Garden design predictions for 2018

Happy New Year!

As a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD), I was delighted to be invited last month to comment on garden design trends for 2018. I found it invigorating to read the thoughts of other professional designers and to reflect on the overall themes emerging. In this digital age when we are all spending more and more time at our screens, I believe that landscape and garden designers have a unique opportunity to re-connect people with nature, providing a rewarding route to emotional satisfaction and well-being. Yes, a successful garden scheme should look good, but most importantly, it should make the user feel good. As part of this re-connection with nature and the ‘great outdoors’, I anticipate that over the next 12 months and beyond we will all be ever more focused on enhancing the relationship between home and garden. Marrying indoor spaces to those outside to create flow, harmony and a sense of continuity throughout will underpin our work.

In more specific terms, one of the broad themes in garden design over the next year and beyond will be our growing awareness of environmental and ecological issues. In my opinion, garden designers and clients have already been expressing their ecological interests and concerns through a wide range of choices in recent years. These choices range from planting lists featuring native species to locally sourced materials that fit comfortably within a setting. I anticipate that this trend will gather strength in 2018, with concern for local wildlife also becoming an even bigger part of the garden design concept. Big or small, a private garden or commercial grounds can be a healthy haven for wildlife in a wider network of places linking urban green spaces with the countryside. Many wildlife species are sadly in decline in the UK and there is growing awareness of the part our gardens and grounds can play in reducing this risk – through a host of measures including (but not limited to!): replacing fences with green boundaries, creating ponds and water features, providing pollen/nectar-rich plants for bees and other insects, and planting wildflower borders and meadows.

Bespoke iron fire pit

Despite our variable weather in the UK, outdoor kitchen areas will continue to grow in popularity, with dedicated spaces for cooking, eating and entertaining friends and family. Stylish garden furniture and a pizza oven or sunken fire pit will join the traditional barbecue as part of the setting for outdoor leisure time. For those with the necessary space and budget, eco-friendly garden buildings (not only sheds but also summer houses, studios, guest accommodation, …), outdoor swimming pools and swimming ponds that are designed to be a feature within the entertaining area will be a growing trend. As interest in the journey from ‘garden to table’ flourishes too, along with the growth in plant-based diets and peoples’ desire to reduce their supermarket bills, I also predict that more clients will ask us to add edible planting to their garden schemes – ranging from containers on balconies and terraces for growing vegetables and herbs to installing greenhouses for those with the space available.

Raised beds constructed from green oak

3 critical questions at the start of every garden design project

While it is interesting and thought-provoking to try to predict what the next year will bring in garden design terms, obviously garden design isn’t about just following the latest trends. Whenever I approach a new project, I certainly don’t have a design in mind with which the space has to comply! Put simply, there are 3 factors that I am always keen to understand at the outset which override any considerations of what’s ‘on trend’ or proving popular with other clients:

1. On a practical basis, what does the client want and need from their garden or outdoor space? In other words, how will they use it & what do they need from their garden to make them feel good when they use it?

2. More broadly, what is the ‘sense of place’ that they want to create? This can be hard to articulate but it is vitally important as a designer for me to understand the combination of characteristics that will give a site its special ‘feel’ and help it to sit well in its surroundings.

3. What specific opportunities or problems are presented by the space? Naturally, this is where my own practical experience and knowledge can be combined with the client’s thoughts and ideas to identify possible solutions.

If you’re planning a garden design project for 2018, then I hope that this blog has given you some food for thought. For more ideas, please see examples of our recent garden design projects here.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2018!