Design trends

Does what we want from our gardens reflect how we are feeling about the world at large? Leading designers offer their thoughts on the current Zeitgeist in garden design

Read what the experts say will be key to garden design in 2019

Jinny Blom

Garden designer As far as trends are concerned, there is much more focus on removing plastics from our trades. Landscaping is so close to the earth, we see the issues very closely. At present there are no commercial alternatives to plastic plant pots, yet I predict this will change very rapidly in the near future. For starters, at least companies are looking at alternatives, such as simply changing the colour of pots so they can be processed for recycling.

As far as our own work is concerned, we are masterplanning an extraordinary new public project at Waddesdon Manor for the National Trust and The Rothschild Foundation. It will showcase many aspects of horticulture and agriculture, past present and future, along with all sorts of science and lore of plants. It’s going to be stunning to see as it brings ancient skills and practices into parallel with the cutting edge of food and plant production. The project reflects very much where we are as a practice.

Emily Erlam

Landscape designer This is a really exciting time for gardeners and designers as we see a continuing trend towards greening spaces. I notice planting being used to great effect in advertising, as well as in hotels and shops, with public spaces becoming increasingly sophisticated. I also think we will see more planting indoors as we catch up with the thinking in other countries in Europe, and increase our understanding of how plants can help both to clean the air indoors of toxins and release humidity to improve our homes and our working environments.

Clients are searching for softer gardens with a higher proportion of planting and less hard landscaping. We continue to create gardens with rooms with a particular focus on outdoor lounge areas with fires to extend the season. Outdoor kitchens have been popular for a few years now, but traditionally they have been very expensive. It’s good to see them becoming more accessible to more people with companies now offering off-the-shelf carcasses that we can employ in a cost-effective way.

We are aware of how much water we are using in gardens and I have several projects that are investigating rainwater and grey water recycling systems for irrigation.

This is just a hunch, but I think (and hope) there will be a revival of rockeries but probably in a more Californian style with exuberant and sculptural planting.