Never Mind the Teenties; We’re Stuck in the Past When it Comes to Garden Design!
Ronseal* has revealed that we’re shamefully un-cool when it comes to our gardens, with a staggering lack of investment in our outdoor areas and past-it features dominating the landscape.
A study found that 42% of homeowners spend less than £100 a year – that’s equivalent to a single cup of coffee a week – on keeping their garden up to date, despite splurging on average £982 annually on redecorating and updating their home’s interiors.
What’s more, one in five (20%) don’t do anything to refresh their outdoor space more frequently than once every five years and a shocking one in 10 (10%) admit their garden is straight from the 70s with gravel and crazy paving the prominent features while a further one in ten (10%) say they’re stuck in the 90s with over-the-top water features and sculptures in abundance.
To inspire the nation to bring their gardens into the 21st Century Ronseal has paired up with one of the UK’s foremost garden design talents, Michelle Wake**, who has designed the garden of 2020 and is also offering advice on what’s hot when it comes to garden trends, not forgetting timeless features that just won’t date.
James Smith, Marketing Director at Ronseal, said: “It seems people don’t put anywhere near the effort into keeping their garden up to date as they do their home. We understand time and money are at the root of the problem and so we wanted to highlight how easy it is to achieve a timeless ‘core’ garden which can be updated to keep up with trends or from which to create a fresh new look. We also want to educate people on how to increase the lifespan and improve the look of garden furniture, fencing and other outdoor structures, which can give gardens a new lease of life.”
Michelle Wake, said: “The secret to creating a garden that won’t date is to start with a strong, logical structure that defines key areas and then change the more decorative, ephemeral items in these areas over time, to reflect current trends. Structural elements include things like pergolas, fencing, decking, hedges or trees while items such as annual planting or garden lanterns could be changed every season.”
Ronseal is also calling for people to send in photos of their best, and worst garden features by emailing images to 1970@ronseal.co.uk for the chance to win a garden makeover kit.
Michelle’s Guide to what is horticulturally hot
Hot now...
- Bistro/cafe tables
- Bold colours and patterns for furniture, cushions etc
- Green walls
- Green rooves
- Bronze, copper, CORTEN steel (weathering steel)
- Firepits
- Outdoor showers
- Chickens
Hot in 10 years time...
- Habitat rooves
- Edible walls
- Salvaged features and furniture
- Multi-functional furniture that can be used indoors and outdoors
- Unique, personal pieces (Ed Brooks bench)
- Innovative materials: wooden textiles, thermochromic material, recycled composites
- Eco friendly materials, sustainably sourced timber, minimal use of cement
- Natural colours
And features that just won’t date...
- Pergolas
- Ponds
- Timber Decking
- Terracotta pots
- Timber furniture: Lutyens bench, Adirondack chair
- Candles
-Timber raised beds
- Timber boundary fencing
