Top trends in gardening design.
The most modern among the garden designs at the Chelsea Flower Show 2010 is an environmentally friendly and nature-inspired one, but the water in it takes on an ultra-modern form. The summary of the Chelsea Flower Show – one of the most prestigious events in the field of landscape architecture.
Relaxation in natural environment
The fans of easy-to-maintain green spots will find the latest trends exciting - it is clear that the garden is to bring relaxation and help spending time according to one's lifestyle and not require hard physical labour dedicated to its tending. Plants free themselves from modern architectural forms and charm us with their natural beauty. If they do appear in cut man-shaped form, they are definitely accompanied by flora associated with the kind growing in the natural landscape (for example birches, naturally-shaped pines, horsetails, knotweed). There are no more sterile floral compositions and the formed greenery only appears as a single accent.This inspiration with nature even manifests itself in the literal transposing of specific types of landscape to the garden, for example the mountain landscape or the tropics. One should also mention the accessories that are conducive to relaxation.
Flowerbeds are accompanied by spacious terraces, comfortable furniture, summer kitchens, external fireplaces, Jacuzzis and showers. The garden has become an external room designed with as much care in every detail as the interiors, functioning as its designers intended.And over suites of armchairs and sofas spread their wings the bowers or huge canvas parasols. Considering this pursuance of a natural feel, the most surprising trends can be found in aquatic arrangements – tamed water presented exclusively in modern forms of sheets, tables, vertical walls, metal spouts or pipes sticking out of walls. The surroundings do not matter – stylish water is ultra-modern.
Be environmentally oriented!
The ecological trend in landscape architecture is going strong. Today's modern gardens are places that are environmentally friendly – regardless of whether they are designed from the basics using green principles or if they already exist and are used as habitats of insects and birds. Recycling, which was already present at the last year’s Chelsea Flower Show, is also strongly visible. It shows that many different disposable materials can be utilised in the garden and that cultivated plants can be grown Green roofs and green walls maintain their popularity The advantage of the latter is, among others, the fact that they can be installed even in the smallest of spaces and achieve large vertical stretches of greenery.
Organised colours
Two principles of colour composition dominated the trade show. Either a specific range of colours dominates the garden (the most common being violet and maroon roses) and is consistently followed when selecting plants, surfaces and any additions, or all the additions are done in one colour: white, gray or beige and the accompanying plants are multi-coloured in strong contrast. Orange and red are used for strong accents.
Watch out for additions
Using cullet instead of gravel on edges of flowerbeds and treating it as decorative surface is a novelty in accessories. Corten-type weathering steel continues to be a very modern addition.
The latest trends give novelty fans a breath of fresh air – instead of cutting minor imperfections in pattern-trimmed bushes, they can enjoy themselves in a relaxed atmosphere. This year's solutions can be relatively easily implemented in any atmosphere, especially when choosing an easily maintainable landscape set. The interrelation of different styles – both green and natural, allows for easier formation of stylish greenery. Moreover, the strong trend of modern water makes the choice of garden layouts easier. However, bear in mind that success is guaranteed only by selecting the right plants and the high quality of design and workmanship of individual components. If you are not sure which plants in the mountain landscape will give the right effect, or if the green bower and modern additions match, you’d better hand your garden over to the specialists. Their experience will let them reveal to you your true preferences and not just the general idea you want to follow.