Shock at being on best-loved gardens in the UK list
WHEN interiors blogger Reena Simon discovered the garden of her suburban Cardiff terrace had come fifth in a list of the UK’s best-loved gardens, she was shocked.
“Why was my garden in there?” laughs Reena. “I am still a bit shocked, maybe it’s because it is a small space with an achievable design? It’s a small, city garden for a busy family; maybe people could identify with it.”
The top 10 list of most “liked” outdoor spaces on Instagram includes gardens at National Trust properties and BBC TV Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don’s Herefordshire garden called Longmeadow.
The TV gardener’s outdoor space topped the list, which was pulled together by British window and door manufacturer Origin.
Reena says: “I’m really, really happy to think that the idea in my head, that was then on paper and then became a reality, was liked so many times by the public.
“Hopefully they become inspired by it, not that I crave validation, but that maybe some people might want to do something similar and it might have helped them on their journey. That’s how I get my satisfaction.”
The Welsh garden has currently achieved more than 13,816 likes and is the only outside space to make the list which isn’t traditional in style.
It features monochrome furniture, comfortable seating areas and festoon lighting, and honours the Scandi design movement typical in Nordic countries.
The “outroom”, an outdoor living room that can be enjoyed all year round, has been liked thousands of times by those who appreciate Reena’s sense of style and the change from a quintessentially British outdoor space.
Reena explains: “I wanted a Scandi-inspired garden because my interior design style is more rustic and simple, with mixing old with new but with a Scandi flavour. I love a neutral colour palette and lots of wood to create a very natural and earthy feel to a design scheme.
“We decided because the garden is not very big, it needed to be for the kids to have enough space for their scooters and bikes as well as a space for socialising, so we decided to put the emphasis on a family seating area.”
Reena wanted to ensure the garden was not only a functional family space, but also to be an extension of the interior design inside the house.
Bifold doors were installed to allow direct flow between the kitchen-diner and the garden.
Reena says: “The main driving force of the garden design was to create a space so we could spend as much time outside as possible, weather dependant.
“I was very inspired by Danish and Japanese gardens and chose a neutral backdrop but with a black accent. But I concentrated most on what materials were going to be used in this outdoor ‘room.’
“Firstly I wanted a warm wooden floor using decking so we could walk straight out into the space.
“I am not a gardener, so greenery was kept to a minimum and luckily I have a friend who is a gardener so could advise me on the best plants for the two borders; evergreen and low maintenance and appropriate, such as bamboo.
“We used scaffold boards as they are cheaper than sleepers and we have used them inside for shelving in the kitchen and an open-wardrobe in the bedroom.”
She advises: “Use the same colour palette as inside, neutral in my case, keep it simple and add layers of texture.
“Paying a handyman to make the seating area instead of bespoke carpentry meant we still got handmade but on a budget.
“And you don’t have to buy special outdoor cushions and accessories for outside, you can use the same soft furnishings and things you have inside, literally.
■ Find out more about Reena at her blog http:// hyggeforhome.com/