This title includes over 60 stage-by-stage construction and planting sequences, garden case studies, a comprehensive directory of plants and over 850 photographs. It shows you how to plan, design and plant up beautiful and easy-to-maintain garden courtyards, walled spaces, patios, terraces and enclosed backyards. You can create a courtyard in any style - a traditional patio, a Mediterranean-style terrace, an outdoor living and dining space, a productive area for growing fruit and vegetables, a peaceful retreat, or an ultra-modern design. It features step-by-step advice on all the practicalities, from planning a suitable layout and preparing the site, to sourcing all the elements and choosing the plants. This beautiful book is packed with creative ideas for making a successful courtyard space. There is advice on flooring, walls and screens, containers, structures, furniture, ornaments, water features and lighting. Inspirational examples are presented alongside step-by-step instructions to explain the features shown. Case studies with detailed plans explore the dynamics of the different designed spaces, and a plant directory gives a comprehensive listing of planting options. A section on maintenance shows how to keep your courtyard looking its best. If you have a space to design from scratch or one that needs an overhaul, this book provides all the advice you will need.

"What a super book! Great photos, and such interesting facts - it all makes a fascinating read." Christine Walkden, BBC-TV and Radio 4 Gardening Expert "This is a wonderful book, tracing the history of the family firm and the marvellous structures they created, in great detail. There are detailed accounts of 40 of the firm's most prestigious structures, stunningly photographed by professional garden photographer Jennifer Lilly. There is even a detailed chronological gazetteer of all the known Pulhamite sites. Definitely a must for your Christmas present list and garden history bookshelf." Hazelle Jackson, Heritage Consultant London Landscapes Autumn/Winter 2012 "It is excellent... A brilliant piece of work - I thoroughly recommend it." Peter Seabrook, Gardening Writer and Broadcaster Amateur Gardening "The result of many years' patient research, pulling together fascinating information on the Pulhams' work, which extended from grand gardens such as Sandringham and Waddesdon to modest suburban villas." The Times "A Charming Labour of Love, this offers everything you could wish to know about Pulhamite - and probably much more... The photographs are superb, the research exhaustive and the gazetteer makes it invaluable for the study, restoration and maintenance of Pulhamite features in 19th to early 20th-century gardens." BBC Gardens Illustrated This book tells the story of James Pulham & Son, the eminent family of Victorian and Edwardian landscape artists who specialised in the construction of picturesque rock gardens, ferneries, follies and grottoes. The book covers more than four generations of the family business that was also responsible for the manufacture of extremely high-quality terracotta garden ornaments including fountains, vases, sundials and bulastrading. The rock gardens, for which the firm are mainly remembered today, were built with 'artifical' rocks - formed from heaps of old bricks and rubble, coated with cement, and sculpted to simulate the colour and texture of natural stone. The author's interest in James Pulham & Son stems from the fact that no fewer than five of his ancestors worked for the company as 'rock builders'. Features many incredibly famous locations, including Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Heatherden Hall, Waddesdon Manor, Battersea Park, Friar Park and RHS Garden Wisley.