Blog Post

Top Garden Design Ideas for 2019

  • By Paul Day Tree Surgery
  • 10 Jun, 2019
Garden designing

Now that summer is finally here, if you’re lucky enough to have a garden then you’ll probably be thinking about how to make the most of it during these warmer months. Our gardens can become neglected during the winter, and unfortunately due to the unpredictable UK weather they don’t get as much use as perhaps they could. Having said that, temperatures are warming up and the rain is (hopefully) easing, so it makes sense to start thinking about how to make your garden look its best.

 

There’s a whole range of garden and landscaping trends that are popular this year; from decked entertainment spaces to sustainable gardens and bursts of tropical colour. Whatever the size and shape of your outdoor space, if you’re looking to transform it for the coming year then read on for some of the top garden design ideas for 2019.


Climate change gardening

The issue of climate change affects many aspects of our lives, and gardening is no exception. More and more gardeners are choosing to create ecological gardens that can withstand the increasingly extreme weather conditions in the UK; from boiling summers to frosty winters. Think all-weather and low maintenance perennial plants such as cornflowers, spruce and wintergreen boxwood, and work with the conditions of your garden and soil to avoid creating much more work for yourself. 

Drought-resistant planting schemes are also popular, as is collecting rainwater and installing a system which allows it to be dissipated through the soil to cut down on water and energy bills.


Back to nature

Wild meadows became increasingly popular during 2018, and this trend sees no sign of slowing down for this year. You don’t need acres of space either, a small back garden meadow looks just as pretty as a natural one spanning several fields. This style of planting is perfect if you don’t have much time or energy to pour into gardening, as the low maintenance style is all part of the look! 

Wildflower meadows are great for the environment too, and can help encourage a whole range of insects and animals to your garden, including bees, butterflies, birds and small mammals. Sowing the meadow can take some preparation, but once the seeds begin to grow they require minimal maintenance. If you don’t have the time or skills to do it yourself, consider hiring landscaping services to prepare the area of your choice; you’ll need to get rid of all weeds and add a layer of topsoil if your garden soil contains a lot of fertiliser. 

Some popular wild flowers for your garden include cowslips, buttercups, yarrow and ox-eye daisies. The more variety the better; a colourful mix of flowers makes a beautiful focal point for your garden.


Vibrant colour

Vibrant jewel colours are very popular this year, from hot pinks to bright oranges, reds and yellows. Brightly coloured plants can really add energy and warmth to your garden, especially in the UK where the weather can be pretty grey. You don’t have to stick to plants either, if you have a seating area try adding brightly coloured cushions, or paint wooden furniture in jewel tones. 

Lights can add colour too when the sun goes down, from multi coloured Moroccon-inspired lamps to strings of coloured lights in the trees. Some of the best brightly coloured plants to try include peonies, marigolds, coloured varieties of daisy, and dahlias.


Integrated technology

Many landscape designers are choosing to make their jobs easier and more efficient by taking advantage of the latest technology, from apps to aerial photography and smart watering systems. 

There’s a whole range of gardening apps available, for anything from identifying plant diseases, to analysing the ph, depth and type of soil in your garden, or an app that helps you or a landscaper design a new layout. There’s plenty more gadgets to choose from too, including motion sensor solar-powered lights, fountains with built in LED lights and outdoor surround sound speakers.


Secret spaces

A dedicated smaller, secluded space within a larger garden to read, meditate or enjoy some quality time either alone or with a loved one, is becoming increasingly popular due to our fast-paced, modern lives. It’s easy to create a calm, tranquil space in one corner of your garden; try using an arbor or plant tall reeds or a hedge to give some privacy. 

A ‘secret garden’ spot can also be magical for all ages, you could include a calming water feature, private bench and add twinkling lights and sculptures amongst the greenery for a truly enchanting feel.


Asymmetrical design

Non-symmetrical garden design plans are gaining momentum, offering a break from the rigidly manicured beds and lawns of traditional gardens. An asymmetric design allows more room for creativity, and creates a relaxing space where you can really unwind. 

A wild meadow as mentioned above makes a great unstructured addition to an asymmetric garden, and think about a loose structure in other areas such as off centre paths or trees. This type of design still requires some thought and planning, but the overall effect is far more natural and relaxed. It’s perfect if your garden is already an awkward shape, or if you want several different styles within one space.


Grow your own

Also tapping into the sustainability and climate change trends, growing your own fruit and vegetables is all the rage this year. It’s delicious, affordable and it cuts down on supermarket plastic and packaging too. 

You don’t need tons of space or a greenhouse to grow your own either, even a small backyard can accommodate pots to grow peas, tomatoes, lettuce and much more. Some of the easiest fruit and vegetables to grow for beginners include salad leaves, courgettes, potatoes, strawberries and currants. You could also create a dedicated area for a herb garden; they grow best in pots to start with, and many varieties will thrive in a sunny garden, such as mint, basil, parsley and rosemary.


Entertainment spaces

Entertaining outdoors never really goes out of fashion, but dedicated zones for eating or spending time with friends are very popular this year. If you have space, you could add decking timber to create a raised area that’s separate from the rest of the garden, and add bench seating, a table or even a sunken fire pit to cook on outdoors. 

As we saw in the technology section above, there are also increasingly high-tech products that make entertaining outside easier, like outdoor surround sound and solar powered umbrellas.


Natural textures

A mix and match of different natural textures and landscape materials is a great way to add interest to any size gardens. Crazy paving is expected to make a return in 2019, and you could combine different sized stone slabs with other materials like a feature log wall or coarse textured plants. 

Mixing textures can look stylish and modern, and it taps into the asymmetrical garden trend if that’s a look that appeals to you. You could even add some upcycled furniture or wooden pallets as an affordable way to introduce wood to the garden. 

If you’ve been inspired by any of the above and are looking for experienced garden landscapers or tree services, get in touch with Paul Day Tree Surgery. We offer a full range of services, from garden and hedge maintenance to tree surgery, garden design, decking, fencing and much more. Our professional team have all the skills and experience needed to keep your garden and green spaces looking their best, so give us a call today or visit the website to learn more.
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Spending time in the garden has been proven to provide a range of mental health benefits. From improving the connection we have with the world to reducing stress, gardening can make us happier, healthier and more fulfilled people. Having the perfect garden to unwind in only helps to improve these benefits and, as the summer arrives, working with local gardeners can ensure your outdoor space is summer-ready. 

From large-scale projects, like landscaping and patio installations, to more generalised maintenance, local gardeners can breath new life into your outdoor area for the ensuing period of parties and entertaining. To give you some inspiration, we’ve provided a few tips on how to create the perfect summer-ready garden.

Have Local Gardeners Perform Landscaping and Garden Improvements

When summer begins to peek over the horizon, it can inspire us to change our homes to accommodate living outdoors. This process may require some improvement in your garden, but investing in the below additions can create a much more habitable environment.

Paving

Paving your garden is an excellent way to create an entertainment area for the summer. If you’re lucky enough to have a large outdoor space, you can section off an area dedicated to dining and parties. 

Similarly, paving is a great way to section off other areas of the garden and create a ‘zonal’ space. Using paving intelligently, local gardeners can dissect areas of your garden for different purposes. For example, you could install paving as a perimeter to your flower bed, for entertainment space and for dining.

Decking

Similarly to paving, a decked area will create a more habitable environment for friends and family to dine outdoors. By installing a decked area at the top of your garden, you can create the perfect space to utilise for summer parties and gatherings.

Local Gardeners Can Improve The Privacy of Your Garden For Summer Parties With Fencing

Creating a new entertainment space in your garden is all well and good. However, you may also need to improve the privacy of your garden at the same time. Local gardeners can provide quality fencing products to ensure that you have the privacy you want. 

Particularly if you have a young family and live in a built-up area, it’s important to have adequate security. Every family wants to be able to enjoy the summer in their garden without the unease of limited privacy measures. From timber fences to bespoke solutions, there are plenty of options which ensure your garden is summer-ready.

Employ Local Gardeners To Prune and Thin Trees To Allow More Sun In

As summer approaches, your trees and bushes will begin to become more unruly. If left to their own devices, the plant life in your garden may become obstructive and can even hinder the growth of other plants. That’s why it’s always a good idea to contact local gardeners to prune and thin your trees before they get too difficult to manage. 

By pruning your plants, bushes, hedges and trees in the lead up to and during summer, you’ll facilitate better growth, improve the aesthetics of your garden and increase the sunlight streaming into your outdoor space. 

As well as pruning some of the larger trees in your garden, hedges and smaller bushes can also be trimmed back. Having your hedges trimmed by local gardeners will ensure they remain healthy and neat. Having a well-maintained hedge during the summer can even act as a natural alternative to a perimeter fence and can improve the biodiversity of your garden.

Prepare Your Vegetable Patch and Fruit Trees

One of the many benefits of having a garden is the ability to grow your own produce. However, doing so does require some maintenance work. 

If you have a fruit tree growing in your garden, the timing of pruning can greatly impact the quality and quantity of your crop. Particularly if your fruit tree is still in its infancy, it’s important to help it grow thick branches and canopies by pruning. The best time to prune fruit trees is in early spring before any significant budding. If your fruit trees are pruned properly in the first few years, they will provide much better fruit in higher quantities. 

As well as preparing your trees for fruiting, the lead up to summer can also be spent preparing your vegetable patch. The first step in the process should be preparing your soil for planting. Loosen the soil, add compost, level the soil and water it adequately. 

In the spring, plants like tomatoes and peppers should be incubated indoors whilst it’s still chilly. These can be moved outside once it gets hotter. However, you can begin planting vegetables like potatoes and onions outdoors straight away. When the summer does arrive, you’ll have a healthy and happy crop ready to eat.

Some General Upkeep To Consider

As well as some of the significant improvements covered here, there is also some more generalised upkeep you can enact in the lead-up to summer.

Weeds

Weeding isn’t one of the most well-loved gardening projects in the world. However, it’s a necessary evil every gardener will have to go through to ensure their garden remains healthy. The lead up to summer is the best time to tackle this problem. During spring, remove any weeds from the garden and from in between the cracks in your paving. By de-weeding, you can ensure that your plants, rather than the weeds, consume the nutrients in the soil. 

At the same time as de-weeding, you should also spend some time getting rid of any pests. Using natural solutions, like crushed eggshells for slugs, you can future-proof your plant life and vegetation.

Plant Summer Plants and Tidy Flower Beds

The blossoming of flowers is one of the most satisfying experiences of summer. It signifies the changing of the seasons and begins to bring colour and warmth into your garden. During the autumn, dead leaves and twigs will have fallen down and collected in your flower beds. With summer on the horizon, now is the time to clear that up ready for summer plants. Prepare the soil of your flowerbeds, tidy the borders up and plant flowers like lilies, dahlias and others that thrive in the warmer period.

Start Your Compost Heap

By using high-quality compost, you can greatly improve the quality of your soil and, therefore, your plants. Begin making your own compost heap months in advance to ensure it’s ready for summer. If starting during the summer, your heap should be ready for the following summer. You can then recycle much of your garden and kitchen waste to add to the compost.

Clean, Treat and Varnish Your Furniture

Finally, summer poses an opportunity to give some of your garden furniture some TLC. Dust, wash, varnish and treat your furniture to ensure it’s in the best possible condition for the summer. The spring is the best time to make these small improvements to have your garden summer-ready for friends and family.

Our Local Gardeners Provide Specialist Tree Services in Sheffield and Beyond

Do you require the services of local gardeners at your property in Sheffield and the surrounding area? If so, look no further than Paul Day Specialists. We’re experts in the industry and provide a wide range of services for both domestic and commercial clients. Whether you need a tree felling or simple hedge maintenance, we can help. 

If you want to get your garden ready for the summer, with services like hedge maintenance, landscaping and pruning, one of our specialists can be on hand to help. 

To find out more about our services, please feel free to contact us today. You can call us on either 01909 519 675 or 07909 743 488. Alternatively, email us at paul.daycountryside@btinternet.com.

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