No two gardens are ever the same. Similarly, outdoor spaces change throughout the seasons, months, weeks and even the course of a day as plants spring into life or begin to fade.

And, as with interior design, what’s in vogue outside is also constantly changing. 

Each year horticultural events, including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at which I had the pleasure of designing the garden for the David Harber X Savills stand this year, provide great insight into the trends that will inspire both amateur and professional gardeners. For ideas for your own garden, here are some of the key themes for 2022.

Naturalistic planting While there will always be a desire for formality with perfectly manicured lawns and hedges, one of the big trends that is stronger than ever in garden design this year has to be naturalistic planting. A naturalistic garden is a multipurpose space that nurtures local biodiversity, including bees and other insects, and will grow to be self-seeding and spread naturally as if it were in the wild.

A good place to start is to think about planting wildflowers, perennial shrubs that live longer and plants that provide different textures and shapes. Remember naturalistic planting evolves and so, while some trimming back will be required, enjoy letting the garden grow as nature intended.

Year-round interest Because of the pandemic and increased time spent at home, I am seeing a real desire for outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed throughout the year. You could try incorporating more evergreen plants and trees so that the outside doesn’t look too bare in the depths of winter or focusing on flowers that look beautiful pre and post bloom such as Pulsatilla vulgaris, which has a really lovely seed head. At Chelsea we had some of these in our garden and, although they had bloomed prematurely before the show, they still looked great. I am also seeing increased demand for fire pits and fireplaces, so people can extend their evenings outside.

Bringing the inside out Clients are asking for well-equipped spaces to entertain friends and family, treating their gardens as an extension of the interior. The rise of the pergola is testament to this. Beyond a desire for outdoor seating and tables, outdoor kitchens are a big trend at the moment. Whether that is a top-of-the-range BBQ with a space to prepare food and serve drinks, a pizza oven, and even outdoor refrigerators and larders, clients want the utmost in stylish, yet practical alfresco entertaining. In treating outside spaces as rooms, we are also seeing how sculpture is being used to create focal points within gardens in the same way as a painting or photograph might be hung on the wall inside.

Responding to climate change While some parts of the UK are prone to wetter weather, increasingly people want gardens that will tolerate drought as much as possible. Drought-tolerant plants such as lavender will provide a canvas of colour throughout the year while also attracting bees. Teucrium fruticans, meanwhile, will make a tougher alternative to shrubs such as box and yew. Other plants you could try include Santolina, Perovskia, Helichrysum italicum and Ballota pseudodictamnus.

Whether your outside space is big or small, these trends can hopefully be incorporated into your gardens so that you can enjoy them year round.

^{Image: Puckeridge House, with a garden designed by Emily Erlam. Photo by Eva Nemeth}

Further information

Emily Erlam Studio