Landscape & Urban Design Issue 26 2017 | Page 36

Garden Trends to Look Out for
This Summer
W
ith the warmer weather
coming, focus shifts from
inside to outside as people
start to look at their gardens
and how to maximise the space for their
needs.
Whether the garden is used for
entertaining, family activities or just
unwinding and relaxing, having a mixture
of different areas is key to creating a
space the whole family can enjoy.
Here, garden specialists Oeco Garden
Rooms predicts some of the trends to look
out for this summer and how to utilise
them in your outdoor space.
Garden Layout
The layout of the garden is key to creating
a multiple use space that family and
friends can enjoy all year round.
Raised flower beds and hedge rows are
popular ways of adding structure to the
garden, while creating selected areas for
different activities; these areas can be
adapted at different times of the year
depending on your needs.
Incorporating natural elements such rocks,
boulders and bushes are also a great way
to create structure while retaining a more
natural look in the garden.
36 Landscape & Urban Design
Bright and bold colours
Neutral colours may be trending in the
home interior scene, but in the garden
it's bright and bold colours. Some great
summer flowers to provide that wow
factor are Gloriosa Daisy and Peonies.
With its bright yellow and orange petals
with a deep brown centre, Gloriosa Daisy
can grow up to 3.5ft high and is perfect for
the British climate. Gloriosa Daisy attracts
all kinds of wildlife into the garden
including butterflies, bees and even
hummingbirds.
Flowering between mid-spring and early
summer, the fragrant Peony is available
in a range of shades from white to pink
and deep purple. They require very
little maintenance and can live for over
100 years; the secret to having a long
blossoming peony is careful planting,
but once established are happy to grow
undisturbed for many years.
Decorating the garden
Colour is not just used in the flowers of
the garden - in fact one of the biggest
trends this year will be colourful garden
furniture and garden structures. Using
pops of colour with your garden furniture
will create an interesting space that will fit
in with the character of the garden.
Painting or staining garden sheds and
garden rooms creates a focal point in
which the whole garden can be built
around. While adding bright colours to
garden structures help them to stand
out, staining garden fences a dark colour
allows the foliage to become centre stage,
enhancing the natural colours of plants
and flowers creating contrast throughout
the space.
Garden lighting
LED lighting has changed the way we
light our gardens forever; not only are
they more efficient and last longer
than traditional lighting, LED lights are
now available in a range of different
configurations, meaning that there is a
lighting scheme for every garden.
Café lighting and extendable light
chains are on trend this year, especially
when lighting a patio area to create that
Mediterranean feel. Solar lights are also
an efficient way to light up walkways and
specific areas of the garden.
LED lights are now available in a range of
colours and can even be controlled using
a smartphone, great for adding ambience
to the area when entertaining.
www.oecogardenrooms.co.uk