It's always nice to summarise what happens in the international gardening world by investigating the key things people look for in gardens and garden design. Luckily for us as gardeners and garden designers, garden trends linger much longer than home or clothes trends because the two key ingredients to a successful garden is time and patience. We have cast our eye over the latest international ideas and notions to bring your garden up to date with the rest of the world (Garden trend forecast spring 2018–2019).
It is important not to see the size of gardens not as a constraint, but more as an opportunity. Now more than ever, people are fascinated with how to cram the most into, and get the most out of their small gardens. The key elements we see over and over is double up on function, and make use of walls. It makes a whole lot of sense to optimize the use any small space indoors, why not take that concept outdoors. Use your walls as storage for folding chairs, combine lounging areas and the ever-popular fire pit or boma, and find the right plants the will work in small spaces. If you don't like mowing the lawn for instance, why have one, rather cleverly design plant boxes and surfaces to embrace your smaller garden spaces.
The buzz word in garden design is quality. Many new companies are trying to vastly improve quality. This may be at a price, but internationally it seems as if people are more keen to get a quality product or individual product. This philosophy of getting something of great value, and exquisite craftsmanship is one that we most certainly hope will stick around forever.
Luckily most South Africans have a yearning for this trend. People are seeking balance, and especially in their gardens. Using indigenous species, reducing hard surfaces, attracting indigenous wildlife and responsible water use are top priorities amongst the younger, nature loving population. We can finally get rid of a sea of rock with just one or 2 plants, and replace them with flowering habitat that brings back the birds and the bees.
If ever there was a time to live like the French and Italians, it is now. Even in their densely over populated cities, their passion for garden design finds an outlet in the form of house plants. At the time of this article the most popular indoor plants seems to be on the exotic side, and we agree. You can use these exotics indoors with confidence as they are isolated. Moreover there are hundreds of retro ways display them, like plant stands and macramé baskets.
It is difficult to form a complete picture of the layout of a garden from just the photo's of it, and people want to get a daily dose of vitamin D in the process. Visiting gardens has become as special and rewarding as it is to the British. Every year, gardens like that of saint Christopher, Makaranga garden lodge, and Houw Hoek attract more and more feet. Homeowners wants to open their extraordinary gardens to the public to display their labour of love. There is nothing more rewarding than being inspired by the real thing because visitors use all their senses to create an experience.