Traditional Courtyard Styles

American Traditional Courtyard

• Traditional courtyards offer several basic elements of style. One is a garden area or floral highlights, either on the ground, on a retaining wall, or hanging from baskets. Gardens and floral highlights offer a sense of tranquility to any courtyard. Many traditional courtyards include pavement, which can be simple or stylized. The pavement offers not only an area on which to firmly place chairs or tables, but can also be used as a path for walking around gardens and flowers. Finally, nearly every traditional courtyard should offer some place to sit and relax. Lawn chairs, benches, or a picnic table of some kind are simple ways to meet this necessity of relaxation.

American Urban Courtyard

• Urban gardens and courtyards may seem difficult to create due to lack of space, but even the smallest and most unusual nooks and crannies can offer the potential for relaxing courtyards. Urban courtyards may require a roof or terrace -- the paved porch area outside the building -- as space for your transformation. If you have no access to the dirt in the ground to plant a garden, flower boxes and hanging baskets are very commonly used in urban courtyards. A chair or two usually fit nicely onto a terrace. One powerful tool in the design of an urban courtyard is the use of light. Light can make a dark place seem welcoming.

African Asante Courtyard

• An African Asante-style courtyard traditionally exists in the center of a home or housing structure. It is meant to be surrounded on all four sides. It represents the importance of family and community, as members of each home surrounding the courtyard are invited to spend time there. If you choose to create an Asante courtyard, be sure to include grass thatch as decor or to create shade. You can choose a color theme inspired by the earth -- for instance, red and brown to symbolize the soil. In an Asante-style courtyard, benches and chairs are set around the periphery.

Mediterranean Courtyard

• Mediterranean-style courtyards are very popular because of their ability to create a sense of warmth. One simple way to create this style is to use terracotta tiles for pavement instead of concrete or cement. The style and color of the terracotta tiles offer a sense of actually being in the Mediterranean. For this type of courtyard, be sure to use plant and garden techniques from the area, such as palms and Italian cypresses. Mediterranean-style courtyards can be a welcoming place to hold family gatherings and festivities.

Japanese Courtyard

• The Japanese culture is known for its focus on quiet and meditation, so it is no surprise that Japanese-style courtyards embrace that same theme. Japanese-style courtyards often incorporate a water element, whether a small reflecting pool, a waterfall, or even a trickling creek. These courtyards may also include a traditional Japanese bonsai display, a sitting or dining area, or even a small garden stroll area. Zen gardens, which are simple rock or dirt gardens, are popular in Japanese-style courtyards and offer a quiet location for quiet relaxation.