TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

These are the Top Garden Trends This Year

These are the Top Garden Trends This Year

We're enjoying being out in our gardens more than ever. A summer spent at home rather than abroad means that we can channel all of our efforts into making our home spaces the best that they can be. We've gathered some of the key trends we're seeing for the garden this year.

Our gardens are sanctuary from the stresses of life, an opportunity to get out into nature and a great opportunity to unleash our creativity. Here are the top garden trends to try this summer.

Updating your garden doesn’t have to be too costly or time consuming, and there are plenty of ways to give your garden space a lift without having support from the professionals.

We've spoken to trend experts, as well as gardeners, landscapers, and garden suppliers to learn about the growing trends in garden design this year. There’s plenty of inspiration for us to use to transform our gardens into a relaxing haven as the weather heats up.

1. MOBILE MEADOW


We all dream of fields full of flowers but Isabelle Palmer, @thebalconygardener and author of Modern Container Gardening (Hardie Grant, £16.99), has a way to get the look in miniature. She cuts circles of wild flower turf (from pictorialmeadows.co.uk) to fit compost-filled pots. ‘The turf is easy to establish and these containers will attract bees and butterflies,’ says Isabelle.

                                

2. LIVING ROOFS


We love sedums and these roofs are great for the environment and perfect for that working from home space. Their benefits include absorbing polluting carbon dioxide and helping to prevent localised flooding by soaking up rainwater. Take advice from a professional on installing a green roof safely, maximising plant diversity and ensuring drainage is adequate so that it thrives long-term.

                                

3. WILDERNESS


As the general population has become more educated on the topic of climate change so too have gardening and landscaping trends changed. Nowadays many homeowners are hiring landscapers to design gardens for them that look after themselves.

                                

Green spaces inhabited by plants which can endure intense heat and require minimal watering have become very popular', says gardening & landscaping expert Gena Lorainne from Fantastic Services. 'Such plants are extremely climate change-friendly as they don’t require homeowners to dedicate valuable resources (like water) to help stimulate their growth'.

Grasses and bamboo are just some of the plants growing in popularity, and are perfect for low-maintenance urban spaces.

                                

4. THE POTTED KITCHEN


Gardener and cook Aaron Bertelsen has poured all of his knowledge about growing edibles in small spaces into Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots (£24.95, Phaidon). He recommends starting with salad leaves such as mustard or chicory and herbs such as parsley, mint or lovage – all of which will regrow every time you cut them. His lettuce soup is a great way to use a glut of produce.

                                

Pinterest also reported a 600% increase in searches for homemade garden boxes, as well as a 600% increase in searches for 'DIY small garden ideas vegetables'.'Grow your Own is certainly big right now', confirm experts at Dobbies, who have seen a spike in sales for lettuce, beetroot and pea plants.

Whether you have a small garden, a large garden or no garden at all, everyone can build a herb garden. Compact and easy to maintain, they’re a fantastic addition to any space. Herb gardens smell fantastic and are a welcome addition to any outdoor space, plus there really is no better feeling than picking your own fresh herbs for cooking and drinking.

                                

For those with little window space or limited capacity for plant pots, you could get creative by making a vertical garden, perfect for bringing a touch of life to an empty or tired wall.

                                

Urban gardening can be done in the smallest of spaces, it increases our sense of wellbeing and encourages us to live more sustainably by growing our own food. What’s not to love?

                                

5. THE BENEFICIAL BOUNDARY


A native hedge, such as hawthorn, will provide food and a habitat for wildlife but it will also help screen noise from the street. Designer Matt Keightley recommends cotoneaster, yew or red cedar, which are good at ‘catching’ pollution. If you can’t plant a hedge then Matt suggests ‘layering’ shrubs such as box or bamboo as well as climbers in pots – this vegetation, including evergreen laurel, photinia, holly and cypress, will also help to filter sound.

                                

6. WATER FEATURES


We're also seeing an increasing number of brands responding to the demand for affordable water features (for example, modern water features start at just £125 at Cox&Cox), making water features more accessible for all.

                                

Said to soothe the mind with the constant trickle of water, the increase in popularity could be down to the growing awareness of wellness.

7. THE RIGHT LIGHT


Well thought out lighting can bring your outdoor space to life in the evening; illuminate a tree, large shrub or grasses with uplighters to create drama. For a big scheme, you’ll need an electrician to install the correct wiring; but single uplighters (some of the best are from LuxR or Hunza) that are anchored in the soil can run from an LED cable from a mains power point. Like this garden designed by Bowles and Wyer.

                                

8. OUTDOOR KITCHENS


Not just reserved for larger properties and sunnier climates, outdoor kitchens are a great way to extend your entertaining space and make the best use of your available square footage all year round.

                                

Gaze Burvill, designers and manufacturers of fine outdoor furniture and kitchens, designed this outdoor kitchen with industrial-style Dekton® Trilium for the weatther-proof worktops.

                                

Pizza oven sales are also up year-on-year, with the Ooni range at John Lewis up +18%, showing that customers were enjoying cooking them outdoors too, either to complement a BBQ or as an alfresco meal on their own.

                                

9. MEDITERRANEAN STYLE


Weathered, sun-bleached woods, potted olive trees and a chalky palette of muted greys set the tone for Mediterranean inspired gardens, one of the top trends for garden inspiration this year.

What could be more bucolic than evoking the blue-sky, sun-soaked style of the Mediterranean? 'Throw in a dash of forward-thinking Miami cool and you’ve got yourself the perfect mix,' says Ben Adams, founder of online furniture store Rust Collections. The traditional Mediterranean look is also seeing a cool new update, influenced be design across the pond.

                                

Ben Adams explains: ‘We’re increasingly being asked to create outdoor furniture pieces with cool white frames and raw concrete tops; this blend of upscale Miami hotel cool meets rugged, organic Mediterranean coastlines is a contemporary look that speaks to a refined rustic appeal. Just add swaying palm plants and rattan accessories to complete the bohemian look.’

                                

10. MEDICINAL PLANTS


Healing plants are a big theme this year; plant camomile and mint in window boxes or in pocket planters on a wall to make your own infusions. Get to know medicinal plants at the Chelsea Physic Garden (chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk) or check out the queen of things herbal, Jekka McVicar (jekkas.com). She has the widest selection of varieties online.

                                

11. NATURAL MATERIALS


With a focus on sustainability, natural materials – or natural-looking materials – are top of people's wish lists, from wood furniture to rattan, wicker and stone urns and pots. The trend even stretches to poolside design, with wood-effect, waterproof tiling.

                                

12. OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM


With the UK’s climate becoming warmer, outdoor living is increasing in popularity; Online searches for ‘outdoor furniture’ in the UK have soared nearly 20% to over 27,000 in 2019 (compared to the previous year), reaching a 16 year high in the number of searches in April (just before summer) last year. People are extending homes into the outdoors with luxury garden furniture, and the global outdoor furniture market is forecast to grow 5% by 2023.

                                

Blending your exterior and interior spaces, and setting up an outdoor living room is a key trend for 2020, announced experts at Dobbies Garden Centres. It’s no longer about bringing the outside in, or the inside out, but rather merging the two together.

                                

Selecting the right furniture is key, choosing a set that would look just as good inside is a great way to blur the line between indoors/outdoors. Low seating will ensure that the view into your garden isn’t obscured, whilst adding cushions or throws can help soften the look. Another tip is to add colours from your garden to the inside of your home which will help to really tie it all together, says Lynsey Abbot, Outdoor Living Buyer for Dobbies.

                                


Statement seating, considered purchases and timeless designs are key, says Dani, Director of Buying at Cox & Cox: 'Now more than ever before consumers are looking for products which will last – they need to work much harder for their money. Stylish yet timeless, quality products that are fit for purpose and will have longevity. Not only do they need to look great but they need to last.'

                            

Simon Ingham, owner of Garden House Furniture, adds: 'Designer garden furniture is transforming homeowners’ gardens and lives, with discerning clients increasingly looking to lead healthier outdoor lifestyles by extending their homes into beautifully designed outdoor living spaces. With many of our cities expected to have a climate similar to that of Barcelona today by 2050, the trend for outdoor living is set to explode in the coming years and decades.'

Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×