In The Garden with Camilla Grayley

Easter is traditionally the busiest weekend for garden centres and plant nurseries, the time we head out to look at plants, furniture and garden accessories, and start thinking about long summer days outside. If making the most of your garden is on the list this year, here are a few of this year’s trends to hopefully spark a few ideas.

Indoor/outdoor living

The trend for outdoor living areas has been tweaked slightly to become indoor/outdoor living. Outdoor Living Areas was all about creating areas with sofas and relaxed with plenty of cushions to sink into. A place to sit surrounded by scent and colour, whether enjoying a coffee to start the day or a glass of wine while dinner is bubbling away in the background.

Indoor/outdoor living takes those spaces and links them with the house. From using the same or same colour materials in kitchen flooring and terraced areas. Suppliers often have an indoor and an outdoor version of the same flooring, a lighter weight stone or porcelain for the kitchen and a harder wearing option for the garden, for example. With more and more of us installing bi-fold or large doors into the garden, using the same flooring materials gives the feeling of a larger space, ideal in town and smaller gardens. It is also helps to bring the outside in, particularly in summer when the doors are wide open.

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Alternatively, the indoor/outdoor trend can be created through the use of furniture, having an indoor and outdoor set in the same style. A garden dining table that matches the kitchen table or outdoor sofas in the same style as the dining table and chairs. I have seen an increase in furniture companies expanding their indoor furniture ranges into the outdoors, often in matching traditional or modern Scandinavian ranges.

Whether preferring to curate an outdoor living area or choose the outdoor/indoor living trend, they are both all about the plants. Surrounding the seating and the house with plants to enjoy at eye level and plenty of scent to fill the air.

Wellness gardens

Wellness gardens are another trend that has been tweaked rather than being completely new. Originally starting out as an area surrounded by plenty of greenery, a space away from the world to sit out and relax in. A place to help improve both mental and physical health. They then started to include areas for yoga and meditation, creating a space large enough to roll out a yoga mat or two. This year wellness gardens have been updated to include water. Ranging from being able to sit and listen to the gentle sound of trickling water, to plunge pools and even outdoor showers.

Green drenching

According to Pinterest, many people are searching for green drenching, wanting less minimalism and clean lines, and more forest planting. Rather than seeing the boundaries of the garden it is all about creating layers and covering surfaces with lush green planting. A mini or pocket forest of your own. Perhaps choosing a tree or multi-stem shrub, to then layer with smaller shrubs and finally perennials and ground cover plants.

Any areas still showing from behind the planting, such as fences are being covered in climbers. The idea is to curate a small oasis of your own, to sit out and relax amongst the planting. Something it will hopefully be warm enough to do over the Easter weekend.

Have a question or would like further information on design, planting, problem areas or project monitoring services, please get in touch.

01904 670330 www.camillagrayleydesign.com