Landscaping Predictions for 2022

 In Garden Design, Landscaping, Uncategorised

I can’t believe we’re at the start of another new year already. What 2022 bring for Somerset’s gardens. Here are my landscaping predictions for 2022.

  • Innovative garden design will make better use of outdoor spaces
  • More sustainable landscaping
  • Entertaining outdoors will become the norm

Innovative Garden Design To Make Better Use Of Outdoor Spaces

If the COVID pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that being outdoors is something we should all do more often.  Fresh air and space are fabulous weapons against physical and mental ill health and for the most part – they are absolutely free!

If you are lucky enough to have a garden – even a tiny one – the more inviting it feels, the more time you will want to spend in it.  You can entertain friends and family, relax with a book, grow some flavoursome fresh food, provide enrichment activities for pets, cook, work and do almost anything you would do inside – only feel better about it.

Great garden design allows you to make the most of every single square centimetre of your garden.  The way you arrange the features has a direct effect on the way you use your outdoor space.  

Convention dictates that the patio should be right beside the back door. And to an extent, that makes sense – it can save you from trampling mud straight off the lawn into the house. But what if your back door is in deep shade at the time of day you are normally free to nip out of doors with a cup of coffee? It’s simple – you automatically turn the telly on and head for the sofa instead.

design for back garden with no grass

Garden design is about using ALL of the space available in the garden.  In this instance, there’s a small, secret storage area behind the summerhouse and a big bold feature right in the middle of the plot.

The garden design process

A good garden designer will quiz you on how you want to use your garden. What time of day? How many people? What type of activities? The ambience you want to create? Then, he or she will design the garden layout around your needs.

Next comes the styling – finding a way to make your garden look and feel amazing. Designers are artists AND innovators. The best garden designers always think outside of the box. When you hire the right garden designer for you – you’ll be amazed at how unique and stylish your garden can be.

For 2022, I’m predicting that more homeowners will be looking for unique and personalised design solutions for their gardens.

Sustainable Landscaping Predictions

Wouldn’t you think that anything that beautifies the outdoors would be good for the environment? Well, in landscaping, “good” for the environment comes on a sliding scale.  Some landscaping materials will have travelled halfway around the world to get to your garden.  Others use a lot of energy in their manufacture. And then, of course, there some disreputable suppliers in the world who don’t necessarily look after their employees or the environment as well as they ought.

For 2022, I’m predicting, and hoping, that more and more landscapers and their clients will pay attention to responsible sourcing of landscaping materials.  

I’m also predicting more requests for wildlife friendly features such as hedgehog holes in boundary fences, wildflower areas, green roofs and living walls. These are relatively small things but they have a massive impact on biodiversity, air quality and wellbeing.

bird nest in hedgerow

Something as simple as a natural hedge can be of enormous benefit to biodiversity. And lovely sights like this give the human garden visitors a real sense of being connected to nature.

Gardens should be built to last

The other aspect of sustainability that interests me is longevity.  I hate the idea of expending energy and using precious materials to create structures that won’t stand the test of time.  I totally understand the need to manage build budgets, but honestly, cheap and cheerful landscaping work just isn’t sustainable.  

To my mind, it’s far better to design spaces that can be built really well   and stay within budget.  Maybe a garden design can be brought to life in two or three phases to help manage the costs? Maybe it could be made simpler with features that adapt to two or more functions.  When I’m designing a garden, I also like to future-proof the space.  For example, if I’m designing for a middle aged couple, I’ll try to take into account that one of them might develop mobility problems in the next 2 years. Or If I’m working on a family garden – I’ll include features that can adapt as the children grow up.

Finally, there’s the planting to consider.  Plants are essential in any sustainable garden, but they MUST be the right plants.  There’s nothing sustainable about trying to grow sun loving plants in the shade, or acid loving plants in a chalky soil.  Either those plants will die, or they’ll need a lot of chemical help to fight off pests and diseases. It’s far better to plant things that will thrive with the minimum of human intervention. 

How Will Gardens Be Used in 2022?

I’m enjoying the surge in demand for outdoor entertaining, outdoor cooking and working from home.  And I strongly suspect that more and more people will be following those trends by installing beautifully designed pergolas, patios, outdoor kitchens, bars and even cinema screens.  

Here in the West Country, we’re particularly blessed with some wonderful views and a gentle climate, so why not make the most of them? Let’s turn our gardens into such beautiful destinations that it really won’t matter if we can’t take as many foreign holidays.

My landscaping predictions for 2022 are that cooking, eating and entertaining outdoors will become the norm for more of us and that we’ll be busy landscaping specific areas to make all of those activities as comfortable as possible.

How Will You Improve Your Garden In 2022?

Do you have a garden wishlist for this year? Are you planning a makeover for all or part of your outdoor space?  Dan Richards is one of Somerset’s most sought after garden designers. His innovative use of space, unique styling and total respect for the environment have earned him commissions for all types of designs from tiny courtyards to large gardens.

Could Dan help you to design and build your garden?

Call or email today to discuss your ideas

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hard landscaping project with stepping stones leading from patio, down a narrow side return and around the housespring flowers