19 Jan 2016

 

According to the 2016 Garden Trends Report, people are spending more time outdoors and not only ‘decorating’ their homes, but their gardens as well. This might seem surprising at a time when technology, social media and other distractions are becoming a greater part of our day to day lives, but more and more of us want to be able to enjoy outdoor spaces like gardens. Here is a short list of garden design trends that you might want to try yourself.

Integrate technology

This trend is all about harnessing social media and related technologies to encourage people to take advantage of their gardens. ‘Consumers are constantly connected, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s time for the industry to fully embrace technology and all it can do for the garden,’ said Susan McCoy, president of Garden Media. ‘The more consumers learn about nature and the design of outdoor spaces, the more they will grow to care about it.’

This is already having a huge impact on garden design, as the increased ease with which we can communicate with people around the world allows us to share different ideas like never before. Just take a look at the digital “mood boards” you can find and create on sites like pinterest, where you can “Pin” your interests to a board, amplifying your imagination and allowing you to get visual inspiration from a range of gardens and architects across the world in an easier manner than ever before.

Reconnect with nature

The rise of social trends, like lawn games, glamping and garden parties are fueling a record growth in garden furniture and other accessories. This is increasing demand for tabletop fountains, permanent BBQs and brick or semi-permanent structures, outdoor chandeliers, garden art, decorative bird feeders, unusual planters and candle holders.

Produce your own food and drink

Instead of just planting for beauty, many of us want to have a functional garden that we can use to produce food and drink. You could grow hops to make your own beer, or grapes to make your own wine. Many people grow plants like thyme which can be an excellent addition to various recipes while being easy to maintain, but you could take it even further and grow your own vegetables.

Create multi-sensual experiences

Water features are a classic example of a multi-sensual experience in the garden, as it adds not only visual and tactile elements, but also a relaxing background sound.

You could enhance a water fountain with lights, or use LEDs in other parts of the garden to add an interesting aesthetic dynamic in the evening. Outdoor speakers are becoming more and more popular, but are perhaps best deployed in certain rural areas where you don’t have any neighbours to annoy!

At Lypiatt Landscapes we have a wealth of experience when it comes to all kinds of gardening projects. We work on projects of all scales and sizes, so we know what goes into bringing your landscape ideas to fruition. By working closely with our customers we are able to execute their vision from start to finish. See examples of our recent projects here and get in touch with us via our contact form or call on 01453 277 001.