Plans for the courtyard garden are discussed, sketched, and landscaping begins.
It measures 12m x 8m – 96m2 (approx 1000 square feet)
Will we make a start? Yeah. You have asked
this question many, many times over the past few years. Today is the day we’re going
to share our plans for this courtyard. I’m going to measure up the courtyard so Meraid can
make a drawing and help us realize our plans. Yeah, that’s 8 m. 7 m. So in this top part of the courtyard, we need a
cleaner hard surface to walk on. So when we come into the house, we can walk on a clean surface
and we don’t trample dust or when it’s wet, mud up onto the veranda and into the house.
Now this lower part of the courtyard is going to be more of a garden space. Now, we’re not
really known for a formal garden. The rest of our property is more informal, a little bit more
um natural natural looking. However, this part we want to be a little bit cleaner, tidier, and more
formal. So, this is going to be the formal garden. So, I’ve been sent off to do some drawings
and give you an idea. Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t really draw the garden before I do things.
Gardens kind of develop. But in this occasion, as Dan said, it’s going to be a little bit more or
as he put it, a little bit more formal. So, well, the formal garden is formal. Uh we’re basing it
on a paradise garden, which we have seen many of in our travels to Morocco. So, ideally, it’s going
to be split into quadrants. So, four sections on the lower half with pathways to separate the four
quadrants. Mhm. And in the center, a water feature maybe. I hate that term. Well, a fountain or a
font. Something to do with water. You know, you’ve seen those little little things in the uh stone
wear shops with the the Mary on the top um and and the different levels of water dripping off. She’s
not a Mary. That’s like some Greek goddess. Is it? Yeah. I thought the statue was a Mary. Well,
something something with water, but something that uses very little water because anyway, that’s
the idea. A long time ago, I said I would like a grapefruit here, but we’re still not 100% sure
if it’s sheltered enough in the winter. Could be a little bit too cold. So, as you know, we’re in the
middle of summer right now. We’re in the middle of July and this is not the time to be planting or
major planting. So, we’ve got a couple of really beautiful cool days and we’re going to make the
most of that. And now that Dan’s back home from Indonesia, I need to set him to work. So, you
explain what we’re going to do. As I was saying, we need a cleaner area to walk through here. And
the first part of that is making it a little bit more level. At the moment, we’re standing on a bit
of a mound. There’s a big hollow over there. And we need some height to put our surface. Over the
last few days, I’ve moved some stones and rocks from the courtyard and started thinking about
this job. I even bought myself a new ‘enxada’. So, Meraid’s off inside to make the drawing,
and I’m going to start leveling the ground. [Applause] Well, this is a this is a map of the property, and
it’s right here that we’re going to be working. I’ve done a rough sketch of the measurements. So
basically this is veranda kitchen the steps the part Dan’s leveling where we walk from the barn
in through here up the steps and then this is the area with the ugly wall. So what I’m going to
do is transfer that onto some real plans and I’ll show you how that goes. This is sitting on the
veranda looking at the walled area. So the wall, everyone asks, what are we going to do with the
wall? Are we going to render it? Are we going to cover it with stone? What are we going to do
with it? So we call it the ugly wall. And that’s because it’s rather ugly and imposing. However,
you see it more than we see it because for us it’s just become like wallpaper. Uh, you know, we look
out from the top of the veranda and to be honest, we don’t really see it because we look beyond to
the mountains and the forests, but we have grown in the last couple of years since we started the
build. We have started by putting this wisteria over the wall. So, that covers it on both sides.
However, I like the wall. Not the look of it. I just like the enclosedness of it. And you’re not
so keen. So, I think it’s too high. And it should come down by maybe two rows of blocks in height.
And I calculated that to be roughly 75 75 blocks. So 75 concrete blocks that we have no real use
for and that have to be moved and we have to pay to dispose of things like this. So that’s one of
the reasons I don’t want to you remove them. Uh I want to render it. You’re in agreement? Yeah.
I think we’re in agreement. And I don’t know why we’re not just saying to you immediately, yeah, we
want to render it. Because we have spent so many hours over the last four years trying to consider
what we will do with this wall. Um, you know, we haven’t done anything to it in the last two years
because this has been a building site absolutely covered in rubble, building materials. So, we just
kind of stopped thinking about it for some time. But now we are thinking about it. We have the
luxury of being able to sit every day and look at it. So, um, rendering is what we’re going
to do. And yes, it would be nice to have stone, but in the long run, most of this will be covered
in plants. So, all of that beautiful stone work, I’m saying beautiful, even though I was
going to be the one doing it, will be lost, not even seen. So rendering it is it’s just
the height of the wall that we’re not so sure of. And will we have seating areas here?
Meraid thinks we don’t sit down here. No, we haven’t. We have never sat down here –
ever. Ever. We do not sit down here. And there’s two reasons for that. It’s far too sunny
and hot and no shelter from anything. And it’s ugly… and we don’t have anywhere to sit. But
if it was shaded and we had somewhere to sit, then we might sit here. It’s the build it and
they will come philosophy. I’m doing a scaled drawing and the scale is going to be one to
33 and a3. (1:33.333) I’ve said that very carefully because so many people think it’s a
great joke to say 33 and a turd. But anyway, my favorite scale. The olive tree that
you can see is taking up this space. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Say there’s something here like the fountain. And we might want we want
to be able to get around it. Something like that. Yeah. Behind me is a
vegetable garden and there are blackberries and lemons and other the the flowers of
the cardoons are visible from here as well. So that softens the look from the top
side but on the inside again more planting. So I’m thinking of like tangerine. You want
clementine or is it tangerine? Clementine. I never know the difference. Wee oranges. Um,
so we want a couple of wee orange trees. And I’m also thinking of and the the reason for that
is they’re evergreen and it’s nice and sheltered here. But I have one admission. So you’ve never
seen any plants in this courtyard and that’s because we knew it was going to be a building
site. But the first few weeks we came here, I planted something I have always loved, always
hankered after, and that was a bouganvillea. And I planted it in this corner. And as you can see,
there is no bouganvillea. The reason for that is because it died. And it died because this is
a cold sink. So all the cold air came down, filled this corner and froze the bouganvillea to
death and they do not like to be cold. There are bouganvilleas in this area. So it is doable but
it won’t be there unless Dan has come up with a great plan. Traditional walled gardens um that
are often slightly sloped um to the south normally have an issue that all the cold air sinks down to
the bottom wall and the wall traps all the cold air. So they have a cold door, a little door
in the bottom of the wall that can be opened to release all the cold air. So we cut a hole in
the wall here so that we can release the cold air from this space and carry on growing more tender
plants which need more warmth. A fruit tree here. Maybe a feijoa. Another one here. [Laughter] [Music] Happy. [Music] [Music] Good morning. Day two. Well, the idea here is
that all this clay and stone that’s coming out of the courtyard is filling up this low patch
here in the car parking area. And we’re trying to get as much of this done before we finally put
some gravel or something on this car park area. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Woo! [Music] Woo! [Music] Frothy. Coffee. Frothy. Yeah. Okay. It’s Sunday Oh, a ‘broainha’ as well. Well, that’s about 15 cubic meters
of earth moved. Not cubic meters, 15 square meters of ground. We’re going
to gravel the courtyard. I’m going to go and have a look and see what gravel there
is available. We’d quite like a different color. We would quite like to have smaller
gravel. This line along here is where the uh rain run off from the barn roof drips.
And we’ve got a channel along there so it drains away. A temporary uh solution until we get
the barn roof fixed and we get gutters fitted. Just here is where they had the lift for taking
up concrete. And so at the bottom of here, there’s a lot of spilled concrete which
is a little bit harder to uh dig out. Well, I have said that I’m going to plant here
some trees in the four quadrants. So you can see from the little plan that I’ve done that I want
the orange trees herea and pomegranate at the backside and I’m going to grow those as Standard
trees. And standard trees are those that have like a stick. I’m just going to borrow Dan’s stick. So
like a stick tree with a kind of a fluffy head. Technically, a paradise garden should be
symmetrical, but we haven’t actually got a symmetrical shape here. And the reason that
I need to be careful is because we have all the drainage from the bathrooms, the kitchen,
the French drain, the telecoms, the electrics. All these cables run through here. Um, partly in
the side where the gravel’s going to go. Uh, the electric cabling goes that way. The sewer waste
goes that way. All sorts of things. But I know exactly where everything is because I have it on
video. And because Dan wasn’t here at that time, I will show him that video because he’s doing
all the digging. There you go. Thanks, Dan. This section behind me is also going to be planted
all around the pillars of the veranda. So that’s like another phase of planting. And as part of a
paradise garden, you need scent and flowers. So we’re planning on putting jasmine to the side of
the footings and running it up along sort of that thick part of the ver and to cover the pillars.
And that will also work for cooling. Yeah. like a white night-scented jasmine. So you’ll smell it
in the evenings when we’re sitting out underneath the veranda the covered section that’ll have pot
plants and more luxuriant kind of feel and maybe that’ll be a little area where we can do some work
in the shade. And Dan stopped work. I know you won’t be able to hear a thing of what you say if
I start shoveling. That’s very thoughtful of you. Thanks. I thought I would get what I was going to
say done while he was out loading another barrow. [Music] Well, the concrete is quite a lot bigger
and too high for the level we need. So, we do need to break this up a bit. How are
we going to break this up? Ideally, I’d whip a jackhammer out from somewhere, but I haven’t
got one. I don’t particularly want to buy one. Hey, hey, hey. Not quite the right tool, but it’s
what I’ve got right now. Well, are you sorry you started this job.
No, no, the results will be worth it. Well, we did talk about a digger. Yeah, but it’s a
question of getting a digger. When could we get a digger? Everybody’s so busy. I know. We might
wait for 6 months before a digger turns up. [Music]
47 Comments
Love the height of the wall. It's well built..clean bricks. Reminds me of the beautiful old walled gardens of estates back in the day…some now have been used to build homes in ..some have disappeared completely ..and some still remain. When the wall is rendered..( colour in the render ???)it will be beautiful. Its gonna be a stunning space when complete by you two 💚. Question…can you drive in through the iron gate by veranda steps? To drop off groceries etc?? Just wondering as ye are hard landscaping that ground part. Gravel would be beautiful there too….love the crunch of gravel as you drive in.
💪💪💪💪💪
My back hurts just watching u two work, your amazing! U need a little tractor with a scoop on the front and a little digger in the back. The property gets prettier every month!
The wall is just a background for your garden. Rendering is perfect. Why can’t you use the area under the veranda for sitting? No need for another area in the sun❤
Yay! I KNOW that courtyard will be fabulous!. Glad u didn't tear it down! Plz dont change the height of the wall. Its a walled garden.
Turn ur volume up, can't hear, I got my volume all the way up …
fountain is needed 🙂 How long does the render last before you have to redo it?
Forget rendering the wall lot of work and cost just paint it as you said the plants will cover it.
A lick of paint on the wall is all it needs
Your plans are nice for the garden .. hoping you dont get to sore chopping and hauling concrete😅
You are both such hard workers! But the fruits of your
labor, wonderful.
Render it absolutely. It will be beautiful. 🇨🇦❤️🇨🇦
I absolutely love bougainvillea too. Nothing says warmth & sunshine quite like it ❤️
Studying garden design, I would recommend painting the wall in a dark colour like for example dark blue grey, as it will then visually retreat and at the same time provide a good backdrop and contrast bringing out the lush green colour of the plants etc. . It could also be good to have a small seating area or a bench at the end of the path leading to the wall in front. In your drawing this path leads nowhere which can be awkward. With this wall collecting the cold air, it could be refreshing to sit there watching the fountain (and the birds visiting ist) and behind it your beautiful house. The moment you drew your plan, all sorts of ideas popped up, because I love to design gardens and thus studying it at a design academy. It’s a good idea to have a formal paradise garden close to the house. 😀
You didn't ask, but I vote for keeping the wall high as is, and rendering it. You have quite the job with the concrete…jack hammers are rentable???
Think i would look for a AI app put the size of garden area in and a couple of prompts and what plants you would like and at least you will be giving a image that you can adjust to what you like and dont like, maybe a area for succulent plants, maybe a pergola trail your bougainvillea over dont forget seating
Loving your music. Just the right volume. Like your plan for the wall and garden. A little oasis.
A secret garden is so awesome!
I definitely would not remove any of the blocks; I agree with Miranda on this one. I would render it, and that's it! 🤪🤭
From experience you need two feijoa trees close to each other to fruit… maybe another one outside the courtyard.❤ Love your plans ❤ I read another comment about rendering the wall in a dark colour, great idea ❤ Thank you for this lovely video too❤
Don't lower the concrete, raise the garden!
What an absolutely big amount of work breaking all that concrete! Be careful not to overdo it and risk some shoulder or elbow problem.
Is there not a Leroy Merlin around? They would probably have jackhammers to rent.
Thanks for your vid 😇💗💗💗love and bless you guys ❤😊good work on the courtyard 😊plans look great 😊
I'm sure glad you have a vision of what you want to do , you are also lucky to have the Portuguese weather on your side , everything grows like crazy over there, Great work , you both have earned the title of Hard working Portuguese Farmers , Saudades from Canada.
A great area you have a lot of options. A sitting area with a pergola would be nice. That could be in the middle with a fountain as well. But the first thing i would think about is the dirt. Its probably not in very good shape after all the construction. All in all a fun project for you two. Cant wait to see what gets done.
Your discussion of the fountain and Dan thinking Mary was the figurine on top made me laugh out loud. Thank you for including that conversation!
I’m sure it’s going to be gorgeous ❤
i would have build a pool in there with a pergola
Can't wait to see your secret/paradise garden completed! It will be stunning! Stay cool ✌️😎✌️🌟❣️🐈❣️
Courtyard would be a great place for having guests. I see a BBQ with seating and perhaps an outdoor fireplace. Large umbrella or screen for shade. A great area for entertaining so everyone can enjoy the garden you are going to turn it into
So fun!! Good for you!! Great spot to surround the space with berries!
As a suggestion, could you give the bricks away for free to your other YouTube friends? might be a good excuse to do a collaborative video with someone?🏡
Terracotta cement paint is cheaper than the rendering 🎉
Love your plans a suggestion for the back wall why not spelt your citrus plants against the wall att least that is one wall you will not need to render ❤❤
Swimming pool, most definitely.
I am afraid Dan, I disagree, i like the wall the height it is. You have beautiful views over it. At the height it is it provides, shelter, privacy and a great climbing frame. However your first priority is safety, is it well built and stable? I would like to see it rendered, and planted. The square is very hot and dry and would benefit from a good irrigation system.
Maybe you could place some window-like openings into your wall. Well placed shrubs, trees, and vines could mask the wall and then render the rest. Greenery and a water feature cooled my enclosed garden immensely.
Love your show.
Ha!llo, liebe Grüße aus Deutschland! Ich würde die Mauer halbhoch mit Fliesen im marokkanischen Stil verließen und oben weiss oder hellblau streichen. Und den Innenhof mit einem länglichen Wasserbecken gestalten und 3 bis 4 Palmen bepflanzen und einer Unterbepflanzung von Jasmin, Ingwer und noch einigen Bluehpflanzen machen. Dann noch eine gemütliche Sitzgruppe mit Sofas und einen leckeren Wein, was gibt es Schöneres… Marokkanische Gärten sind ein Paradies!! Alles Gute und liebe Grüße ❤
They do look like safety glasses, I think its time you went back to work, it may be easier
To be honest, i think you should talk with a professional for the garden as you did for the house…
I don't know where you are located, but there are several companies that rent machinery and equipment.
"Akiloc", "Leroy Merlin/Vendap, etc
Excellent planning for your courtyard. I'm am looking forward to the opportunity to follow along as it develops.
Stick with trees that you know are cold hardy in your area. It is not worth the risk of losing a specimen to cold.
Keep the wall height as is, add some type of capstone (simple tinted precast cement slabs?) and render it both sides .
I noticed the downspout from the house roof that empties into the courtyard. What a resource! 😊🌻
👍👏🌟🍀💐
Lemons limes 😊
Is it possible to remove the top 3-5 rows of bricks so you have a lower wall? It’s sort of defining the area but not obstructing the grand view of the whole garden and beyond. ❤
I have a wall like that (unrendered sadly …. maybe someday). If I used the word ugly to describe it I'd probability keep the blinds permanently closed. At the moment it is mostly hidden by various climbers as will your's be in the summer so you won't notice the grey. (your rendering will probably be coloured)
An alternative seating/dining area would be nice so that you can be amidst your beautifully scented plants.
Looking forward to seeing the progress.
You are wearing me out just watching your fruitless work at this rate. Get a small back hoe and be done with it. That , or bring in enough small flat stones to make raised beds. Roots refuse to prosper in bed rock. Nancy says hello, she loves your videos as I do. Her fig bushes are loaded with "figletts." SE Ohio.
Rendered wall will be beautiful. What about a seating area in one of the quadrants – I know it would mess up the symmetry :), and maybe even a shade structure?