How to make the best use of a small courtyard or garden 

With the sun currently shining Home of the Year winner Jennifer Sheahan gives some tips on how to make the most of your outdoor space

The patio area with vertical planting and an array or mirrors.

I don't want to jinx anything for you all but through the showers this week there have been glimpses of blue skies and glimmers of sunshine, indicating that summer may well be on its way. I love being outside as much as possible, but I have very limited outdoor space available to me. 

Figuring out how to maximise my 2m by 2m courtyard garden to make it as usable as possible for me was an important part of planning my renovation. Here’s what I learned about making the best use of limited outdoor space.