5 Garden Trends for Summer 2023
The heatwave may have passed for now, but we still have months of glorious weather ahead of us in the UK. You may have decided it is time to redesign your garden but have no idea what you would like to do, here we showcase some of our favourite trends for 2022.
Outdoor Kitchens
Following the pandemic, many of us have become accustomed to ‘eating out’ at home. Outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity and staying home is the new eating out. Outdoor kitchens are the perfect place to entertain, cook and relax. There are practical benefits too, such as keeping cooking smells outdoors and adding value to your property.
Homeowners are opting to extend their living space outside the four walls of their house and spend more time outdoors. With the versatility of outdoor kitchen ranges such as Oliveti outdoor kitchens, you can have all the home comforts of your kitchen in your garden.
Outdoor kitchens are also a fantastic way to experiment and try new styles of cooking. A DeliVita pizza oven is a brilliant way to make dinner time more adventurous, as it not only helps you create delicious pizzas but can cook meat, fish and a variety of other dishes.
Indoor/Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor living goes beyond just an outdoor kitchen. To truly experience outdoor living you must actively spend time outside such as; cooking, socialising, and even working.
The benefits of outdoor living are endless. From a practical standpoint, investing in an outdoor living set-up will increase your usable living space and add value to your home. Outdoor living is also incredibly beneficial to your well-being, as being around nature is a great way to reduce stress levels and boost your health.
‘Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones’ – University of Minnesota
Upgrading your outdoor living space is a fantastic way to encourage your entire family to spend more time outdoors. For a modern and minimalist aesthetic, nothing is better than a Renson Pergola paired with Millboard composite decking. Or for a calming quintessential British garden, we love to use Marshall paving amongst a sea of flowers.
Sustainable Gardening
2022 is the year for the climate change movement and more of us are aware of our impact on climate change and are trying to be more sustainable day-to-day. This trend has not gone unnoticed in the world of garden landscaping, we are seeing a huge increase in customers opting for more sustainable designs and materials.
There are many ways to channel your eco-warrior practices into your garden, including growing your own food, hedgehog highways, bug hotels, plants chosen for pollinators and collecting rainwater.
Sustainable practices are not exclusively for the organic elements of your garden. When choosing your garden furniture, opt for quality that will last a lifetime instead of budget furniture that will be in landfall before next summer.
A Short Commute
The world may be returning to ‘normal’ and the majority of restrictions have now been lifted, but one part of the pandemic that is here to stay is the home office. With a shorter commute and more flexibility, many employers are allowing their staff to continue to work from home long term.
This shift in how we work means many of us are dedicating the space to create a comfortable and purpose-built home office, and where better than in your garden? Placing your home office in the garden will allow you to shut the door on work and ‘go home’ at the end of the work day, forcing you to switch off from work which can help improve mental wellbeing.
Garden offices will also add value to your property and free up the space in your house that was previously dedicated to homeworking. A set place to work will also allow you to focus on work and increase productivity while adding a stylish feature to your outdoor space.
Rewild Your Garden
Wildlife in the UK is unfortunately on the decline, but one way to combat this is to ‘rewild’ your outdoor space to attract a variety of different species. According to the WWF, between 1970 and 2013, 56% of species in the UK declined.
Allowing just a small patch of lawn to grow wild and left un-cut creates the perfect wildlife habitat for pollinators. Taking a break from the lawnmower will allow your garden to fill with nectar-rich plants such as clover.
Looking to Upgrade Your Outdoor Space?
Have one of the ideas above caught your eye? Perhaps you have an ambitious garden re-design idea of your own but you don’t know where to start?
At Walker Landscape and Design, we are ready to turn your dream garden into a reality. From cosy firepits to garden buildings – we do it all!
Contact us today to start transforming your space.
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