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The Latest Garden Trends

Harriet Goodacre

May 07, 2023

As the warmer months arrive, we often feel more inclined to step outside the comforts of our home to enjoy the great outdoors. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen an increase in people renovating their gardens like they would their home so they can enjoy those warm summer days relaxing.

To celebrate the coming summer, we’ve put together four garden trends to help inspire your outdoor space, whether you’re doing a full-blown renovation or just looking for an area to update whilst you potter around!

Coastal Calm

Everscape, Echinops, Dulux's Natural Hessian, Overtly Olive, Open Sky, Cobalt Embrace

We’ve previously spoken about the Coastal Contentment interior trend which is a reimagining of the ‘nautical look’ for interiors, now we’re seeing this emerge in the garden too.

The colour palette is warm toned neutrals, like natural hessian and cream, teamed with clean sky blue and flashes of deep cobalt, coppery pink and warm olive for added depth. This look is all about surface texture which can be achieved with painted stone walls, wood grain and wicker furniture. Introduce a more sophisticated take on decking with the Everscape tile range. It’s slip and UV fade resistant, with no maintenance required unlike traditional wood decking.

Bring in the flashes of colour using a variety of planting, from cool toned olive trees, varieties of thistles, like stunning Eryngiums or sculptural Echinops, to wild grasses like Marram (typically found on the UK’s coastline).

Moroccan Sun

Syren, Quarry Black, Jasmine, Dulux's Marine Splash, Canna Tropicanna

The Moroccan aesthetic captures rustic surface textures, worn patterns and bold colour. You can incorporate traditional patterned wall tiles in amongst leafy green borders or water features for hints of interest or to zone areas. To create a modern base for your design, opt for a black terracotta tile like Quarry Black, unlike traditional red terracotta, it will make your greenery pop making it easier to create impact without having a huge amount of plants.

Capture the magic of Morocco by creating an intimate tiled courtyard with exuberant colour on the walls, still water and layered planting. You can opt for plenty of plant pots to create a jungle like feel if you’re short on space or gardening expertise! Go for easy to care for grasses, scented jasmine and half-hardy sculptural plants like a Canna Tropicanna.

Don’t forget to incorporate some lighting for the evening, reimagine a Moroccan roof top with lots of warm toned lighting.

The Glass House

Everscape Pitsbury Grey Pattern, Alfresco Dining, Dulux's Willow Tree, Green House Dining

For those that are a little greener fingered, there’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own veggies, a truly organic experience! However, this trend is a little chicer. Your green house is as aesthetically pleasing as your lounge, you are creating an alfresco dining experience in the middle of a working space.

Do up your green house by upgrading the glass, redoing the paintwork and laying a new floor. If you’ve got a concrete screed base then go for a decorative pattern like Berkeley Essence Eden, if not, then lay down an Everscape tile, we like Pitsbury for a rustic finish.

Then create a living environment with the use of decorative plants, as well as a space for dining. This could be your work bench by day that’s dolled up for night-time hosting. After a warm summer’s day, the natural smell and warmth in the glass house will be a welcomed addition to your meal.

Extend the look outside by blending the green house into the rest of the garden so it feels like part of the landscape. You can also add mini lean-to glass structures to the side of the greenhouse that are more functional for everyday use.

Xeriscaping

Everscape Fossil White, Gravel Paving, Dulux's Nutmeg White, Verbena

The idea of xeriscaping is using clever design to create a space that uses a small amount of water. Particularly important in warmer climates but also, as we see climate change warm up the UK summers and water shortages become more common, it’s a great way to save water whilst also having a green space rather than a dead one come the end of August!

In the UK, it’s a little more challenging to get this right as we do usually have significant rainfall all year round so it’s all in the ground prep rather than the planting. For soil, you need mostly silt and to protect plants, lots of mulch. Replace that thirsty lawn for sedum and create sculpture with ornamental grasses. For pops of colour, Verbena is particularly beautiful, and daffodils are a great way to add colour earlier on in the year. You’re looking for drought resistant and hardy plants rather than hot climate plants like cacti.

Juxtapose this greenery with some hard landscaping, Everscape can be laid on gravel so you can avoid the build up of weeds taking precious water away from your planting. A lighter porcelain tile like Everscape Fossil White will often remain cooler than concrete or natural stone when baked in the hot sun.

And for a truly eco approach, add in a compost bin for food waste and cardboard and a water butt to avoid using tap water in the hottest months.

So, what approach will you be taking this spring to improve your garden? Remember to do your research into suitable plants and try to incorporate as much bug-friendly gardening as you can.

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The Latest Garden Trends

Coastal Calm

Moroccan Sun

The Glass House

Xeriscaping