Change Course

Landscape designer Franchesca Watson shares easy-toapply trends that will usher your garden into the new year

Crazy paving

is back, so roll out the slate (aka slasto). Big wobblyedged pieces look best, but anchor it well – you may have to make a little slab of concrete foundation for each one. Flat ground cover planted in-between makes for a very cool look.

Architectural plants

appeal to us all, especially the not so sophisticated gardeners who may not understand a plant but understand a good shape when they see it. go for something a bit different such as big swathes of flax (Phormium tenax) in the new bright colour ways, or a veritable forest of tree ferns of various sizes.

Lights

are moving away from bollards and spike lights. Try something flat or more hidden, such as ‘cats eye’ style lighting, for a gorgeous soft glow. Lighting can be customised too. Take your cue from Paul Pamboukian Lighting design, who slices boulders and embeds lights within them, creating a directional strip of light – garden magic!

Training plants

are big news for smaller spaces. Think espalier, stilt hedges, cloud trees and living pergolas – anything except lollipops.

Astroturf,

love it or hate it, is here to stay. Funky colours may be available soon – what about red with strands of purple woven through it?