In the world of fashion for Spring 2015, navy is the ‘new black’, the pattern is gingham and the style of jacket is ‘kimono cool’. A couple of months ago I brought a kimono style jacket for a change and I am delighted to be ‘kimono cool’. But what are the trends for the upcoming garden year?
* Our desire for a healthy life style is reflected in how we use our gardens. Grow-your-own vegetables, fruit and herbs remains very popular utilising tiny spaces such as balcony boxes to all types of containers, to raised wooden vegetable beds and in allotments and in community gardens and urban spaces. Greening our urban spaces remains very important.
* Connecting with nature is a continuing trend, choosing and growing plants which are bee and insect friendly and thinking about how we design our gardens to increase the habitat for wildlife. Large areas of concrete and stone are out.
* In design terms, soft curves or organic lines are in for 2015 with natural rural styling – the traditional country garden is in – as are traditional crafts combined with contemporary styling. Outdoor pools and spas are on the up. Colour choices for 2015 are deep reds or golds with pinks and some say pastels.
* Shrubs remain on trend, but used in conjunction with trees, conifers and perennials to create longer lasting sustainable year round interest in the garden. Single species mass plantings of grasses or perennials are out, the look is now more mixed up. The exception is planting annuals, where blocks of single species are in.
So how do I feel about all of this? I have always been a lover of shrubs which give so much interest and structure to gardens and I grow my own vegetables. I maintain a garden for a client which has been designed as a wildlife habitat garden, which I really enjoy. But an outdoor pool – perhaps not for us, our dog would never be out of it.