This courtyard in Fulham was designed as shady ‘secret garden’ giving the client total privacy from neighbours. Adding to existing mature trees such as lilacs and magnolias, a York stone terrace was filled with terracotta pots and planted with shade loving evergreens and perennials such as box, hydrangeas, astrantias, camellias and lupins. In the front, the cloud box hedge was replaced with yew, and the magnolia tree, with its lighter green leaves has been carefully shaped to complement the yew balls below it.