what kind of traffic the area is likely to get.

If you were simply looking to maximise lawn area, then removing any pavers that are outside of the direct cover of the patio structure would make sense. It doesn't make much sense to remove the pavers under the roof, as they will not get enough sun to really thrive in that location.

 

The next thing to consider is the practicality of these spaces being grass. Paved pathways are hardy and will not degrade significantly with foot traffic, whereas grass will. Considering what could happen to the grass after it is laid would be important. If the side path or back landing were getting heavy use, you could still have grass here; you may just have to look at a hardier variety like kikuyu or buffalo.

Another thought is that stepping directly out from a back door to the grass might not be the best, so leaving a small landing at the back door could be worthwhile to give you a spot for an Outdoor Mat to wipe your shoes off before stepping into your home.

Also, looking at the soil, you have quite a sandy composition, which wouldn't be great for establishing a lawn. You should consider speaking with your local store's Special Order's desk about bulk bags of topsoil, as a good layer of topsoil can really help with the establishment of new lawns. Check out How To Lay Turf for some further guidance.

For inspiration pics and some great ideas you could use, check out our Top 10 most popular side yard projects.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @diynewbie1 

The crossed areas that @JacobZ has pointed out in the back lawn for sure, tho  the side of the hoise ones I have an idea to retain them as I agree with him on "it will be harder to grow lawn there" 

How about making some garden boxes/beds on wheels. Just thin long ones that will normally sit next to the fence but can be moved about if you want to change it up for a season? Depending on how the areas get sun, maybe during the off season they can sit next to the fence, then during other times they could from an edge to the covered area? Even stopping the "normal" path that we all take to go from point A to B. (straight out the back door to whatever)

Dave

[diynewbie1]

Thanks for the advice! I would certainly love to have the lawn on the areas you have  marked, I just wasn't sure how to achieve it in the best way! Along the fence, it's quite narrow, do you think that would still look okay and function okay? Is the downpipe going to be a problem for laying it there? I would still have to keep that very narrow garden bed along the fence as that bit does not get sun. What should I plant along there? 

Also, in the first picture to the left is the storeroom door, so i was thinking of laying grass all the way along that wall but creating a paver path from under the patio to the storeroom door, what do you think? 

[diynewbie1]

Thanks Dave, what material would you suggest making plantar boxes out of?

The courtyard is north facing, so most of the area gets plenty of sun!  

[JacobZ]

Hi @diynewbie1,

I don't think the downpipe will be an issue. It looks like it is plumbed into an underground pipe, so it shouldn't really have an effect.

As long as that strip down the side of the house gets some sun and you make sure you keep it well watered, you should be able to get grass established.

For the narrow garden bed, you could use small Australian natives, such as Dianella caerulea ‘Little Jess’, Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’, and Viola hederacea (Native Violet). These are good options in limited sun.

If you're thinking of having a stepped paver pathway, as opposed to a full paver pathway, then yes, that sounds great. You would still have the grass you are after, with the functionality of a path.

Unfortunately, I think you're a bit limited due to the nature of the space, but these small changes would definitely go a long way to greening up the space.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[EricL]

Hello @diynewbie1 

I propose building a low-level deck under your patio then have the lawn go all around it. Perhaps install a small, paved walkway on the left side of the house. I also suggest thinking about installing Merbau fencing panels on your Colorbond fence to give it a more natural feel. 

Here's a sample image rendered using AI to give you an idea what the area will look like once the deck and lawn are in place.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric