Kate, here are my thought. Firstly you need to cut back all the bushes and shrubs and weed your stones. Then you should power wash the steps, stone circle and any other walls and woodwork. Once you’ve done that you’ll see how big your garden really is. It’s a lovely courtyard garden, I don’t know the dimensions but I don’t think laying a lawn, with all the effort that entails, would be worth it. Which way does the garden face? I know you said you need the storage but if the outbuilding was large enough to handle all you stuff could you lose the shed? That would make a big difference too.

And I forgot to say, wrought iron railings each side of your steps would give adults and children something to hold on to and make them safer.

Hi Kate, I agree 100% with everything Betty Boo has said particularly hand rails for the steps. With regards to a paddling pool you could place it on the circle of cobble BUT it would need a thick underlay to make it comfy and protect the pool base. Just a thought.as it would be only used for a short time

Hello! Dealing with narrow terraces and creating safe, multi-functional spaces for families is one of my specialties at Hesperides Living. That drop from the back door is a common design challenge, and there are some great ways to integrate safer steps—perhaps even combining them with decking or integrated storage to save space. I’d be happy to have a quick 10-minute discovery call to share some ideas on how we could balance the play area, the dining space, and the storage you need. Let me know if you’d like to chat

Hi Kate,

What a lovely space to work with — narrow courtyards like this have real potential once the zoning's right, and everything you've described is very achievable.

A few thoughts from your photos:

That drop from the back door is what I'd tackle first — and yes, decking is a great solution. A small raised deck off the French doors lets you step the height down gradually rather than in one big drop, which is far safer with little ones, and gives you a flat, dry spot right by the house for your table and four chairs. I'd pair it with wide, shallow steps and a handrail (the others are spot on about that) so the children always have something to hold.

On the grass: I'd gently steer you away from real turf in a space this size and shade — it tends to wear to mud exactly where children play, and stays soggy. A good-quality artificial lawn is usually the better call for a family courtyard — soft and safe for tumbles, ideal under a paddling pool, green year-round and almost no upkeep, which ticks your low-maintenance box too.

On storage — I'd echo losing the shed if the outbuilding can take everything; it'd free up a surprising amount of room. If you need to keep some, bench seating with hidden storage underneath is a neat way to claw the space back and add somewhere to sit.

So the picture is: deck and dining by the house, a soft lawn zone for play and the paddling pool, planting kept to the borders to soften it and stay low-maintenance, and that level change made safe. A really workable family garden.

Happy to share more detailed thoughts if it'd help — we design gardens like this remotely for families across the UK, so do feel free to drop me a message. No pressure at all.

Janina — Baker Landscape Design