‘Hygge’ your garden

In survey after survey, Denmark consistently comes out as the happiest nation on Earth. The reasons for this are debatable but many Danes claim it’s due to the Hygge (pronounced Hoo-gah!) lifestyle. This approach to living focuses on community, closeness, cosiness and wellbeing – something we could all do with a bit of right now! So, I got to thinking how the Hygge approach might work in the garden for socially distanced gatherings (when we come out of the latest lockdown, of course). First you need a fire. A fire pit, chiminea or even a barbecue provides this perfectly, with space around for people to gather on cushioned seats. Crank up the cosy a bit more with ample blankets, lantern candles and hot chocolate. Next comes the challenging bit, ge ing family and friends to buy into the notion. But, if in exchange for a cosy couple of hours and a hot chocolate they can leave their mobile phones indoors and their egos out of sight, you may just create your perfect li le slice of Hygge.

Prunus laurocerasus,

Make your own garden happy space Changing a shrub’s silhoue e can be one of the most dramatic and satisfying ways to rethink your shrubberies. Mature shrubs, such as mahonia, syringa, euonymus, elaeagnus, magnolia and ilex, to name but a few, can be radically altered with some simple pruning. Lifting the canopy – in