also: しょうてい
noun
small garden; small yard
Refers to a physically small garden or courtyard, often attached to a house. The reading こにわ is standard; しょうてい is a rarer literary or formal variant.
家の裏に小庭があって、母が花を育てている。
There is a small garden behind the house, and my mother grows flowers there.
この喫茶店には落ち着いた小庭がある。
This café has a quiet little courtyard.
Compound of 小 (small) and 庭 (garden). The reading こにわ is the standard kun'yomi combination; しょうてい is the on'yomi reading, used in more formal or literary contexts.