Magical courtyards are spaces that enchant and inspire everyone who steps foot into them. These hidden gems can be found in various settings, from old castles and palaces to quaint gardens and urban sanctuaries. What sets magical courtyards apart is their ability to transport you to a different world. As soon as you walk through the gates, you are greeted with a sense of tranquility and wonder. The air is filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers, and lush greenery surrounds you from every angle. These courtyards are often designed with great care, combining elements of nature and artistry to create a harmonious and captivating atmosphere.

A Guide to Charleston’s Hidden Courtyards

Psst. Hey, you! Charleston’s hidden courtyards are one of the destination’s best kept secrets, and we’re sharing them with you! Slip away from the hustle and bustle of the city and discover lush garden settings tucked away in quiet corners. From healthy eateries to charming inns, scroll on to explore our guide to Charleston’s magical hidden courtyards.

Kudu Coffee + Craft Beer

Sip seasonal lattes and soak up the sun with your favorite read in Kudu's courtyard patio. Choose from a wide selection of 20 taps of craft beer and enjoy live music on the weekend!

Basic Kitchen

Slip into the garden courtyard at hip and healthy eatery Basic Kitchen and sip on fresh juice, fruit smoothies or tropical-inspired mocktails and cocktails. Chef Air Casebier, former chef at HUSK, is behind the menu of seasonal and local produce featuring nourishing fare including avocado toast, sweet potato fries and brown rice bowls.

Skinny Dip

Skinny Dip isn't your average chic boutique. This King Street shop is filled with curated collections of established and emerging designer ware, as well as a pieces by local Charleston makers. However, it's the second floor oasis that truly sets this gem apart. Enjoy a latte on the beautiful outdoor patio or sip a glass of frosé at the 20-foot coffee and wine bar. Skinny Dip also offers both co-working and event space and has become known as a favorite gathering spot for both locals and visitors with their ongoing events calendar featuring everything from barre classes to wine tastings to creative DIY workshops.

The Parsonage

The Parsonage is a beautifully renovated circa 1846 residence located in Charleston’s Ansonborough neighborhood. The space is available for weekly rentals and boasts three bedrooms, a bridal dressing room, double piazzas, an English-style garden and additional outdoor space for gatherings and events.

The Palmetto Cafe

Dine al fresco in The Palmetto Cafe courtyard or indoors in a luxurious garden-style setting. Combining fresh ingredients with American Lowcountry cuisine, this breakfast and lunch spot offers the best of the best, including pineapple-blueberry compote French toast and Lowcountry shrimp and grits.

Zero George

Zero George is a collection of five restored historic residential buildings set in a private landscaped courtyard with accommodations featuring contemporary decor and furnishings. Designed with the sophisticated traveler in mind, this boutique hotel is a blend of historic architecture and casually elegant guest rooms and suites with adjoining open-air piazzas.

Kings Courtyard Inn

Kings Courtyard Inn offers 41 rooms that surround two inner lush garden courtyards. Not only is it within walking distance of Charleston’s historic homes, gardens and churches, but also just a block away from the Charleston City Market.

The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery

Harbinger's plant-based, from-scratch kitchen features locally-sourced and seasonal dishes to savor either on the outdoor patio or inside (which is a plant lover's paradise). From the Wholy City Quiche to the Sweet Potato + Chickpea Salad to the mouth-watering vegan sweets (try the PB + Black + Blue bar; trust us!), Harbinger is a health enthusiast's heaven!

Peninsula Grill

Beyond Peninsula Grill's beguiling entryway awaits a romantic garden courtyard, flickering copper carriage lanterns, a glass of champagne and a slice of the famous Ultimate Coconut Cake, called “A little slice of heaven…” by The New York Times. Prepare for an unparalleled experience you won't soon forget.

Our Magical Courtyard

Tres and I visit Napa Valley once a year. It's my favorite place on earth, and if I could, I would pack up and move there in a heartbeat. Last time we were there, sipping wine in the courtyard of one of the wineries, we decided if we ever owned a house, we would just turn our backyard into a little Napa. I mean, if you can't live there, you can at least pretend, right?!

When we found our new home, we completely hit the Napa look-alike jackpot. The backyard of our house is beautifully landscaped, complete with a rose garden, fountain, and pebble ground. It's colorful, intimate, and peaceful. Of course, we still have a lot of work to do on it - relay pebbles, replant missing shrubs around the trees, string lights for night parties - but to move into a house with a backyard that was practically perfect makes life a lot easier, particularly for us city folk with no background in gardening. The good news is, we have discovered Tres has quite the green thumb. He's really enjoyed planting and maintaining, which works great for me because it's not quite my thing. I tell him, you plant the stuff, I'll cook with it!"

To add to the loveliness, our friends, Ginger and James, built us a beautiful 12 person farmhouse table (I've only dreamed of one for years), and we have enjoyed numerous nights outside sipping wine, eating cheese, and chatting. The first night we had dinner out there, Tres said, "I really don't even feel like we are in Memphis. I feel like this is wine country." Mission accomplished!

View from the back door. And the kitchen!

Magical Secluded Courtyard Garden with Home Office

It was a dream for us to design this wonderful small courtyard garden – and a real challenge too! Small gardens demand a lot from a designer, as they often have to contain all the features of larger garden and every inch has to be utilized to the full.

For the owners, this garden is as much a relaxing space as it is a working space, as they run their business from an outdoor home office. The use of the garden throughout the summer would also be for informal meetings in the daytime with their clients .

Privacy in any garden is always important, but in London even more so. As many city gardens are overlooked, creating a hidden oasis with clever use of structure and lush planting is often the perfect solution.

The client wanted the planting to focus on foliage with pops of seasonal colour that would give year-round interest. The chairs and table are from local garden furniture makers Timshel Design

We chose solid tongue and groove fencing with integral trellis for both the left and right hand boundary to give it a uniform look, and used weathered brick pavers to give an instant mature feel to the space.

To create an extra ‘layer’ of privacy, a bespoke wooden pergola was installed that, with its mature climbers, will form the perfect secluded dining and seating area within the garden. We incorporated shelving within the pergola on which we have placed a wide variety of succulents in terracotta pots. When space is limited like this, you want to ensure you can get as many plants as possible within the garden.

The inclusion of shelving in the bespoke pergola creates a wonderful area to display plants and ornaments

Terracotta pots and planters of various sizes are used throughout the garden. The beautiful existing silver birch tree helps to form a natural canopy and enabled us to create a shade loving ‘woodland’ bed underneath, using graceful tree ferns and a number of wonderful foliage plants that will look stunning throughout the year.

The bed opposite on the right hand side contains even more wonderful foliage and has a delicate Acer tree at its centre.

All the planting areas are served by an integrated watering system to ensure maintenance is kept to a minimum. The garden has a full remote controlled lighting system, which gives the garden a truly magical feel at night:

The lighting highlights both the structure and the planting of the garden, creating a magical atmosphere

The wide side passage to the kitchen has also been utilised to the full with a stylish bench, which is a perfect place to sit and catch the morning sun.

The bench provides another place from which to view the garden and the olive green of the bench looks great against the mustard tones of the wall

We solved the need for a considerable amount of storage by building a bespoke storage unit to the side of the home office. We ensured it blended into the scheme by making it out of the same material as the fences. The walk-in unit contains floor to ceiling shelving as well as a full size fridge, thus ensuring a nice ice cold bottle of bubbly is always close at hand!

These courtyards are often designed with great care, combining elements of nature and artistry to create a harmonious and captivating atmosphere. One of the most fascinating aspects of magical courtyards is their ability to change throughout the seasons. In spring, delicate cherry blossoms and vibrant tulips take center stage, creating a breathtaking display of colors.

In summer, the courtyard becomes a haven of shade and coolness, offering respite from the scorching sun. Autumn brings a fiery spectacle as leaves turn golden and red, while winter blankets the courtyard in a serene layer of snow, transforming it into a winter wonderland. Magical courtyards also often feature various architectural elements that add to their allure. From ancient stone walls and intricately carved statues to bubbling fountains and winding paths, every corner offers something new to discover. These elements not only contribute to the aesthetic appeal but also serve as a link to history and culture, reminding visitors of the rich heritage that surrounds them. Beyond their aesthetic charm, magical courtyards also provide a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They create an opportunity for relaxation and introspection, allowing us to reconnect with nature and find solace in its beauty. Whether it's a quiet corner with a bench to read a book or a hidden alcove to practice yoga, these courtyards offer a sanctuary for rejuvenation and self-reflection. In conclusion, magical courtyards are enchanting spaces that transport us to another world. They combine elements of nature, artistry, and architecture to create a harmonious and captivating atmosphere. These hidden gems offer a temporary escape from the outside world, inviting us to relax, reflect, and find inspiration within their magical embrace..

Reviews for "Designing Your Own Magical Courtyard: Tips and Inspiration"

1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magical Courtyards". The plot seemed promising, but it quickly became a convoluted mess. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard to connect with them. Additionally, the writing style felt forced and unnatural. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.

2. Susan - 1/5 stars - I couldn't even finish reading "Magical Courtyards". The story dragged on and the pacing was incredibly slow. The descriptions were excessive and felt unnecessary, making it hard to stay engaged. The author seemed to prioritize imagery over plot development, resulting in a book that was more frustrating than magical. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable reading experience.

3. Alex - 2/5 stars - I found "Magical Courtyards" to be quite underwhelming. The concept of magical courtyards sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat. The world-building was lacking, and it was hard to understand the rules and limitations of the magical elements in the story. The dialogue was also stilted and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, the book had potential, but it failed to deliver an enchanting reading experience.

Where Fantasy Meets Reality: Exploring Magical Courtyards