Inspiration for your Courtyard Garden with Joanne Alderson Design

Designing a low-maintenance garden can be challenging, especially when you discover that the water table is only 50cm below the ground level.

Joanne Alderson of Joanne Alderson Design has managed all this to spectacular effect in her courtyard garden, creating a beautiful space using materials that perfectly complement the surrounding Cotswold stone walls.

With a south-facing courtyard, the need for shade was paramount. Joanne's preference was for mature trees to encourage wildlife into the space as much as possible. The high water table proved problematic, as there was the danger of the trees becoming waterlogged and dying. She cleverly incorporated large two-meter Corten Planters into the design to plant the trees, solving the problem and adding visual interest to the space. This also meant she was able to include more planting underneath the trees, an unexpected bonus!

To complement the planters for the trees, Joanne included four smaller tapered corten steel planters to be planted and placed around the garden. The final visual effect is stunning.

Over the last few years, Joanne has incorporated Corten Steel into several of her designs, from large-scale installations to smaller, more intricate designs, showcasing this material's versatility and beauty. "Corten steel is very much in vogue and for good reason, as it's incredibly resilient and works both in contemporary and traditional settings. It becomes a rich rust colour over time but unlike 'normal' rusty metal gains strength in the process."

You can see more of Joanne's incredible design work in her beautiful website portfolio.