Nicky’s Walled Courtyard in October

Nicky, the garden’s owner, says: ‘When I first spoke to Kate, I explained that the most important thing was not looking out onto heaps of bare concrete. I envisaged a little oasis with predominantly green planting, that is beautiful to look out on all year round. Initially, access was only through our bedroom which limited its use, so we first obtained planning permission to build a terrace outside our family living area on the floor above, with a spiral staircase leading down. The courtyard faces north and gets virtually no sun. I had no idea what plants to grow, but knew I didn’t want rows of uniform topiary trees. I wanted the ‘feel’ to be more English, with different things going on. I sent Kate lots of pinterest images of pots and plants — then she would tell me what would grow here. Despite the additional cost, I wanted mature trees because I didn’t want to have to wait years to enjoy the garden.’