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Modern Garden Trends
Small packaged gardens that exude luxury and simplicity are a common feature of big houses on small lots. Homeowners are looking for garden design practices that offer maximum enjoyment for small spaces – which means a leaning towards miniature urban landscapes and more plants-in-pots. Minimalism and simplicity were prominent themes in the realm of 2016 urban garden design.
A growing awareness of the benefits of eco-friendly gardening and the possible effects of climate change and ways we can weatherproof our plants may also be factors influencing modern garden design. If you want to keep up with the Jones’s, here’s some of the very latest garden trends set to continue for 2017.
MONOCHROME COLOURS
Monochrome colours such as white, grey and black are the dominant shades. They work best with a single centrepiece showcased to make a setting really pop. Soft foliage strategically placed in front of a bold backdrop, like a polished concrete feature wall with embedded natural stones, never fails to draw the eye. This minimalist idea is worth trying with all of your planting themes and the overall visual impact of using massive single-colour displays may astound you.
PARTNERING DECORATIVE CONCRETE WITH OTHER MATERIALS
This is something that works in many ways. For instance, replacing the front yard flower bed’s rusted and dangerous metal edging with a stamped concrete border to give added curb appeal. Or perhaps an outdoor entertainment area comprising of a slip resistant, attractive concrete floor of exposed aggregate and timber border finish. Or a bold patch of vibrant green synthetic turf partitioned by a mottled grey exposed concrete pathway. It all makes for a stylish and urban-cool integration of natural materials. Combining natural stone and decorative concrete with clean cut boundaries of other natural materials is effective in achieving the clean and minimalist-inspired look.
LIVING WALLS
Combining sustainability and design, energy-efficient vertical gardens are a boom amongst homeowners longing to add a splash of green wall foliage to a limited space. Hundreds upon hundreds of plant species have been tested and were found to thrive on these vertical green walls. There are almost endless possibilities in design. Vege greens,flowering perennials, beautiful foliage plants, ground covers – the vertical garden even allows for bushes, shrubs, and small trees.
LIGHT UP
Solar and battery-powered lighting is becoming increasingly popular as more and more homeowners, who are looking to add some fun and brightness to their garden getaways, are discovering that lighting is getting better and cheaper. Why not try the many brands of lamps that change colour, or fairy lights that are shaped like stars, candles, and of course… fairies. Also trending are Chinese and Moroccan lanterns, as well as décor lights placed in ornaments and lampshades that are made out of everyday objects.
CUSTOM BUILT FURNITURE
Calling in professional garden designers to create great furniture that make the best use of limited spaces is a growing trend as homeowners strive to introduce quality décor seating and benches into their outdoor settings.
GARDEN ART
A rustic metal sculpture is a standout showpiece and can charm in the way it captures a sense of Australia’s colonial past. Natalia Broadhead, co-founder of metal art business Broadcroft Design says metal art has been around for quite some time but it’s a trend that keeps on growing. “We find that our clients are after a focal point or feature to make an area have more impact. Creating a trendy garden space is all about finding a point of difference, a feature that is well designed and will never be out of date. The beauty of steel is that it goes so well with all the other elements you tend to have in a garden – be it timber, stone or decorative types of concrete.”