Ultimate Garden Trends for Summer 2018
As summer approaches and the weather has finally begun brightening up, we’re proud to announce our first annual Ultimate Garden Trends campaign. This article is the cumulation of hours of research and creative ideas from some of the industry’s top gardeners, landscapers, interior designers, architects and home stylists. Hopefully, it will provide some help and inspiration for ways to bring your garden to life and be in line with the latest trends.
Let us know if you’re a gardening blogger or retailer who wants to add their trend to our ever-growing list!
Garden Design Magazine
https://www.gardendesign.com/trends/2018.html
“For years, outdoor dining spaces have been conveniently located just off the house, near the kitchen. However, we’ve noticed dining spaces being pushed out into the garden. Yes, you’ll have to carry your plate a bit further, but it’s well worth it.
Here are three tips for creating the ultimate outdoor dining destination: Surround the dining room with in-ground and container plants for a lush feeling. Turn your dining area into a sanctuary with special flooring, lighting and furniture. Include pre-and post-dinner entertainment spaces nearby, such as a fire pit or pool.”
Composite Prime
“Natural looking composite wood plastic is finally here. High quality, beautiful and unbelievably strong – Composite Prime is one of the best materials on the marketplace for decking and fencing. It means your garden is in shape all year round, has all the strength and durability of plastic but the look and feel of wood. The fact it’s sustainable and environmentally friendly is a huge bonus.”
House Beautiful
https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/news/g417/best-garden-trends
“A key interior and kitchen trend, copper, both as a material and colour, will make a big impact in 2018, according to Paul Hensey FSGD. Weathering to a beautiful bluish-green patina, hard landscaping in copper can provide a wonderful sense of warmth to planting and a contrast to surrounding gravel, stone or wood.
Where a perpetual copper colour is preferred, copper-effect stainless steels will be a popular alternative. More generally, we will see a move away from shiny stainless steel finishes, says garden designer Cassandra Crouch MSGD, with a natural weathered patina becoming popular instead.”
Country Living
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/gardens/a2880/gardening-trends-2018/
“There’s an inspiring new way of looking at your garden which is good news for the more hands-off amongst us. ‘Wabi-sabi’ is a Japanese art that has been practised in Japan since the 15th century. In short, it is an acceptance of the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death.
The key here is balancing nature and nurture, so sit back, relax and reflect on the beauty of your garden’s natural imperfections. Overgrown perennials, moss-covered stones, rusty iron gates and weathered pots are suddenly bang on-trend.”
Society of Garden Designers
http://sgd.org.uk/garden-design-trends-2018.aspx
“After taking centre stage in James Basson’s award-winning garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, Limestone is set to make a return to the domestic garden this year with the introduction of harder-wearing mid-toned stones rather than the bright white varieties of a few years ago, reflecting the natural, warm colour palettes popular in interior design. Adolfo Harrison MSGD also predicts a trend towards mixing different stones together to reflect the various colours and tones within the garden itself.”
Freshome
https://freshome.com/top-five-garden-trends-of-2018/
“We’ve been telling you this for a while now: the living wall, or vertical garden, is a beautiful way to add some life to a wall. “
The Middle Sized Garden
“For years we’ve been hearing about the garden as an ‘outdoor room.’
The next trend is the home as an ‘indoor garden.’ House plants are making a big comeback.”
Pouted
https://www.pouted.com/whats-trending-15-garden-designs-to-watch-for-in-2017/
“When it comes to the Swedish taste, the interior trends that are provided for us are both the Hygge and Lagom. They both are all about life in the outdoors and they can vary from having fire all-time lows along with warm blankets all the way to the simple well-trimmed gardens. So, you will definitely find something in the Swedish corner that works perfectly for your taste; besides, you will keep your place updated and trendy.”
Trulawn
“Wabi-Sabi is the art of appreciating beauty in the ‘naturally imperfect world’ – simply put, not everything has to be pristine to look good! This style can incorporate asymmetry, incompleteness, impermanence, and simplicity.
Suggestions include; incorporating man-made objects into your garden design, such as iron ornaments which will rust and change over time, or using stone water features which will encourage moss to grow.”
Gardenista
https://www.gardenista.com/posts/10-best-garden-design-trends-2018/
“San Francisco-based garden designer Monica Viarengo’s projects (including the one above) feature walkways of patterned risseu, an increasingly popular pebble-mosaic technique common in Viarengo’s hometown in Italy.”
Home Depot
http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/home-depots-top-gardening-trends-2018/
“As people seek tranquillity and serenity yet crave the boldness of colour, it should be no surprise that the colour purple will continue making its way into our gardens this year. Purple signifies peace, mystery, magic and ambition.
Garden offerings in purple will include everything from blackberries to cabbages and beans to basil.
In flowers, look for Proven Winners‘ annual flower of the year: Supertunia Bordeaux, a drought-tolerant purple petunia requiring little care from spring to fall.”
PureWow
https://www.purewow.com/home/top-garden-design-trends-2018
“Want “less mowing, more growing”? Low-maintenance groundcover plantings are the ultimate alternative to green grass lawns. We love flowering varieties like blue star creeper, which offers gorgeous texture and colour (seen here between pavers in an Elizabeth Everdell garden), as well as the ability to prevent erosion and lure bees and butterflies.”
Gravelmaster
https://www.gravelmaster.co.uk/blog/lifestyle/gardening-trends-for-2018
“Hand-crafted structures are set to be a big trend for 2018, so why not research local artisans for something individually made and unique? Whatever design look you are going for there are plenty of options available from handcrafted stone features to wooden arbours. Adding crafted features are a great way of introducing colour, texture and new plants such as vines. They are also a great way to continue design themes, for example, a rustic garden shed or playhouse for the kids surrounded by dogwood blossoms and azaleas create a whimsical, traditional and rustic feel.”
Flymo
https://www.flymo.com/uk/just-gardening/2018-garden-trends/
“Many of us are now choosing to live in rented properties, or have little or no outdoor space due to living in or near the city. If you’re limited for space, take a new approach to gardening and opt for ‘balcony living.’ By enhancing what outdoor space you do have available, regardless of size, it allows you to have an area to express your creativity and style. Whether it’s a balcony, patio or windowsill, there’s a range of planting containers and vertical structures to allow you grow various flowers and foliage.”
The Impatient Gardener
“Containers will be king. Interesting new plants and the ease of availability means that more people will enter gardening through container gardening. Not only is it something that anyone can do regardless of whether they own or rent, it’s also inexpensive, easy to do and the quickest way to add interest to an exterior. Even non-gardeners will be catching the container gardening bug.”
Savvy Gardening
“The use of creative containers. Trendy gardeners aren’t planting in big, glazed ceramic pots anymore. They’re converting filing cabinets into planter boxes, growing veggies in a pasta strainer, using stock tanks as raised beds, and turning all kinds of household items into garden containers.”
Homebase
“Garden lighting is getting better and cheaper with many more solar or battery operated options available for the current soft lighting effect. Solar-powered spike lights work well within planting to gently highlight particular plants. A string of solar-powered lights draped from tree branches can create a magical atmosphere or a large jar with battery operated LED fairy lights can look very authentic. The key is to keep outdoor lighting soft, subtle and selective – avoid trying to light everything or making the space too bright.”
Modern Gardens Magazine
“Gabriel Ash design and make beautiful greenhouses, their RHS Chelsea Flower show stand was jam-packed with gorgeous styling ideas, including these lovely shelves made from recycled scaffold planks. Use different size aged terracotta pots to make your own garden display. .”
Awning South
“Outdoor kitchens are becoming ever more popular. Whether you have a full kitchen with dedicated space for cooking and eating, or a just simple pizza oven installed, enjoy rustling up a feast in the great outdoors with style. This is a fabulous option for those who have a small kitchen or dining room indoors, allowing you to entertain large groups of friends or family in an extended outdoor living area.”
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