Italian Courtyard

Ideas to inspire the atmosphere of Italy to courtyards and patio designs

Except for a few plants and a little grow time, this Italian courtyard garden design is finished.

The layout and plan you see here is incomplete and doesn't reflect an Italian atmosphere on its own. Specifics like plants, ground covers, and other hardscaping materials in the pictures below will give you a better vision of the look of Italy that we're trying to create in the garden.

We were actually a bit behind on this phase of the project and this drawing was completed while the courtyard walls were being placed. In other words, we didn't have any exact plans or ideas until we drew it on the ground. Then we drew the basic design shape that you see here.

Deciding on which areas of the garden would be planting beds and which would be paving floor area was first a consideration of access. With so many entry points, this courtyard naturally has convenient access to all areas leading in and out of the area. You shouldn't have to walk too far to get around any area.

Considerations for some of the plants were size and growth habits. To help create an Italian atmosphere in the courtyard, we wanted some climbing vines. So bed areas were created at the base of pillars and corners for them to be planted in. One of the best plantings for the entire garden is the mature Red Oak. However, it needed as much room as possible to create its canopy and contribution to the Italian courtyard so it went directly in the center.