LOL, I feel your pain. Just yesterday I told my husband it would be nice to have a small backyard and that's it.... a manageable size in which to putter. I am feeling overwhelmed as well.

Are there a lot of trees over the courtyard? It sounds enchanting. I don't have any trees over my paths or rubble patio, so there's no sweeping.
My front patio is a disaster area. It doesn't drain properly, so when I water I make puddles that grow black scum in them, then all of the leaf litter collects there, and it's always dirty. The spiders think I built the patio roof specifically for them, and their webs will not wipe off of the deep brown rough-sawn lumber. Sometimes I wish the whole entry to the house there would just disappear. My secret is to never photograph it.
Renee

I have to rake and weed my garden, though I confess, I don't have to do much of it. One thing I DON'T do is try to keep it looking pristine every single day. For instance, I've got redwoods nearby that blow these horrid fronds all over the place, and trees that drop leaves. Through the winter, I just let it all fall until nothing's left on the trees. Then I rake it up all at once. It's a mess for a while, but the weather isn't good and I'm not out there much anyway.

{{gwi:9086}}

Is there a way you could shelter the area more to keep stuff from blowing in?

Is there a way you could shelter the area more to keep stuff from blowing in?

Yes, that's the long-term solution.

We live on six acres of a native forest, the tallest trees being Douglas firs. The amount of litter blown about from these trees is amazing. My neat wife uses all of her tools to try and keep the patio and driveway clear enough to see what they are made of. The oversize rain gutters we installed are often filled with debris. I am frequently asked to put a stop to it. So far I am an utter failure. Al

You guys are the best! I feel so much better. I installed the paver walkway. It is between the house and a short rock retaining wall.....so it is sort of an alleyway....I just can't be so particular - a garden doesn't need to be perfection, does it? I wouldn't trade the open space for living in the city I left...

Well it is outdoors afterall. But I can't keep up either.
Between the shingle roof crap after it rains, neighbors palm trees aka torches, neighbors nasty birch trees oh and don't forget all the surrounding wild brush area. It seems no debris in my area is from my own plants...but I know there must be some somewhere;)

I very much prefer the rough looking garden rather than some perfectly groomed garden with no leaf out of place.