Enjoy the Great Outdoors with These Garden Trends
According to recent statistics, 12 million of us in the UK regularly use our gardens and it’s not surprising that the quality of outdoor space is often a deal-breaker for many families when it comes to finding the perfect home. Just like homes, gardens are subject to trends too! Here are four of the most popular garden trends of the moment that will help you appreciate all that the great outdoors, and your garden, has to offer.
Alfresco living
Whether you want to make the most of underused outdoor space around your property, spend more time outside as a family, or entertain friends in the open air, alfresco living presents a novel way to add originality to your garden and really make the most of the outside.
Investing in the right set-up is quite important if you want to pursue the alfresco living trend. A patio or paved area is a must. A good dining set is essential, with a large enough table and enough chairs to be able to seat everyone if you’re entertaining. Investing in a fire pit or a BBQ can be a great way to make your alfresco living plans a permanent part of your lifestyle too.
Growing your own fruit and vegetables
Burry any notions you had of growing your own food as being an old-fashioned, boring affair: a whole new generation of people are discovering the amazing health benefits (as well as financial benefits) that growing some of your own fruit and vegetables can present. Growing your own food is coming back in fashion and 2018 could be the year it hits the mainstream.
Even if you aren’t blessed with green fingers, most fruit and vegetables are easy to grow with some initial research. Spinach and kale are easy to grow on clay soils (one of the most common types of soil in Scotland) and potatoes can be planted in grow bags and harvested as and when you need them. Strawberries are practically indestructible and will produce more and more plants each year. And fruit bushes like blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries thrive in the Scottish climate and are relatively low maintenance. No matter how big or small your garden you’ll definitely be able to grow something.
The art of ‘wabi-sabi’
One of the biggest garden trends this year is an ancient Japanese Buddhist idea called ‘Wabi-sabi’ which can help bring you closer to your outside space
Wabi-sabi is the art of celebrating the beauty in imperfection.
For Japanese Buddhist monks, the breaking of a bowl or utensil wasn’t an occasion to get angry at— it was one to celebrate! When a kitchen or garden item broke, these Buddhist monks wouldn’t throw it away like we do nowadays: they’d repair it with gold resin.
These Japanese monks followed a form of Buddhism that viewed the passage of time and decay as simply a fact of reality that could not be escaped— in fact, it should be embraced. They would repair the item using the most precious materials they had at their disposal to remind them that time is immaterial and that there is beauty in imperfection.
It’s easy to practice wabi-sabi in your garden. Choose plants that follow one another in the year, so that so that you create a sense of progression with your plant life, repairing and reusing items fits in well with sustainability. When a favourite plant pot breaks, why not repair it with some gold or silver glue or resin (readily available from craft shops)?
Appreciating the present with mindfulness
A garden is a great place to practice mindfulness— the art of appreciating just being alive in the present moment. Akin to meditation, it’s a great way to clear your thoughts, relax and reset your mental state. With no digital distractions, blaring TV sets or bright screens, your garden can be a relative oasis of calm in an increasingly noisy world so it’s a great place to try it.
You can practice mindfulness by trying to completely empty your mind of thoughts— something that’s harder than you first expect.
The space doesn’t have to be meticulous: it can be as simple or as complicated as you require. The thing that matters is making sure it’s a place you can completely relax in.
Plants are probably the most mindful living things of all, so you’ll be in good company outdoors!
Spring can often be a good time to consider what we want in a home. If you’re looking for a bigger garden and a new property, we can help. Clyde Property have helped thousands of families find their dream property and take their next step on the property ladder. For more information about how we can help you, just get in touch with us and speak to our team today!
