Don’t go anywhere

22nd June 2021

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There’s no need to get on a plane to seek summer fun this year. Turn your garden into your ideal summer getaway. Something as simple as creating new borders and filling your garden with plants can completely transform your space. At the start of any design or build project we always ask our clients how they are planning on using their garden (other than for sitting in).

The top five things people want are:

• Entertaining space: areas for a BBQ, sun loungers, hot tub and firepit for colder nights
• Children’s play area
• Plants for screening
• Display sculpture
• Grow your own: fruit orchards and vegetable allotments

Holiday at home

If you want to recreate the holiday vibe at home here is our guide to creating a lush, tropical inspired garden. With clever plant selection and the right materials it is possible to create a tropical inspired garden that wouldn’t look out of place in Brazil or Bali.

Gardening is for everyone. You don’t have to have a large, sprawling garden. You may have a town house in which case, the success of an urban garden often depends on establishing a sense of privacy without losing too much sunlight and maximising space in what can be a limited area. If views outside of the garden can be restricted, they will have less influence on the style of the garden within enabling you to create a private tropical hideaway.

In terms of planting, use a small selection of hard-working plants that will give you the maximum all round colour and interest. To create a tropical hideaway, you need a rich mix of foliage textures and colours for a peaceful exotic garden mood. Think large vibrant foliage, flamboyant flowers and eye-catching architectural statement plants and group plants with different leaf shapes together.

These gardens in the UK could easily be mistaken for the Hollywood Hills or Mediterranean island.
Your ideal holiday might be relaxing on a Greek Island with a cool drink in one hand and a book in the other. Scent is such a key takeaway from any holiday, a certain smell can transport you right back to a place and is a wonderful way of remembering happy times.

To create this look you need plants that capture the spirit of the Med. Our top tips picks are:

• Cordyline australis
• Trachycarpus fortunei
• Drought tolerant plants
• Olive Trees (Olea europaea)
• Arbutus unedo
• Hebe pinguifolia
• Passiflora caerula
• Rosmarinus officinalis
• Cupressus sempervirens (Italian cypress)

We now have a huge selections of plants at the nursery that a few years ago wouldn’t have been available in the UK.

Have a seat

Seating areas are important in any garden. You want to have somewhere to sit down with friends and family, a space to relax in and admire your lovely outdoor space. You may even have several seating areas; a dining space, a sun trap and a cosy hideaway.

Summer 2021 is the perfect opportunity to create your dream garden. Whether it’s to have friends over for drinks, family BBQs or a quiet space to unwind in.