With an increasing tendency for empty nesters, young couples and singles towards higher density inner city living, and the desire to spend minimal time on maintaining gardens or other outdoor spaces, most new apartments, townhouses and condominiums tend to have only pocket sized backyards, courtyards or balconies.

So it becomes particularly important to make the most of such limited areas by landscaping and utilizing the space in the best possible way. But you don?t have to be a professional landscape architect to create an inviting courtyard space - you just have to follow a few basic design principles.

Whilst you can?t physically increase the size of a small garden, you can certainly employ a few visual tricks to create the illusion of space. One important way of doing this is to create a thematic link between the indoor and outdoor areas. Linking the backyard or courtyard to the family room or kitchen, breaks down the division between inside and outside, making the total area appear larger. <<< Read full info here : www.gardener.co.nr