This is an unusual post for me as I'm not someone who regularly follows the latest trends, preferring to be led by my clients, my instincts and the space that I'm designing for. I must admit, however, that I do like to have a sneaky peak in January to see what the predictions are for the year ahead. It cheers me up a little bit on a cold, winters night and is a fun nightcap to a day spent either at my desk with my head in a design job or up to my elbows in garden prunings, weeds and leaf litter. Part of my role as a garden designer is also to know what the current trends are. And knowing the trends doesn't mean that I have to follow them.
So I've done a little bit of research. I've read the predictions and perused some well known garden design websites and am pleased to report that the trends for 2019 leave me feeling optimistic for the year ahead.
The overwhelming factor behind the garden design trends for 2019, as with so many other industries at the moment, is an increasing sense of environmental awareness. Yes, of course there is talk of the aesthetic (an important part of any designed space) - of bold colours and crazy paving, of bohemian outdoor sanctuaries to retreat to and relax in and of tree houses for adults (apparently Microsoft have led this particular trend - and isn't the idea of working outside in a tree house incredibly appealing?), but nestled in among the aesthetic trends is an overwhelming majority vote for gardens that are wilder, easier to maintain, more welcoming to wildlife, built to last, sustainable and thoughtfully constructed.
These are trends that I quite like the sound of and that I hope will stick throughout 2019 and beyond.
Happy New Year!