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Hi,
Have a new bed to play with Put down the landscape paper and mulch yesterday... will wait until Fall to design my new courtyard garden. I am zone 5a , this bed faces East so it gets morning sun only. All in all, about
200 sq. ft, 20 X 10. Thoughts, ideas??
Office on one side, sidewalk on the other.

BB - hi. Sorry, I have no clue what plants would grow in your zone...your courtyard garden areas sounds like a fantastic area to design.

bumping back up - there are some very smart people here who know more about this sort of thing than I ever will.

ve

This would be a good FM project, she does great designs.
Me, I'm just country & plant what ever catches my eye.

maybe take a walk around your neighborhood and see what appeals to you in other people's gardens?

Sounds like a nice area. I have all tropicals in my courtyard so none of them would work in your zone.

Maybe boxwood, holly and other evergreens would work, and of course beds and pots with colorful annuals.
Bulbs for your zone...

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/co...ulbsperennialize.htm

You need to decide what type of garden you want before you begin planning. Do you want easy care or more labor intensive? What style do you like - formal or informal? Do you like lots of color or only green tones? What is the style of your house and is there hardscape or lawns surrounding this courtyard. Are there trees nearby?

Lots of choices and decisions to make. I suggest you begin by cruising the internet and saving pics of gardens you like. Maybe take some landscaping books out of the library.

Ask questions here when you have made some decisions. Also it would help if you could post some pics.

Here are some random links I've saved that might give you some ideas.

Yardshare

Tara Dillard

Gardenvisit

Helpfulgardener

Renegadegardener