Garden Design Trends for 2017

New Year, New Garden
Budget garden design: luxe for less

Like any industry, garden design goes through cycles of fashion and taste. Often influenced by the big flower shows of the year, sometimes influenced by new technologies, equipments and techniques; but always controlled by a gardener’s own personal taste. There are some perennial tastes that will never go away, and some that are cropping back up from years gone by. Let’s take a look at some of the bigger changes we’re expecting to see in 2017…

The outdoor lounge

Seating and entertainment areas have always been a big focus of ours, we believe the garden should be treated like another room of your home. As an extension of that space, we’re seeing more and more people wishing to realise that concept as fully as possible and create true outdoor lounges.

To this end, wooden patio furniture is slowly phasing out and replacing it are outdoor sofas, daybeds and swing seats. Fabric covered, removable cushions, comfort, indulgence. Closely following this is the recreation of boudoirs outside, which brings canopies, lanterns, rugs and floor cushions. This is certainly one that’s going to divide the audience…

Barbecue Mk. II

And a natural progression from bringing the lounge outdoors is to bring the kitchen too. Barbecues slowly progressed from small functional items to the grand brickwork installations or the high-tech smokers and grillers we see now. Mounting one of these amongst outdoor work surfaces and preparation areas is starting to become more and more common, particularly with the ease of powering outdoor appliances compared to ten years ago. It’s also a relatively simple change that can make a big difference to how you use your outdoor space.

Upcycling indoor to outdoor

The upcycling trend has been sweeping the nation for a few years now and the garden hasn’t been able to resist it either. Lighting is particularly influenced here, with many creatives foregoing string lighting in favour of homemade lanterns made from jam jars, or from tissue paper frames, or simply light bulbs on a wire. Expect to see rustic furniture given a lick of protection and dropped into the garden, old appliances turned into planters, tyre seats and more.

Alternatives to the lawn

The manicured lawn with 90 degree angles and uniform length had always been the style of choice for curb appeal, but many people get more creative with their more private back garden spaces. Mixes of different grass seeds (and wildflower) provide a beautiful cacophony that feels much more natural, and often doesn’t need mowing. Think of the traditional countryside garden lawns, which feature tufts, bursts of colour, different lengths and a very rustic feel.

Expect to see this creeping every close to the city as the year goes on…

 


Eden Restored is a team of passionate garden designers working throughout London, Kent and Surrey.

We deliver value-for-money on projects of any size, from inner-city courtyards to countryside cottages.

To discuss your ideas and how we can help throughout the entire process, get in touch.

 

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