The most likely additions to our gardens.
From all new sitooteries to outdoor cooking, this blog explores what’s next for garden trends as householders seek to create that holiday feeling at home and enhance their outdoor spaces with more sustainable design.
Here are all our favourite garden trends 2023-24.
Sitooterie
A Sitooterie is the charming Scottish term that is all about carving out a small seating area, or even just a small moment in your garden!
So what exactly is a sitooterie? A classic sitooterie is a structure that has become a typical feature of landscape designs throughout Scotland, typically constructed from wood or stone, with an element of privacy and seclusion. And it’s where you sit out (or, with a Scottish accent, ‘sit oot’), relax and unwind as comfortably as possible. The addition of small windows make some of them perfect retreats or places to withdraw.
Amenity filled
spaces
Private terraces and balconies, if you don’t have a garden, are among the most highly-sought extras for the growing number of folks working from home and seeking fresh air for exercise and more. After all, how many among us can say we’ve not yet joined a Zoom confab from a balcony or patio?
The trend in short? Outdoor living has been a growing home improvement category for years, but the Covid-19 pandemic has really elevated the importance of having private space just beyond your own doors.
Year-round gathering is popular. The most requested features for enhanced outdoor living spaces are expanded and upgraded seating, fireplaces and firepits, and weather protection.
Earth
and soul
It’s not just planting choices that we’ll be taking from warmer climes.
The Mediterranean garden trend is hot on our radar for 2023 when it comes to outdoor styling. Statues and boxwood hedges are seeing a revival. Think stone walls, archways, olive trees in pots, terracotta garden planters shaded seating areas, and symmetry. You can grow bulbs, such as agapanthus and cyclamen, for a natural, timeless look.
The trend in short? It’s time to see the back of the anthracite grey sofa and a warm embrace being extended to a more natural, warmly neutral palette for outdoor furniture, external paintwork and landscaping.
We are moving towards a much warmer colour palette, positively influenced by the popularity of brass and copper fittings.
Sustainable hard
landscaping
Materials for hard landscaping, especially when newly manufactured and transported from the other side of the world, can have have a huge carbon footprint. Some of the most commonly-used materials are also the most carbon hungry.
The trend in short? It’s no surprise that sustainability is going to continue as a trend but the focus is no longer on purchasing more sustainably, it has switched its focus to repairing. There is an increased value on initiatives that encourage DIY, resale, and repair of apparel, interiors, and tech, in the years ahead. The design world is already seeing some of that with the increased availability of and emphasis on using secondhand furniture, but the notion of sustainable design could soon extend to products and services meant to extend the lifespans of various home goods as well.
Traditional
Green houses
The trend in short? Experts are predicting that this trend is set to ramp up several notches. There is huge consumer interest in traditional greenhouses, says Tom Barry, CEO of Hartley Botanic, from gardeners who want to propagate their own plants and protect tender specimens over the colder months.
Terracotta tones
Terracotta is set to be one of the most popular garden-inspired colours of the year for 2023.
Originally a reddish brown unglazed clay, used to craft pots and ornaments that are often found in greek-inspired gardens, it is now seen as a popular all-round colour for use with paint, cladding and decking thanks to its warm tones which add a Mediterranean feel to even the coldest gardens.
The term terra cotta translates directly as “baked earth” and is a traditional pot-making material that is still commonly used by many gardeners to create an authentic, beautiful garden – many projects are using a selection of flower-filled terracotta planters against an all-black house for pops of colour or to add interest to a small space.
Bolder
outdoor
spaces
The emotional needs of the home are becoming equally important as function, giving rise to a number of physical and psychological trends.
The trend in short? 2023 is looking to be a bold year in terms of garden colour schemes. The Society of Garden Designers predicts darker tones of blue, purple, and grey to be big news. These moody tones will be lifted with smaller bursts of brighter colours.. Helen Elks-Smith, for instance, says she will be using smokey blues and purples as well as soft greys and greens, with pops of colour to provide dramatic contrast.
Patterned Tiles
Patterned tiles in exterior spaces are trending. Whether you go big or small, symmetrical designs help to personalise patios and other outdoor spaces. This small urban garden is surrounded by brick walls. ‘The client asked me to design a garden inspired by Chanel,’ explains the designer Roberto Silva. ‘The first idea that came into my mind was using a black and white tile design. Tiles are going to be a big trend in 2023 as more and more designers are now using them.’
Small urban spaces can be challenging. Using distinctive tiles adds a strong design element, especially when combined with bold shapes such as this circular design. The white column with fire pit installation was built to add architectural interest, while planting is colorful and feminine, with acer japonica, agapanthus and viburnum davidii combining to create a distinctive look.