Latest Trends in Garden Design

It’s official: gardening has become cool again. According to the National Gardening Survey, over six million Americans have grabbed their shovels and spades in the past few months alone. Are you ready to hop on the bandwagon?

Whether you’re looking to spruce up your garden for your own enjoyment or to increase your home’s value by investing in your outdoor space, the following hot trends will give you some ideas.

Millennials are struggling to buy homes and even when they manage to get on the property ladder, it’s often a small flat without a proper outside space. Enter the balcony garden.

The balcony garden is becoming increasingly popular, both with millennials and city-dwellers tired of the lack of greenery, the increasing pollution, and the realization that owning an actual garden may be far away.

The key in creating the perfect balcony garden is ensuring you vary plant placement and maximizing space. Use railings to hang window boxes, the ceiling to hang cascading plants, or use planters which can be placed against your wall. In terms of chairs, we always like folding furniture; it makes it easy to configure your space according to changing requirements.

Climate change is real, people! Sure, we’re no scientists, but trusting NASA and leading climatologists over conspiracy theorists seems like the better option. Homeowners seem to have taken notice, with one of the most popular trends being the creation of incredible eco-friendly gardens.

The main way you can curb your garden’s negative impact on the environment is by going native. What do we mean by this? Avoid all species that are not native to your location. Non-native species can be invasive, often wiping out local plants, harming the existing ecosystem.

Whilst the appropriate (and sometimes necessary) use of pest control in your garden is important, it is beneficial to be aware of the amount of potentially harmful chemicals introduced into your immediate environment. Reducing the use of pesticides in your garden can have beneficial effects by welcoming pollinators such as butterflies and bees. Native bees are massively important for our environment, helping plants grow and allowing us to have the varied and rich diets we’re accustomed to. Considering bees are in some serious trouble, Mother Earth will thank you for even the smallest of contribution.

Don’t waste water, period. If you live in a dry environment, go for plants that are drought-tolerant. Don’t go for lush lawns if you’re surrounded by desert. Harvesting rainwater is also a popular option. For example, think about installing a rain tank as a way of maximizing rainwater use.

Outdoor dining spaces have become more popular in recent years, but a 2018 ‘innovation’ is very much the garden alfresco dining experience. We’re talking about a custom-built dining area further out into the yard, rather than being attached as part of a porch or patio. There are a couple of reasons why homeowners are deciding to go for this option:

Immersive experience. Building a dining area further away from the house provides a more immersive experience, giving guests the illusion of being surrounded by nature and far from the big city.

It rewards creativity. The alfresco dining experience allows homeowners to get creative, without damaging the structure of the home. They can go wild for relatively little money, creating a unique and exciting experience for family and guests.

People are moving away from tasteless supermarket fruits and vegetables. Consumers aren’t just moving to their local organic farm delivery service, but investing in growing their own produce.

Homeowners are realizing that starting their own veggie garden doesn’t have to be difficult. You can start small, for example through a window box with herbs. Those that grow into the experience (bad pun intended!) can eventually build their own small greenhouses.

Mental health is (deservedly) getting more recognition in 2018. As an extension of this trend, gardens are increasingly becoming a hub for mindfulness, a practice that finds its roots in Buddhism. Even health organizations such as the NHS give it the thumbs up. Here’s why the garden is such a great place for it:

Brings you closer to nature. Most of us are surrounded by high-rises and/or spend our days locked in grim offices. The garden is an oasis from the modern metropolis.

Gardening itself is therapeutic. There’s something about working in your garden that brings about peace and calm. It’s about being fully engrossed in an activity and engaging with nature.

The ideal garden for mindfulness is about peace, creating a place that’s geared towards wellbeing, and removing the pressures of creating the picture-perfect setting that will have you struggling to keep up with the Joneses.