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Owning a small, urban and overlooked garden isn't without its challenges, and homeowner Dan Cooper wanted to make the most of his outdoor space to create a stunning setting for relaxing and entertaining. 

Dan, aka the Frustrated Gardener, lives with his partner John, and their two dogs Max and Millie, in The Watch House in Kent, England. The first and larger of their two outdoor spaces is essentially a roof garden with vaulted cellars underneath. The smaller courtyard or ‘Gin & Tonic Garden’ sits on solid chalk with no topsoil for planting. Semi-sheltered, both areas are exposed to strong, cold easterly winds.

Surrounded by eight neighbors, tall echoing buildings, and sitting next to a popular town cut through, both gardens were originally quite noisy. But it was noticeably quieter the minute the couple started adding trees. Their foliage helps to buffer the sound, as well as soften the view. 

'We have lost a few to the surrounding buildings effectively acting as wind tunnels during cold winter blasts. But rather than get sentimental I see it as making space for a newcomer,' says Dan.

Continually evolving and never perfect, Dan's stunning garden design ideas greet visitors to his home and provide a picture to enjoy daily outside his windows.

The plan for the garden makeover

'When I bought The Watch House 16 years ago much of the tiny tropical garden was taken up by a substantial air raid shelter and two outdoor toilets,' says Dan. 

'Bought as a weekend home by the sea, I experimented for the first two years rescuing a large pink hydrangea, filling shady corners with potted hostas. And in the sunny spots tried landscaping with olive trees, lavender and geraniums.' 

Crazy paving covered the ground, while a dubious DIY hot tub sat on top of the bomb shelter. Dan constantly tried different ideas for incorporating the outbuildings into the space, however, nothing was working as he wanted.  

'I was introduced to garden designer Declan Buckley of Buckley Design Associates while working as a landscape architect and he persuaded me to take the outbuildings down. Work started in April 2008, and it took two weeks alone to demolish the air raid shelter,' he says.

Dan wanted to create a lush space, with plenty of garden privacy, to ensure he has a space for relaxing and entertaining. Working out how to plant without topsoil, incorporate bold foliage and color and design an outdoor kitchen were top of the list.

Shaping the space

Located above vaulted cellars, home to the cottage’s original fish prep and smoking ovens, a plan was hatched to make up for the garden’s lack of topsoil. Making sure this solution didn’t overload the roof with extra weight was also a big concern.

Building an ‘L’ shape raised garden bed around the edge of the plot proved the answer. Constructed from concrete blocks and faced with black slate it creates a generous planting area at 30in (75cm) high and nearly 6.5ft (2m wide). 

'I broke up the solid chalk base and filled the bed with topsoil mixed with organic matter, leaving space at the top for annual mulching,' says Dan.

Surrounded by numerous properties and gardens, it was important to get the boundaries right. The team ordered and fitted lengths of shiplap to work as a garden wall idea and act as cladding, to both cover the fence and tatty brick wall.

This was revealed when taking down the outbuildings, and was painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Vert de Terre’ exterior eggshell, available from Homebase. 'I love this shade and it’s the perfect foil for any other shade of green,' says Dan.

Fitting the outdoor kitchen

A trip to Chicago and a visit to an electrical warehouse whetted Dan's appetite for an outdoor kitchen. 'Amazing outdoor appliances were a revelation and immediately appealed to my love of grilling and barbecuing,' says Dan.

'Also, the kitchen in The Watch House is located in the dark basement and down several flights of stairs, so was never that practical for entertaining. My ideal was to have a cooking space in the garden, where everyone can relax and socialize while the cooking takes place,' he says.

At that time not many people had built an outdoor kitchen in the UK, so Dan sought the advice of a carpenter, and together, they came up with a design. Wooden base units, sink, mains gas BBQ and fridge were all included, the only issue was the choice of work surface. They originally thought to use the same slate slabs as for covering the terrace and facing the raised beds, but water seeped through the joints. 

'Eventually we installed a black granite work surface and this has been a real success, not only protecting the units below but proving durable and easy-to-care for,' says Dan. 

'My partner John and I use the outdoor kitchen regularly all year round, even cooking roasts during the winter. It does need repairing occasionally but we wouldn’t be without it,' he says.

Planting the plot

'My family come from Cornwall (in the south of the UK) and from a young age I was fascinated with the local gardens brimming with tender exotics and the best tropical plants such as bananas and tree ferns,' says Dan. 'My grandmother was also a keen gardener, and an early adopter of the latest planting trends, so would often be found growing something new and different.' 

This was a huge influence on Dan, so it was only natural that when presented with this semi-sheltered garden, that gets no frost and little rainfall, that he turned to these showy yet drought tolerant plants. 

The microclimate of Dan's coastal Kent home suits many plants from New Zealand, South Africa, California and the Canary Islands. And one magnificent success is giant herb Robert, with its vibrant early spring show of pink blossom. 

'I bought mature plants from a specialist local nursery and these included the towering Echium, Oleander, Japanese Green Olive and Indian Bean Trees. Our only casualty was a handsome Mexican Strawberry Tree which we lost to a pathogen in the soil. It was harder to remove than plant, but we replaced it with an equally unusual Chatham Island Lancewood,' says Dan. 

'I continue to add new favorites over the years, both in the raised bed and numerous pots too. My planting style is definitely ‘more is more’, packing them in and leaving them pretty much untamed. I also love sticking to mainly hot and spicy colored blooms and dramatic foliage. Shades of scarlet, orange, purple and gold ooze exotic, tropical vibes and really dazzle against green foliage,' says Dan.

Doubling the space of the garden

Ten years after moving in, Dan bought the cottage and garden next door. A sheltered 20ft x 20ft (6m x 6m) plot and facing south-west, it receives the sun from 11am until late in the day. It came with an ancient greenhouse and numerous outbuildings. 

Situated on solid chalk, there is next to no topsoil, so Dan and John mostly focussed on container gardening ideas, growing plants in terracotta pots. 'I initially planted it with a Mediterranean garden planting plan in mind, with lavender, salvias, olives and pelargoniums, but gradually that has become more tropical over time.'

Today coleus and begonias, both with their outlandishly patterned foliage, sit alongside showy dahlias, lilies and gingers. Now known fondly as the 'Gin & Tonic Garden' it’s where Dan loves to end his working day.

Favorite elements

Tweaking, trialling new plants and exploring new plant combinations all play a part in both gardens. Adding a seeper hose to provide moisture, as and when needed, in The Jungle Garden has been hugely valuable, particularly now the trees have reached a good size. 

The black slate paving ideas in this area, have also worked well. Combined with the white painted surrounding walls which reflect the sunlight, the darker stone retains the heat during the day and radiates it at night, something both the plants and people appreciate. In fact, the ground temperature is several degrees higher in the garden than on the street outside.

When you’re embarking on a garden makeover, big or small, one thing that’s inevitable is the mess! We’ve all seen pristine 'after' shots or bleak 'before' images of people’s DIY outdoor living endeavours. But it’s likely you won’t have seen just how much debris was created as part of the process.

HIPPOBAGs, one of the UK’s leading rubbish clearance providers, rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, offers a brilliant service for clearing a garden space ahead of making improvements, but also after work has taken place. And if eco considerations are dear to your heart, HIPPO’s strong environmental policies ensure that over 95% of all waste collected is diverted from landfill with the remaining disposed of in a responsible way.

To demonstrate just how valuable waste disposal is in a garden makeover, HIPPO recently ran a competition for someone to win a garden makeover by TV gardener Michael Perry. The prize also included £2,000 B&Q vouchers and a HIPPOBAG and collection to get rid of the garden waste generated as part of the makeover.

The winning makeover

Oak House Children’s Home in IIford, London, was the lucky winner of a garden makeover from celebrity gardener Michael Perry, aka Mr Plant Geek, thanks to waste removal experts HIPPO.

The competition received almost 2,500 entries from individuals keen to win the high-value prize. The makeover took place this summer with a number of the staff from the home helping out alongside Michael. 

Making improvements

Michael, who spent 18 years as a plant expert for Thompson & Morgan before branching out into gardening work on TV shows like ITV's This Morning, was instrumental in developing the initial garden designs, ahead of joining the team at Oak House to help them transform the space. 

'It was fantastic to be involved in a project that has a genuinely positive impact on the everyday lives of vulnerable young people,' he says. 'We transformed the fairly run-down, grey outside space at Oak House into a chill-out area that is brighter, more engaging and better for socialising.'

'The space will become more colourful and more inviting as the plants grow and the children will be able to enjoy the garden in a more interactive way thanks to the addition of edible plants, like herbs, mint and marigolds. We also installed some solar powered festoon lights so that the area can now be used during the evening too.'

Positive outcomes

'The children and staff at Oak House were overjoyed to win this competition,' says Sabrina Agyei, Manager of Oak House. 'The young people use the garden, which is outside our main classroom, on a daily basis for socialising but also as a space to regulate their emotions.' 

'This makeover has transformed an already valuable outdoor space into a much brighter, more inviting environment where we will be able to run lessons and children will be better able to relax and socialise. Thank you so much to HIPPO for the makeover. It looked fantastic and, at night, when the lights turn on, the space looks amazing!'

How to deal with garden waste

When it comes to planning your own project, it’s important that you factor in the waste which needs clearing to make a space for any new outdoor living elements before you can start the process. As well as the mess which will be created and need to be cleared as you go.

General garden waste, i.e. foliage and grass clippings etc, can be put in your garden waste bin. However, as the team at Oak House discovered, with a proper garden makeover you’ll be unearthing all sorts of unwanted waste, odd bits of old patio furniture and who knows what else, as your project progresses.

Not knowing what to do with this sort of mess, which may be too small an amount to warrant a skip, but too large a quantity to be able to dispose of properly yourself, can be a mental and physical barrier for gardeners to embark on their own DIY makeovers.

The HIPPOBAG is a great choice to cover all your bases and ensure that your waste is dealt with efficiently, legally and in an eco-friendly way. Then of course all that's left is to sit back and admire your hard work!

For more information

Prices start at £13.99 for the MIDIBAG only or £174.99 for the MIDIBAG with collection directly from your house. For more details, contact HIPPO on 0333 999 0 999 or visit the website. 

And for the latest news and updates, you can also follow HIPPO on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

The Hampton Court Flower Show, officially now known as the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, is a source of much excitement for any garden lover. The world's largest flower show, it never fails to provide an extravaganza of garden design ideas, exhibits, and expert talks. Plus, there is always plenty of food, shopping, and live music – it's the perfect day out for any gardener (no matter how experienced), botanical enthusiast, or flower fan.

Hosted on the spectacular grounds of Hampton Court Palace, this year's event is set to be as memorable as ever and will celebrate the joys of mindfulness, wellness, and inclusivity in gardening. 'As we begin to adapt to a normal way of life post-pandemic, this year's festival aims to offer visitors the choice to experience the holistic power of gardens and the positivity it can bring across different aspects of our everyday lives,' says Rebecca Welti, the festival's manager.

We've rounded up all the info you need to know about the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022 below, from details about what's on (including the exciting new attractions) to travel info. You'll be booking your ticket in no time.

When is Hampton Court Flower Show 2022?

Hampton Court Garden Festival is being held from 4–9 July 2022.

Monday and Tuesday admittance is open to RHS members only, while non-members can join in all the floral fun from Wednesday onwards. 

On Friday evening, a special Flowers After Hours event will take place where visitors can experience the show, accompanied by good food and music, by twilight. Doors will open from 4pm with entertainment starting at 7.30pm.

For specific opening times, see below:

• Monday 4 to Tuesday 5 July: RHS members only, 10am – 6.30pm
• Wednesday 6 to Thursday 7 July: RHS members and non-members, 10am – 6.30pm
• Friday 8 July: RHS members and non-members, 10am – 6.30pm and 4pm – 10.30pm for Flowers After Hours event (tickets sold separately)
• Saturday 9 July: RHS members and non-members, 10am – 5.30pm

Where is the Hampton Court Flower Show located?

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is held on the show-stopping grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Alongside its breathtaking Tudor and Baroque architecture, the 500-year-old estate has 60 acres of garden and was once owned by Henry VIII.

Hampton Court Palace is situated 12 miles southwest of central London, in Surrey. 

Its full address is:

Hampton Court Palace
East Molesey
Surrey
KT8 9AU

What to expect at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022

There is lots to get excited by in this year's line-up – so whether you're looking for new flower bed ideas, landscaping ideas, or simply want to enjoy a celebration of all things botanical, you won't be disappointed.

Get inspired by show-stopping garden designs

The hottest Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival trends never fail to inspire. And as always, the Show, Global Impact, and Get Started gardens promise to deliver at this year's event.

These designs include 'Sunburst' – by Charlie Bloom and Simon Webster – that will celebrate teamwork, individual skill, and craftsmanship with colorful planting and Corten steel moongates. Meanwhile, the Get Started Garden 'Turfed Out', by Hamzah-Adam Desai, will explore simple, low-maintenance garden ideas for beginners.

This year's show also welcomes a new area: the Food Zone, which will be centered around the River Cottage Market Garden and the RHS allotments (a series of grow-your-own plots designed by local communities). Here, visitors will be able to explore all the wonders of growing edible crops, while tasting delicious, artisan food and drink. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Founder of River Cottage, says, 'I'm really looking forward to being back at RHS Hampton Court this summer, this time with our own market garden, a great collaboration with the RHS which celebrates the joy of growing (and eating) your own food, and explores what we can all do in our gardens to help nature thrive alongside us.'

The show will also feature a brand new Sanctuary Area – an enchanting, immersive space with plenty of family-friendly activities on offer as well as an acoustic music stage. Here, visitors will also find the RHS Forest Bathing Garden, designed by Dave Green. The design will be a space for people to relax and enjoy the sensory benefits of being surrounded by field maples, hornbeams, and mature limes – bliss. 

We are also excited about this year's Iconic Horticultural Hero garden, created by Sarah Eberle. Visitors will be able to walk through her design of sustainable garden landscapes and see plenty of wild, rare, and beautiful plants.

Confirmed gardens for the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2022

Show gardens:

• Connections, designed by Ryan McMahon
• John King Brain Tumour Foundation Garden, designed by Rhiannon Williams
• Macmillan Legacy Garden: Gift The Future, designed by Sean A Pritchard
• Over The Wall Garden, supported by Takeda UK, designed by Matthew Childs
• Sunburst, designed by Charlie Bloom and Simon Webster
• The Blue Diamond Beautiful Abandonment Garden, designed by The Blue Diamond Group Team
• The Joy Club Garden, designed by Zavier Kwek
• The SunsLifestyle Outdoor Living Garden, designed by Samuel Moore

Global Impact gardens:

• A Journey, in collaboration with Sue Ryder, designed by Katherine Holland

Get Started gardens:

• #knollingwithdaisies, designed by Sue Kent
• Lunch Break Garden, designed by Inspired Earth Design
• The Wooden Spoon Garden, designed by Toni Bowater and Lucy Welsh
• Turfed Out, designed by Hamzah-Adam Desai

Feature gardens:

• Sarah Eberle – Iconic Horticultural Hero, designed by Sarah Eberle
• RHS Forest Bathing Garden, designed by Dave Green
• RHS Rose Tea Garden, designed by Pollyanna Wilkinson
• River Cottage Market Garden, designed by Adam Crofts
• The Vitamin G Garden, designed by Alan Williams with Jo Whiley

Learn something new with workshops, celebrity talks, garden advice from the experts, and more

Of course, the Hampton Court Flower Show isn't just about the gardens themselves. It also provides a plethora of knowledge via live demonstrations, workshops, and talks.

This year, well-known experts in the gardening world, including the likes of Monty Don, Arit Anderson, and Adam Frost, will be sharing their stories on the Get Growing stage. Meanwhile, a panel of experts will be available to help with any plant problems. The Society of Garden Designers will also run a garden design clinic, new to the show, offering bookable one-to-one consultations on how to plan your garden design.

The Market Theatre, The Sanctuary Yurt, The Flower School, and The Potting Bench will also host guest speakers. They will be sharing their top tips and advice on a wide range of topics, from field to fork principles and floristry to the importance of trees for our wellbeing.

Plus, if you have a certain problem or query regarding a specific plant back at home, then the RHS Gardening Advice stands will offer all the advice you need. To ensure all the show's plants are protected, remember to bring photographs, rather than the live plants themselves.

Refuel with a wide selection of food and drink

A good array of refreshments is a must for every great day out, and at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022, there promises to be something for everyone. 

Food courts will be situated throughout the show, offering plenty of options from barista-made coffee and chilled glasses of fizz to street food and classic choices. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options will all be available.

There will also be bookable table-serviced options, including The Waterside Restaurant which offers a two-course brunch, three-course lunch, or champagne afternoon tea. The Rose Tea Garden Cafe will also offer an afternoon tea which can be booked in advance, as well as tasty baked goods, sandwiches, snacks, and more.

There will also be a new restaurant – Hampton Brasserie – at this year's show, which will offer walk-ups only (so no need to book). Here you'll be able to refuel on delicious small plates and refreshing drinks.

And, if you fancy a laid-back-yet-luxurious picnic, then Fortnum & Mason hampers will be available, filled with seasonal treats.

Enjoy good music

What's a festival without music? At the center of the event, visitors will be able to get their groove on at The Woodland Stage. And over in the Sanctuary Area, The Sanctuary Stage will welcome the talents of acoustic musicians, including Kadija Kamara, Cristina Hart, and Porteous – the perfect soundtrack for chilling out to.

Shop 'til you drop

As well as all the advice on offer, the fabulous displays to marvel at, the delicious food, and the music, there will be plenty of opportunities to splash the cash and treat yourself with something to take home. Expect a wide array of boutique stalls, trade stands, and exhibiting nurseries on-site offering artisan food, homewares, garden products, and of course, plenty of plants. 

Whether you're looking to update your container gardening plans or your border, the Floral Marquee, with over 60 exhibitors, is a must-visit. There will also be the Plant Village, where 20 nurseries will be displaying and selling seasonal plants and bulbs. And don't forget to pop by the Country Living Pavilion for a fabulous shopping experience – they'll have all you need to pep up your patio ideas.

How to travel to the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022

Most visitors travel to the show by road or by train. However, you may prefer to travel via coach.

Train

Hampton Court railway station is a ten-minute walk from the show. The train journey from London Waterloo takes just over half an hour. Train times are frequent, and if you're traveling in a group of three to nine people, you can save 34% with the South Western Railway GroupSave discount. Kingston and Surbiton railway stations are also nearby with frequent train times, although you will likely want to catch a taxi or bus from these to the show.

Car

Use the postcode KT8 9AU for sat navs which will get you to the local area. Then follow AA signs. There will be three car parks: Black (situated off the A308 Hampton Court Road coming from Kingston), Green (situated off the A308 Hampton Court Road coming from M3), and Blue situated off the A309 coming from the A3). Black is the closest to the show – a 5–10 minute walk. If you have purchased Disabled Parking and/or mobility equipment, head to this one.

Pre-booking parking via the RHS website is advised, although there will be card payment machines available at each car park entrance for on-the-day sales. Parking costs £16 for the day.

There will also be a park and ride system, situated at Apps Court Farm on the A3050. From here, a courtesy bus service will take you to the drop-off point at the foot of Hampton Court Bridge – a 15–20 minute walk from the show. The cost is £9 per day. If you prefer not to walk you can use the ferry service operated by Parr Boats.

Coach

Coaches will drop off visitors at the Hampton Court Green car park. From here, it is a twenty-minute walk to the show. There is also a shuttle bus and a mobility bus to the Long Water Gate Entrance.

Where do you buy tickets for the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022?

Whether you're after modern garden ideas or cottage garden ideas, find all the inspo you need and more at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Tickets are now available to buy online. 

The biggest event in the gardening calendar is here. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 is a week-long extravaganza, showcasing the crème de la crème of garden design and horticulture. 

For the week of the 24 May, the grounds of the Royal Hospital will be teeming with plant enthusiasts, eager to see what new and exciting plant varieties world-famous growers will be showcasing in the Great Pavilion. 

Visitors will also be dining on a feast of garden design inspiration from the many show gardens, which have been months, and even years in the making. 

If you've ever been lucky enough to be amongst the euphoric throng then you'll be well aware of the incredible feats that designers and stall holders achieve with their displays, for what is effectively a week-long life span.

You might not, therefore, be alone in wondering where all this glory and splendor disappears to once the final curtain has been drawn on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

Garden designer Ruth Willmott, a Chelsea veteran, believes that designers should see it as their responsibility to consider the after life of their gardens. 'I think the most important thing you can do as a designer of a Chelsea garden is to ensure you design and build it so that as much of it as possible is able to live on in another location after the show,' she says. 'It is something I have done with all my Chelsea gardens.'

Tried and tested show garden relocations

Many of the designers I've spoken to at this year's show have given thought to where their plants and materials will be going once the show closes its doors. This includes Jamie Butterworth's The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden, designed for the children at Viking primary school in West London, and Lily Gomm's Swiss Sanctuary Garden where plants are being donated to public gardens in south London.

For an example of where this has been a success, we can look to the 2021 gold medal award winning Yeo Valley Organic garden, designed by Sarah Mead and Tom Massey.

With sustainability and organic gardening at the fore of Yeo Valley's ethos, their Chelsea design would need to have more to give than its fleeting shelf life at the show.

'The opportunity to showcase our little corner of Somerset at RHS Chelsea 2021 was a dream come true,' says Sarah. 'It was very important to Tom and I that people who saw our Chelsea show garden got a real sense of the real Yeo Valley Organic Garden down here in Blagdon in the UK.

'The Yeo Valley Organic Garden sits in the middle of the Yeo Valley Organic farmland so sustainability is in our DNA. On a personal level, it is extremely important to practice what we preach and we also feel that everyone can play a part in helping to resolve climate change through small actions. We feel that living in a more sustainable way is for everybody and shouldn’t be an all or nothing club.'

For that reason, the entire garden has now found its forever home in Somerset. 'We haven’t recreated it, but rather reabsorbed it,' Sarah explains. 'The oak hide swings above the stream in the gravel garden. The biochar walls form planting pockets in the woodland walk, the boulders and stone bridge are clustered around the pond. The corten steel header tank provides water for the stream. All the plants have been re-homed here or are waiting to go in.'  

The challenges of relocating a Chelsea show garden

Creating a garden for Chelsea is an immense honor, so it's fair to say that for some, how to plan the garden design for the week of the show itself often takes precedence over considering its final destination.

'Because the show garden was inspired by our existing garden, we knew the plan was always to return it,' explains Sarah. 'Although that being said, the actual design of the Chelsea garden was not focused on how we would relocate the garden once the show was over, but rather how we could achieve a true depiction of the Yeo Valley Organic garden to our visitors at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Luckily for us relocating the garden wasn’t too much of a challenge design wise.' 

The real challenge came when it was time to move the garden to its final resting place. 'The main challenge was one of speed! All the hard landscaping, the wooden egg structure, and plants had to be off-site within 24 hours.

'Luckily for us, we have plenty of storage space available on the farm, but rehoming 5,000 plants is no mean feat. Especially when some of them had been in a pot for 2.5 years due to the delays of the show as a result of the pandemic,' says Sarah. 

The Yeo Valley Organic garden is an example of where having a design which is aligned with an existing location makes it easier to repurpose it back into the landscape it was originally designed to embody.

In 2022, Joe Perkins' design, The Meta Garden: Growing the Future, plans to do just that. The garden aims to highlight the connection between plants, soil, and fungi in the woodland ecosystem, and to bring to life the complex underground communication-webs found in nature. 'Only 13% of the UK has woodland cover – a shocking number compared to the rest of Europe, which has above 35%,' says Joe.

What better way to enforce the message than by ensuring that the garden finds its way into British woodland after the show.

'After its initial appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will be re-homed at the Conkers Discovery Centre, in the heart of the National Forest in the Midlands, UK. Here, The Meta Garden will be available to the 250,000 visitors who come to Conkers in the National Forest each year,' Joe explains.

A social responsibility

Sustainability and giving back to the environment are obviously huge motivations for designers to re-home their Chelsea gardens. But for Ruth Willmott and her William Morris-inspired garden, staying true to the historical aspect of her garden was also important when finding a forever home for her plot.

'The Morris & Co. Garden is a modern interpretation of two of William Morris' most iconic wallpaper designs, Trellis and Willow Boughs, and uses color and pattern to bring his beautiful interiors into the natural outdoor setting which originally inspired them,' Ruth tells us.

After the show, elements of the garden will be relocated to several new community gardens on the Packington Estate regeneration project in Islington, London, in collaboration with the Arc Centre Gardening Collective. This newly redeveloped estate is located around the corner from the site where Morris' prints were first produced over 160 years ago.

Ruth had started this year's Chelsea journey knowing that she would be relocating the garden, as she had done this with all her previous Chelsea gardens.

'We had always planned to relocate elements of the garden after the show. My Sustainability Director, Joey Tabone, found the location for us and when we realized that the Packington Estate was situated just a street from where William Morris produced his first prints, we jumped at the chance to work with Islington Council and the Arc Centre Gardening Collective on the relocation. It really felt like it was meant to be,' she says.

Relocating a Chelsea garden has as much a social responsibility as an environmental one. One of the best things about relocating a a garden is the fact that it will be enjoyed by so many more people. 

In Ruth's case, other than the residents living on the Packington Estate, the gardens are used by people visiting the playground within the estate, and by other members of the public passing through on their way to the Regent's Canal.

A new approach to design

Garden upcycling and repurposing has always been a passion of Lynne Lambourne, and her garden, designed for the GARDENA stand at Chelsea, was entirely informed by repurposing salvaged materials, which could then be re-purposed again after the show.

'I work in reverse to most designers,' Lynne comments. 'I have to design around what I can salvage or find to repurpose. It makes it more challenging but the impact to the planet is minimal and the result is a really unique design.

'Any designer can go and buy expensive new things and top end plants and make it beautiful, but creating something from what otherwise would end up in landfill is the real challenge,' she says.

'I can’t just place an order for something that looks pretty – everything I do has to be considered – turning trash to treasure and upcycling requires vision.' 

And as mentioned before, there is a socially conscious element to ensuring that these gardens can be enjoyed by more people than a privileged few who attend the show. After the show, Lynne will be repurposing some of the features to her Warriors On Waste garden where she runs bootcamps to teach children about sustainability and taking better care of the planet.

'They love learning about growing their own food and seeing what insects and bugs they can identify. I am also working with a local school to make a mini farm, again to teach sustainability, so some of the garden will be repurposed there too. The plants will be resold to raise money for the Ways And Means Trust – a charity that I work with that supports adults with learning or physical disabilities or poor mental health through teaching them gardening. They have actually grown lots of the plants in the garden for me, too.'

Making sustainability a key focus

Lynne's approach to her design demonstrates a shift in our way of thinking, by bringing sustainable gardens and environmental considerations to the fore.

As a result of the pressure to change our practises due to the mounting global climate crisis, I wonder if we could begin to see this attitude being adopted (either voluntarily or by necessity) in all creative industries.

For example, we might want pristine patio materials, but what resource has gone into producing the materials brand new? Could you turn to the next best thing, a recycled stone paver for example? It might not be exactly what you wanted but does the positive environmental impact make the sacrifice worthwhile? And from a social angle, rather than throwing away unwanted plants and materials, why not seek out community garden collectives or ask local schools if they might have a use for them?

As Lynne so succinctly puts it: 'It doesn’t really make sense to me that some of our gardening practices harm the planet rather than take care of it.'

We have already seen Chelsea gardens of recent times adopt a more naturalistic style, with a sympathetic use of hard landscaping ideas. And whilst this is great for blazing a new trail for creating eco-friendly gardens, these practices need to be backed up by ensuring a lack of waste and an increase in sustainability at the show itself, as well considering how the show can have a wider reach and spread these messages to our wider society.

Now that the show has opened its gates to the crowds it's clear how much delight this year's cohort of designers have caused with their gardens. And it's wonderful, therefore, to know that many will continue to bring joy long after this year's historic show comes to a close.

Whether you are a keen gardener looking for tools to maintain your plot, or someone who just wants the best furniture to create a space to catch some rays, we are here to help. Gardeningetc is committed to making sure you never make a poor purchase for your garden, because we know the importance of investing wisely.

To ensure this, we have a rigorous testing process for all of the products you see on the reviews and buying guides on this site. Find out how we test and who tests them.

About our reviews

When we review a product, we like to make sure it is tested as intended – in someone's garden. Brands send us products to test for a period of at least two weeks. If the weather has other ideas, we might test for longer to make sure we get plenty of chance to try all of the product's key functions.

We try to match each product to the right reviewer. If it is a lawn mower for small spaces, we will test on a small lawn. If it is a huge grill for catering a party, we will get a family to test it (hopefully with a few friends). This means we can make sure the product lives up to the manufacturer promises.

When it comes to testing, we have certain tasks each reviewer must carry out to measure how well the product meets user needs. This keeps some uniformity to our testing, even if they are intended for different people. For example, every grill will be used to make sausages and burgers and every lawn mower tested on long and short grass.

The reviewers tests answer the following questions:

• What do you get in the box?
• How easy is it to set up the product?
• How easy is it to use the product?
• What features and functions does the product have?
• Is the product easy to maintain/clean and does it take up much storage space?
• How does it rate against similar products?
• How do others rate it (either online or peer testing).

The ultimate question, however, is whether the product is worth your money.

At the end of testing, the reviewer is asked to give the product a star rating out of five. We list this rating on our reviews and award badges to the top-rated products (see more below).

We are never paid for our reviews. Products are sent free of charge and on occasion the reviewer may be allowed to keep the product after testing. This means we can update our reviews over time, seeing how durable they are six, 12 or even 36 months after the initial testing.

About our buying guides

Our buying guides are a curation of the top-rated products we have reviewed. In some instances, we haven't reviewed all of the products (just yet), but we are working hard to test everything we include and use third party reviews to justify them being on our guides.

These 'best of' lists are a great place to see all of the top recommendations for a certain product type in one place. If you need a new cordless lawn mower, or wonder which is the best pizza oven for your family, you can see the ones we rate and who they are suited to.

The Gardeningetc Reviewed & Rated badge

So that you can quickly see which products we love, we have launched the Gardeningetc Reviewed & Rated badge. This grants either a gold, silver or bronze award to the products we rank as being better than average, and thus a worthwhile buy.

The badging criteria is as follows:

• Gold badge: 4.5 stars or more
• Silver badge: 4–4.4 stars
• Bronze badge: 3–3.9 stars

Anything below three stars is a product we consider to be lacking in lots of the required criteria. We would not recommend buying these products unless budget leaves no choice.

If a brand is awarded a badge, the company can license that badge to let everyone know. For logo use opportunities, contact Fiona McIntosh.

Meet our reviewers

The world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show is set to return to its regular spring slot for 2022 after last year's event was held in autumn due to Covid-19. Designers are currently making their final preparations for the highly anticipated show, which will take place from 24 – 28 May 2022.

The event will showcase all the usual cutting-edge garden design ideas and fabulous floral displays, as well as the best gardening-related shopping around. As is traditional, the show takes place on the spectacular grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.

The RHS promises that this year's event will have the 'most naturalistic feel in recent years' with hedgerows, woodlands, and wildflower meadows taking centre stage in many of the gardens on display. 

'We can't wait to see the return of a spring RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022 and welcome our visitors back after a two-year wait,' says Helena Pettit, RHS Director of Gardens & Shows. 'The show is jam-packed with stunning gardens and inspirational displays and with an abundance of wildlife-friendly planting, we won't be the only ones buzzing!'

We've rounded up all the info you need to know about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 below – from what you can expect to see to how to buy tickets. It's time to put this must-visit event in your diary! 

When is the Chelsea Flower Show 2022?

The Chelsea Flower Show takes place from 24 – 28 May 2022.

• 24 – 25 May, RHS members only, 8am – 8pm
• 26 – 27 May, RHS members and non-members, 8am – 8pm
• 28 May, RHS members and non-members, 8am – 5.30pm

Where is the Chelsea Flower Show located?

The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London is home to the iconic Chelsea Pensioners and, for one week only in May, is also home to the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The full address is:

London Gate
Royal Hospital Road
Royal Hospital Chelsea
London
SW3 4SR

How do you buy tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show 2022?

Whether you’re after modern garden ideas or cottage garden ideas, you can find all the inspiration you need and more at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online via the RHS website.

Chelsea Flower Show 2022: what to expect

If you're on the lookout for inspiration for your outdoor space, whether that's for new landscaping ideas or planting suggestions, the Chelsea Flower Show 2022 promises to deliver, encouraging you to look beyond the beautiful gardens and plants on display and make more considered plant choices in your own plot. 

In terms of top trends, we expect to see lots of laid-back planting schemes that celebrate the concept of rewilding. By using a variety of native species that haven't been seen previously at Chelsea, the aim of many designers will be to illustrate how any green space can easily be transformed into a wildlife-friendly haven.

'Hawthorn will feature prominently alongside other woodland trees and shrubs including hazel, crab apple, weeping willow, and hornbeam,' says the RHS. 'Visitors can expect to see swathes of green speckled with whites, creams, and pinks throughout the show. Wild plants such as nettles, cow parsley, poppies, and nectar-rich buttercups will add to the pastel colour palette and continue the wildlife-friendly, naturalistic theme.'

The RHS adds that other themes you can expect to see at the 2022 event include sustainable gardens, climate change, and the mental, physical and social benefits of gardens, as well as a celebration of institutions such as the RNLI and the RAF. 

Confirmed Show Gardens for the Chelsea Flower Show 2022

The main Show Gardens are always a highlight of any Chelsea Flower Show and the confirmed line-up for 2022 promises to deliver an abundance of ideas. 

'The Meta Garden: Growing the Future', designed by Joe Perkins, will feature almost 3,000 plants and trees. Exploring the garden is intended to be an immersive experience, with an emphasis on the strong connection between plants and fungi in our woodland ecosystems. The space will include a complex pavilion structure inspired by the interaction between the mycorrhizal network and its host tree's roots.

Meanwhile, Howard and Hugh Miller will be designing a space with Alder Hey Children's Charity. Their chosen colour scheme of white, pink, and cream is inspired by the stunning spring tones of apple blossom, and the garden aims to encapsulate the magic of discovery inherent to foraging. It will include herbs, species-rich hedgerows, and orchard-meadow planting.

In light of the increasing awareness of gardening for mental health and the benefits it can offer, we are also excited to see Andy Sturgeon's 'The Mind Garden'. This plot will feature contemporary, sculptural walls, drifts of planting, and tranquil water features.

And for those who are a fan of William Morris' work – an influential designer of the Victorian era – the 'Morris & Co.' garden is sure to be a highlight. Designed by Ruth Willmott, it reimagines two of Morris' iconic patterns throughout the landscaping. Expect to see lots of cottage garden planting and a predominant colour scheme of earthy reds, apricots, and blues.

There will be plenty more to see, too. The full list of Show Gardens is as follows:

• Alder Hey Urban Foraging Station, designed by Howard Miller and Hugh Miller
• MEDITE SMARTPLY Building the Future, designed by Sarah Eberle
• St Mungo's Putting Down Roots Garden, designed by Cityscapes (Darryl Moore & Adolfo Harrison)
• Brewin Dolphin Garden, designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes
• The RNLI Garden, designed by Chris Beardshaw
• Morris & Co., designed by Ruth Willmott
• 'The Meta Garden: Growing the Future', designed by Joe Perkins
• The Perennial Garden 'With Love', designed by Richard Miers
• The New Blue Peter Garden – Discover Soil, by designer Juliet Sargeant
• The RAF Benevolent Fund Garden, designed by John Everiss
• A Rewilding Britain Landscape, by Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt
• The Mind Garden, designed by Andy Sturgeon
• Hands Off Mangrove by Grow2Know, designed by Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Danny Clarke

Confirmed Sanctuary Gardens for the Chelsea Flower Show 2022

The smaller Sanctuary Gardens are also set to impress at this year's show. 

'A Garden Sanctuary by Hamptons', designed by Tony Woods, will feature plenty of plants for pollinators and pine and birch trees. At its heart will be a sculptural, carbon-neutral garden cabin, built with charred timber and inspired by Japanese design. 

We are also looking forward to visiting the 'Circle of Life' garden, designed by Yoshihiro Tamura. It aims to depict our journeys through life, with different coloured planting used to represent different emotions and a Japanese water wheel symbolising the passing of time.

As well as these, John Warland's 'The Plantman's Ice Garden' is sure to spark conversation. Featuring a giant, melting, monolithic ice cube, it aims to remind us of the perils of global warming our planet currently faces.

And there will be lots more to explore – here are the confirmed Sanctuary Gardens you'll find in this exciting area:

• The SSAFA Garden, supported by CCLA and designed by Amanda Waring
• A Swiss Sanctuary, by Lilly Gomm
• The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden, designed by Jamie Butterworth
• ZEN Garden, designed by Ishihara Kazuyuki
• Circle of Life, by Yoshihiro Tamura
• The Body Shop Garden, designed by Jennifer Hirsch
• A Garden Sanctuary by Hamptons, designed by Tony Woods
• Out of the Shadows, designed by Kate Gould
• The Boodles Travel Garden, designed by Tom Hoblyn
• Kingston Maurward The Space Within Garden, by Michelle Brown
• The Stitcher's Garden, designed by Frederic Whyte
• The Plantman's Ice Garden, designed by John Warland

Confirmed Balcony and Container Gardens for the Chelsea Flower Show 2022

Following their popularity last year, Balcony and Container Gardens will be back for the 2022 show. These gardens aim to demonstrate that any space, no matter how small, can be turned into a garden paradise, as explains the RHS. Perfect if you're on the lookout for small garden ideas.

The following Balcony Gardens have been confirmed:

• The Blue Garden, designed by Tom Wilkes-Rios
• The Cirrus Garden, designed by Jason Williams
• The Potting Balcony Garden, sponsored by Viking, designed by William Murray
• Jay Day, designed by Flock Party (Alison Orellana Malouf, Su-Yeon Angela Choi)

And if you're after inspiration for new container gardening ideas, you'll find plenty in the Container Gardens. 

We love the sound of Ann Treneman's 'Wild Kitchen Garden', which will champion growing vegetables in pots within small urban settings. Meanwhile, 'The Still Garden', intended to evoke an immersive, secluded, and still atmosphere, is inspired by Scotland with plenty of plants that thrive across the Highlands and Islands.

Here's the full list of what to expect:

• Wild Kitchen Garden, designed by Ann Treneman
• The Enchanted Rain Garden, designed by Bea Tann
• The Still Garden, designed by Jane Porter
• Mandala, Meditation and Mindfulness Garden, designed by Nikki Hollier
• A Mediterranean Reflection, designed by Tanya K Wilson and Johanna Norlin

Learn something new with workshops, talks, demonstrations, garden advice from the experts, and more

There's more to the Chelsea Flower Show than just the gardens. There are also live demonstrations, workshops, talks, and plenty of opportunities for shopping. 

As always, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show's Great Pavilion will be awash with colour and scent. This year, it will host over 80 exhibits and will include the launch of 27 new plant varieties. Some of the world's finest growers and nurseries are returning to the event, including David Austin Roses with their Jubilee-themed display, alongside many first-time exhibitors. Expect plenty of stunning displays, plants for sale, and expert advice.

You can also marvel at science in The Discovery Zone, which champions the latest exciting innovations and research from the world of horticulture. Explore interactive displays and exhibits in this dedicated space in the Great Pavilion.

The RHS Gardening Advice team of experts will be located in the centre of the Great Pavilion. They suggest you bring photographs of your plant problems rather than live plant material if you are looking for specific answers to growing concerns.

And, if you're looking for new indoor garden ideas, then the Houseplant Studios are a must-visit, promising lots of beautiful, sensory displays to inspire. There will also be a daily plant clinic to help you give the best indoor plants the best care.

Refuel with delicious food and drink

A wide array of refreshments is an important factor for every great day out, and at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, there promises to be something for everyone. 

There will be a range of bookable catering facilities at the show, including three-course meals, seafood platters, and afternoon tea. 

There will also be a selection of hot and cold food and drink outlets around the showground. Cafes, food courts, and picnic areas are perfect for a quick bite to eat. 

Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options will be available at the pre-bookable restaurants and also from the outlets.

Shop beautiful plants, garden accessories, gifts and more

Both in the Great Pavilion and dotted all around the showground, you'll find a range of exhibitors selling plants and innovative horticultural-themed products. 

Each exhibitor at the show is hand-picked and together, will offer a fabulous shopping experience. From garden tools, buildings, and seating to jewellery, textiles, and new plant varieties for your own flower bed ideas, there will be something to tempt everyone.

How to travel to the Chelsea Flower Show 2022

Most visitors travel to the show by tube, bus or train. However, you may prefer to travel via coach, or car (you can pre-book parking with your tickets).

You are advised to check Government guidance on transport closer to the date of your visit.

Travel by bus

Bus numbers 11, 137, 211, 360, 170, 44 and 452 stop closest to the showground, while bus numbers 19, 22, 319 and C1 stop at Sloane Square.

Please note that the 360 bus will not be stopping at bus stop 'CH' at the Bull Ring Gate, Chelsea Embankment. This bus stop is suspended during RHS Chelsea Flower Show week.

Travel by tube
Sloane Square tube station (on the District and Circle Lines) is a 10-minute walk from the showground.

Travel by train
London Victoria is the closest train station to the show. For information on rail services, visit the National Rail website.

For more information on how to get to the showground by public transport, go to the Transport for London Journey Planner.

Cycling
Cycle racks are available at Burton's Court Car Park, opposite the London Gate entrance (postcode SW3 4SR).

Parking
Public parking is available in Battersea Park and must be pre-booked with your tickets. Battersea Park is located outside the Transport for London congestion zone and is approximately a 20-minute walk from the show.

Alternatively, a park & ride service is available, the cost of which is included in the parking charge; buses, including a mobility bus, operate at frequent intervals between Battersea Park and the showground’s Bull Ring Gate entrance.

Sat nav
If you're parking at Battersea Park and using a sat nav, please use the postcode SW11 4BY. This will take you straight to the Rosary Gate entrance.

River services
You can arrive by river with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers to Cadogan Pier or Battersea Power Station. The RB6 route serves both piers but weekdays only during morning and afternoon peak times. Battersea Power Station can be reached seven days a week with the RB1, RB2 or RB6.

The pier is approximately a 15-minute walk from the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Coach parking
Coach parking is available at Battersea Park:

Battersea Park
London
SW11 4NJ

A permit is required to drop off coach passengers. Please email Chelsea Coaches to arrange this.

It's no wonder community gardening is having a boost in popularity – a chance to get outdoors, work as a team, and make local spaces more pleasant to be in is bound to lift the spirits, particularly after the turmoil of the last few years.

But growing things as a collective isn't a new idea. The 'potato patch plan', for instance, started up during the recession of the 1890s in Detroit, US. In response to the rise of unemployment, poverty, and inevitable hunger, the then-major Hazen Pingree turned unused areas of land in the city into places to cultivate crops. Seeds, tools, and instructions were provided, and people came together to grow. The success of the program spurred on similar initiatives around the country.

When the economy improved, the interest in the movement faded. Fast forward a few years to the early 1900s, however, and the act of gardening together had a resurgence in light of war-induced food shortages. Tending to such 'War Gardens', otherwise known as 'Victory Gardens', was deemed patriotic – and not only did it help to provide food for communities, it also boosted a sense of morale during the difficult times. Such gardens continued to flourish throughout World War II and a huge 'digging for victory' initiative boomed in the UK.

Nowadays, community gardening is having another, perhaps quieter, but persistent revival. Just a bit of online research will likely bring up all sorts of collectives in your local area – from group allotments to volunteer-led projects for greening up disused urban spaces. The pique in interest isn't overly surprising: for many, Covid-19 has led to much more solitary, screen-based lives than before. The chance to get active, breathe fresh air, and connect with others can be a welcome tonic. After all, now more than ever we have realized the benefits of gardening for mental health.

Community gardening in the modern day

The RHS is a big advocate for community gardening. And, their annual Britain in Bloom competition, which they have run since 2002, is perhaps one of their most well-known, long-standing efforts of encouragement. Communities all over the UK enter, having worked hard to clean up and green up their towns, cities, and villages in order to win a highly-esteemed medal. You may have heard of their 'It's Your Neighbourhood' campaign, too – a similar but non-competitive program that encourages people to come together to create and tend to green spaces.

Steve Brook is the Chairman of Bath in Bloom, who organizes the city's annual application to Britain in Bloom. He explains how there are tons of volunteer-based community gardening initiatives happening all over the World Heritage Site. Projects include the likes of planting more trees, creating beautiful flower beds and container gardening displays along streets, litter picking, and larger-scale work tending to land acquired from the council. All sorts of people and groups get involved, including local schools.

'From a well-being point of view, gardening of any sort is physically and mentally beneficial,' Steve says. 'But also, people are putting things back into the community. It gives them a sense of purpose and achievement.'

Improving the aesthetics of community areas makes them nicer spaces for everyone to enjoy. Steve explains how, when working on a city-center planting project, passers-by stopped all the time to comment on the work. 'They're pleased because it brings color into their life.' Looking at beautiful flowers on the daily commute to the office, for instance, cheers people up straight away, he adds. Steve also notes how it can be creative – 'that bed was given to us by the council and was a blank canvas, so we could do what we like.'

Of course, greening up city spaces is beneficial to biodiversity, too, Steve adds, especially if you include plenty of plants for pollinators and other wildlife garden ideas.

The RHS Community Wellbeing Grant

In February 2022, the RHS introduced another initiative to encourage growing together – the RHS Community Wellbeing Grant. 11 successful applicant groups were awarded, on average, £9,000 to support their existing gardening projects or create new ones. These included Hackney City Farm, Healthy Minds Calderdale, and Wen (Women's Environmental Network) of Tower Hamlets.

What's more, to celebrate RHS Garden Day 2022 the charity held a competition, where four communities – one each in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales – could win a brand new garden created by a leading designer. 

The winners from England were a community in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, who wanted to transform an unused area in the local park by their community center into a growing space for everyone. They envisioned a place for socializing, swapping skills, and cultivating crops in a kitchen garden for the community cafe and fridge.

Garden designer Arit Anderson will be creating the space for them. She explains how she turned to nature for inspiration for the design, and bees and beehives came to mind. 'They represent interconnectedness, organization, teamwork, and dedication and it's these qualities that Huntingdon demonstrates, and I wanted to incorporate into their garden,' she says.

'Growing food was really important to this community so I've incorporated hexagonal raised beds of different heights for their growing area so that people of varying abilities and ages can work side by side. There are also spaces for lots of people to get together and interact, as well as smaller, more intimate seating areas.’

Natasha Pierson, Coordinator of Huntingdon In Bloom says, 'It means so much to this community to win this garden, designed by Arit. So many different groups use our community center and having a beautiful space outside where different generations can meet and interact in a safe environment will be of huge benefit for mental, physical, and social wellbeing.'

In Wales, Forgeside in Blaenavon has been awarded a community garden designed by Victoria Wade. It aims to provide a vibrant community hub, complete with an outdoor classroom and a public food-growing space. 'Nothing ever happens in our village so we're absolutely buzzing,’ says Geraint Reynolds, Chair of Forgeside Rugby Club. 'It's just surreal. We've felt so cut off over the last few years from the outside world as well as each other and this garden will become the beating heart of the community.'

He explains how many people don't have gardens at home, and there was no community space where people can all get together. What's more, 'There is a big reliance on food banks but now that we can grow fresh food for everyone we couldn't be more grateful.

'The garden really will transform daily life so the news has lifted the whole town – you only have to walk down the street now to see the big smiles on people's faces.'

How to get involved with community gardening

Whether you're a total novice or well-seasoned in garden design, community gardening is for everyone – that's one of the best things about it. It brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to create something beautiful and useful that brings others joy. It instills a sense of place, pride, and belonging, and offers the opportunity to develop new skills. As Cathy Walker, President of the American Community Gardening Association says, 'Through community gardening, we can become anything we would like to become, and our neighborhoods can truly bloom and flourish.' 

You might be surprised at how easy it is to get involved. As most groups have websites, it can be a simple case of a quick online search and an email to get the ball rolling. The RHS has a handy online tool that allows you to search your local area in the UK, while the American Community Gardening Association has something similar that covers the US, Canada, and beyond.

It's natural to feel a little anxious starting something new, particularly with people you don't know. But Steve explains how the best thing to do is turn up and get stuck in, even if you've never gardened before. 'People are always willing to pass on experience and knowledge,' he says. 'People are very friendly and will help you. 

'There is something for everyone to do – no one is at a loss,' he continues. And, you're likely to find similarities with others straight away – you're both there for the same purpose after all. What's more, gardening isn't the only way to get involved, Steve adds – groups are often looking for help with other aspects as well, such as social media and website maintenance.

Of course, you could also start up your own group. The RHS has lots of useful community gardening resources and advice on their website, including how to acquire space, recruit volunteers, and fundraising ideas. The Soil Science Society of America also has plenty of helpful information on how to get started.

As a plant-lover living in a top-floor apartment with no green space (although I can't complain about the view), community gardening certainly seems tempting. And, as the weather warms and the evenings lengthen, I can imagine it's a wonderful way to unwind away from screens. Perhaps it's time I joined in with the efforts to win the next Britain in Bloom award – watch this space!

Choosing the right decking is key to good garden design and if it's done well will add a seamless link between indoor and outdoor living, creating the perfect space for relaxing, alfresco dining and entertaining. 

Every garden needs a stylish and beautiful deck whatever size it is. Decks are ideal for enhancing patios and courtyards as well as larger family gardens. As with any other landscaping feature, the longevity of decking materials has much to do with their quality, as well as being installed correctly. Naturally you will want the best, and to choose something that's built to last. 

Decking boards should also complement the architectural style of your house, adding harmonious continuity to bring together your design smoothly. But with so much on the market how can you be sure you choose a quality product that will last and also fits your design aesthetic? Don't worry, the search is over. Millboard decking offers you all of this, and more...

Choose natural oak-look decking

Innovative and beautiful Millboard decking is designed and developed to have the look of natural timber, while out-performing it in every way. It comes in a range of styles and benefits from detailing that adds an organic wood-grain appearance.

Enhanced Grain Decking replicates the beauty of prime oak. There are lots of designs to choose from, so we've put together a handy list to make it easier to pick one for your space:

• Antique Oak has natural, warm hues that channels attractively aged flooring for an organic feel.
• Coppered Oak helps to create a look reminiscent of high-quality hardwoods such as ipe or teak.
• Golden Oak has the appealing look of newly sawn, natural oak timber, with a light golden hue that retains its stylish appearance over time.
• Smoked Oak is a cool, elegant grey that's ideal for contemporary and coastal settings.
• Limed Oak looks like beautifully sun-drenched timber with a pale, washed appearance which is the perfect complement to outdoor spaces in sunnier locations.
• You can also choose options for a weathered oak-look with Vintage, Driftwood and Embered designs.

Go for a contemporary look

You can also make a dramatic statement with the smooth charred tones of Burnt Cedar, go for a deep, burnt-sienna hue for a tropical look inspired by the timber of the native Australian Eucalyptus tree with Jarrah, or opt for contemporary Brushed Basalt for an authentic painted-wood-look decking board that's great for the transition between indoor-outdoor spaces.

Where to use Millboard decking

Millboard decking is extremely versatile and can be used in practically every outdoor space. Use it to create decks, cladding, boardwalks, bridges, seating, steps, planters – whatever you desire. 

Opt for decking boards that are made to last

Millboard decking is solid, rather than hollow like so many other designs on the market. This makes it strong and means it won't warp, rot or create an environment for insects to thrive in like real timber does.

The unique design reduces weight while maintaining strength. The structural core is a blend of natural minerals bonded in a polymer resin with renewable biopolymers and fibre reinforcement for added strength and durability.

Each length is hand-moulded using specially selected timber masters for an unrivalled organic wood-grain appearance.

Millboard decking is tough and durable too, more resistant to scratches and stains than timber, and designed to better withstand demanding outdoor environments. It's also wood-free and non-porous which, in comparison to timber, means good resistance to algae growth and excellent slip-resistant properties.

Unlike timber, it's a low-maintenance option as no oiling or staining is required.

Order a sample today

If you love these inspirational looks order a sample from Millboard now to get your decking project started. You can choose up to three free samples of Millboard decking or cladding. All sample packs are delivered free of charge with a complimentary Millboard brochure.

For more information

Millboard's helpful guides provide all the information you need to install and maintain your decking, including a handy decking calculator to work out how much you need. You might also like to visit their Outdoor Design Hub which is packed with useful information for landscape professionals and design enthusiasts alike.

For the latest news and updates, follow Millboard on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

A family holiday to Morocco was the starting point for a stunning garden makeover that has seen a drab and uninspiring courtyard turned into a welcoming spot that's perfect for outdoor living. 

'I am an interior stylist, my mom is too and you could say styling is our raison d’être,' says Beth, who lives with her sister Evie, an actor-director, her mother Katie, also a stylist, and Bambi the cat, in a three-bedroom Victorian house in east London in the UK. 'We often like to take city breaks away and a couple of years ago we decided on Marrakesh. It was a feast of colors from the moment we stepped off the plane.' 

They were bowled over by the array of craftsmen selling leather ware, handmade crockery and silver along the narrow streets of the souks (markets). 'I just wanted to buy everything in sight!' says Beth. 'It was so inspiring that when we arrived back home to beautiful weather we decided that we wanted to continue this fantastic journey we had been on and incorporate some of the things we had seen into our own garden design ideas.

The original garden and how it looked before

The courtyard was a decent sized space but one which was in need of a clear layout. As styling runs in the family, the lack of a cohesive style was an issue for Beth and her mom. The stairs of a fire escape are quite an imposing feature in the yard so it was vital that these be incorporated into the overall look.

The fence was in good condition but needed a bit of a clean and tidy to give it a new lease of life to allow it to enhance the space. The outdoor space needed an update but not a complete overhaul, so implementing a few stylish but cheap garden ideas was the order of business.

The plan for the redesign

The brief was a garden design that evoked Beth and Katie's trip to Marrakesh, and one which was varied and had lots of low maintenance garden ideas. Part of figuring out how to plan a garden design involved spending time thinking about which areas of their garden they could fill versus leave empty. 

'We identified four distinct areas and chose a common theme between them,' Beth says. 'Three of them would be different variations of chill out zones and one would be for sit down dining. We chose our Marrakesh-inspired color palette and focussed on the furniture we already had that could be creatively upcycled to fit the theme.'

Drawing on inspiration

Beth took massive inspiration from ‘Le Jardin’, an open-air restaurant nestled in the heart of the souks in a traditional riad in Marrakesh. Based around a central courtyard open to the elements, a riad is the place where families congregate and entertain. 

'What was special about Le Jardin is there were separate spaces styled differently but all coming together as one,' explains Beth. 'You’d turn a corner and there would be another stunning nook. There were emerald green tiles mixed with splashes of gold and tall greenery all in a dining area outside. The overall effect was happy and joyful. So for my own courtyard garden I wanted to bring in the family element, have separate areas and a vibrant aesthetic.'

Budget-friendly additions

'It was important to keep this project on a budget and using what we already had would help keep costs down,' says Beth. The family were going to rely on their own skill sets for the makeover to save money, then try and incorporate as many free garden ideas as possible to make the budget go even further. 

Clever DIY outdoor furniture ideas, such as the dining table made from a cable drum that they'd been given, give the space an original look too. 'It was in keeping with the palettes and fire escape – all being industrial. The natural clash of London urban and vibrant Moroccan style creates a unique look that felt like a holiday at home,' Beth says.

'We dressed up the table with emerald green textiles, gold plates and cutlery, and clashing oversized candlesticks - perfect for sunset cocktails. The simple addition of cushions to our old white metal chairs bought comfort and color to our newly refurbished space.'

Dealing with the fire escape

One of the big hurdles to overcome was how to incorporate the intrusive industrial fire escape that led up to what was quite an inconsequential area and broke up the courtyard with its staircase.

It felt similar to the task of deciding how to use the space underneath the staircase in a house. As with most challenges it creates opportunities. 'Not only did we have two natural and very sturdy points from which to hang the best hammock, but it also felt tucked away and secluded,' says Beth.

'We had created our first chill out area – so comfortable and peaceful. The top of the staircase seemed the perfect spot to create a bijou area for the solitary sitter. By placing a white woven chair there it felt away from the main courtyard garden but with the added pleasure of being able to look down on what we had created and be part of whatever was going on beneath.'

Perfect use of pallets

Next came some clever pallet ideas for gardens. 'I’m particularly proud of this, mainly because of its simplicity and its use of upcycling which is a passion of mine.' says Beth. It’s simply a pallet against a wall which creates a natural low outdoor seating idea. 

Beth bought some wood preserver to sustain the timber and secure the slats for the arrangement of soft furnishings to follow. She used an old sofa cushion the family already had for the base, which was then covered in a tablecloth and piled with carefully chosen scatter cushions. The ivy cascading over from next door’s garden gives shade from the hot sun and enclosed the area for a secluded feel.

On-theme plant choices

Of course plants are one of the most important aspects when planning a garden space. The courtyard is surrounded by fencing and walls from the house so greenery needed to be added. 

Thankfully with the mature ivy growing over the fence from the neighboring house Beth could capitalise on the garden wall plants already growing in the space. 'I’d trained the ivy to weave its way through the struts along the staircase which gave us another layer of green,' says Beth. 'I love how it drapes itself around, cascading over the back ironwork. Our large Red Robin tree came in handy to hang lanterns in and it gives color all year round.' 

Hydrangeas aren’t native to Morocco but grow well in this space in the shade and the white flowers give a neutral backdrop to the vibrant color. They decided to use indoor palms here and there to add height. 'We take them in during the winter months as they wouldn’t survive in the cold weather,' says Beth.

Succulents are naturally the plant of hot, desert climates so were an important choice for Beth. They come in such varied shapes and sizes and they can’t fail to add interest, whether used singularly or bunched together on a table.

Finishing touches

'To complete the look, our personal touches were very important. My mom and I took a lot of the same inspiration from Marrakesh, but there were distinct personal touches that we each individually wanted to incorporate into the finished product,' says Beth.

'For me it was the lanterns. They really make this space special, hanging from trees and trailing up the industrial steps, they create a sanctuary of light as the day turns into night. My mom’s favourite are the garden fence decoration ideas of small-scale mirrors that add interest to the blank backdrop of a fence. They reflect more than the work we had put into the garden but our entire journey from beginning to end.'

'Styling and creating a successful outdoor space is all about layering,' says Beth. 'Different layers of color, experiences, memories, textures and materials all come into play to create the perfect final piece. I was over the moon with the end product. Seeing all our planning, preparations and trials and errors coming into play really is what makes a project worthwhile. When I come outside to my haven with my sister, my mom or friends it’s a space I can truly be proud of, bringing back all types of nostalgic feelings.'

In July 2021 the world was shocked by the tragic events in Germany as unprecedented rainfall caused devastating floods to sweep across the country, as well as parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Now cast your mind back to the bushfires in Australia during the early stages of 2020, where an estimated 3 billion animals were killed or displaced in what was described as 'one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history' by WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman.

Wildfires in California and over parts of the US have also become more frequent over recent years. The World Meteorological Organisation report a staggering 500% increase in area burned annually by wildfires in the US since the 1970s, with over 4.5 million acres burned across the US this year.

With such drastic changes in weather, it stands to reason that if shifts in the natural world are happening on such a large scale, the effects will be being felt at a domestic level too. And perhaps few are more attuned to fluctuations in weather patterns than gardeners. Whether that be a movement towards using drought tolerant plants or drainage solutions to protect your garden from flooding.

'There are many interlinked [environmental] issues impacting all life at the moment; as designers and gardeners we can protect soil, plant trees, avoid poisoning, peat and plastics, and publicise what we know to be the issues,' says leading landscape architect Marian Boswall. 'We are lucky to understand the land because we are close to it, so we can use our knowledge for good.'

She, like many of her peers, are putting themselves at the fore of encouraging people to acclimatize their attitudes to their outdoor spaces. As Marian put it to me, 'Our clients are the land, the flora and fauna and the humans too, everything needs to thrive for us all to survive.'

The big picture and what it means for gardeners

Regardless of your age and where you live you are bound to have noticed a change in your local weather. International garden designer Andrew Duff, who is also Co Chair of an upcoming symposium on the impact of garden and landscape design on the environment, hosted by the Society Of Garden Designers, recalls the distinct changes in seasons he remembers from years past.

'Growing up I remember the distinct changes of the seasons; you could guarantee a hot summer's day or the crispness of winter, but now the weather seems to change several times in the day which makes planning a garden difficult,' he says.

These changes have had a knock-on impact on typical landscape design principles and how landscape designers like Matthew Cunningham approach their work. Matthew, who also teaches a seminar at the Harvard Graduate School of Design called 'Plants and Placemaking: New Ecologies for a Rapidly Changing World', believes that the climate crisis has impacted every single garden design project he has worked on throughout the north east of the United States.  

'The erratic and unstable weather patterns we now experience here in New England the past couple decades, have caused dramatic fluctuations between prolonged periods of drought, and an over-abundance of all forms of precipitation. We receive heavy, wet snow, thick, crusty ice, and multiple inches of torrential rain at a time,' he says. 

'This, combined with wind speeds that frequently exceed limits that even healthy plant materials can withstand, create tremendously difficult circumstances for backyard trees and shrubs to thrive within.

'We see incomprehensible temperature swings from one day to the next, with record-breaking highs and lows in nearly every season,' he continues. 'It should also be said that prolonged periods of warmer temperatures have accelerated the migration of invasive plants and insect species further north, and both our native and domesticated plant communities are being seriously impacted by these constantly mutating pressures.'

Periods of fire and drought are on the up

Jessica Henson, partner at LA based design firm OLIN and published author, has done a great deal of research and work around the topic of climate change in Southern California.

'In LA we have a semi-arid climate with wet winters and dry summers. In recent decades we have seen more droughts and more infrequent rainfall. Overall the climate has become more unpredictable and more unstable. We are experiencing increased intensity of wildfire which also increases the intensity and threat of mudslides,' Jessica explains.

Climate change is impacting Jessica's design from small garden layouts to large, regional plans. 'Increased heat, pollution, and climate instability require considering the ability of a garden or landscape to thrive over time and be resilient to changes,' she says.

'We are also working to think of creative ways to incorporate water features and other traditional garden elements in ways that don't use significant amounts of water and can look beautiful when dry.'

The impact on animals and wildlife in our gardens

Of course, it's not just human beings who are feeling the effects of changes in weather. As UK-based designer Kristina Clode explains: 'Plants are waking up from winter increasingly early each spring as they respond to the warmer temperatures, and insects which feed on the new growth are developing earlier too.'

But some species are finding it hard to keep up with the changes, to troubling effect. 'Birds and mammals are slower to adapt their breeding cycles which have evolved over many years,' says Kristina. 

'One such example is the moth caterpillar which feeds on oak leaves. This used to be in late spring and early summer, which is when the blue tit evolved their breeding time to take advantage of the caterpillar glut, however they are now struggling to find enough caterpillars as their peak is over by the time the chicks have hatched.'

Weathering the storm of climate change

So what strategies are these challenges being met with? For Matthew Cunningham's firm the emphasis is on using native and indigenous plants as much as possible. This is due to the fact that they are best acclimated to survive and thrive in the fluctuating climate conditions we work within. 'They are adaptive, drought tolerant, and typically make better low maintenance flower bed ideas than more domesticated ornamental plant species,' says Matthew. 

'Native and indigenous plant communities at all scales sequester carbon and are most supportive to healthy, site ecologies that embrace biodiversity; they also display incredible multi-seasonal attributes that connect people and place,' he explains.

Appropriate plant choices are also highlighted by Jessica Henson as a buttress to dealing with climate change. 'Given the frequency of drought conditions, we are specifying water-wise plant species with low water needs almost exclusively. We are using moderate water use species very sparingly and rarely using lawn unless programmatically required,' she explains. 

'Even though Los Angeles is semi-arid we find that many desert natives from east of LA are thriving in these conditions with the urban heat island and limited water of the urban areas of Los Angeles. In fact, many of the desert natives of the Mojave Desert don’t mind being irrigated in the summer whereas native plants of Los Angeles are adapted for dry summers and cannot tolerate being watered in the summer,' says Jessica.

It's important that gardeners in this region understand that it's not just about adding water to a struggling plant. 'Many people see a Los Angeles native plant struggling in the summer and add more water, which kills the plant,' says Jessica.

Looking to the future

Matthew Cunningham believes that mentoring the next generation of designers is by far one of the greatest contributions he can make to the profession of landscape architecture.

'I have never believed more in the power of our profession to advance the fight on climate change than I do now, and we must do all we can to attract students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and cultures,' he says. 

'Everything is riding on this. We all have a collective responsibility to practice good ethics and to protect all of the communities and neighborhoods within which we live. We are well-into an all-hands-on-deck situation, and both the present and future requires tremendous innovation and organization in the face of the myriad catastrophic environmental problems we face.

'I believe the power of residential landscape architecture is just beginning to be understood, and I am proud to be playing a role in the shaping of the future of garden design,' he adds. 

Jessica Henson thinks we can expect many more climate adapted canopy trees to be used in streetscapes and gardens in Los Angeles that can tolerate a hotter and more inconsistent and unstable climate scenario. 

'The lush gardens filled with species that are culturally famous in Los Angeles may be less frequent in our communities as we adapt to a dryer, hotter landscape,' says Jessica. 

'Ideally a biodiverse set of native and non-invasive species can be used to create a resilient urban habitat that reduces heat islands, connects wildlife populations for climate migration, and creates beautiful, fulfilling places to live.' 

Kristina Clode believes that the UK could become more like the Mediterranean, with long hot, dry summers and mild wet winters. 'Our native plants will either adapt or die out and in their place will arrive species and plants from Mediterranean gardens and other similar climates which will be escapees from our gardens, brought on the wind or by migrating wildlife, or planted by us in mass plantings when our own native plants begin to fail,' she says.

'Alternatively melting glaciers may cause the Atlantic Gulf Stream to collapse, in which case the opposite could be true and Europe could be plunged into colder temperatures and be increasingly stormy,' she suggests.

It's vital to point out that no one can know for sure what the future holds, all we can do is try to adapt as best we can and mitigate as much as possible. Kristina believes this can be helped by planting a wide range of deciduous and evergreen trees which can cope with a range of temperatures and rainfall to ensure that in 50 years' time we still have mature trees alive in our landscape. 

What we can do as gardeners

It's also down to us as individuals to consider ways in which our gardening habits can help to offset some of these shifts. Kristina Clode suggests how, as gardeners, we can help by increasing biodiversity with the best plants for pollinators, and providing varied habitat for wildlife:

• Embrace mess: 'We can help by being less tidy in our gardens, leaving dead stems and plants for seed heads in place over winter and cutting back instead in spring, then composting the waste to allow hibernating insects to emerge. Leave piles of dead-wood at the back of borders as bug hotel ideas and for toads, slow worms and snakes to live under.'
• Bring in water: 'Build a garden pond and create a bog garden which provide more opportunities for wildlife, valuable drinking and bathing for birds, more varied plant-life and opportunities for amphibians and water based insects.'
• Mow less: 'We can allow our lawns to grow longer by mowing less regularly, and become more diverse by not treating them with selective herbicide, to encourage flowers such as clover, birdsfoot trefoil, daisies and dandelions, or even convert them and plant a wildflower meadow.'
• Ditch chemicals: 'Above all use no pesticides which are one of the chief killers of our insects and wildlife. Allow nature to nurture the wildlife we have and give them the best opportunity to adapt together to the changing world, with less human intervention and control.'

Small changes can make a big difference

I would urge you after you read this article, to step outside and look at your own backyard. Have a look at your plot and ask yourself how if there are ways you could be adapting. Perhaps you are in a long standing battle with your lawn, attempting to keep it lush and green. Does this require a lot of watering? Perhaps the water could be conserved by leaving the lawn to grow longer, or by allowing it to give way to a gravel garden of drought tolerant plants or an annual meadow for pollinators.

Are there areas of mess in your garden which provide habitats and shelter for wildlife? Some of us may favor a manicured look but this doesn't present the most welcoming environment for insects who pollinate our plants and improve the health of our soil. Could you compromise and dedicate a hidden corner to keeping piles of leaves and logs?

What plants are you growing? Could you afford to sow and grow some more bee friendly plants which will provide vital nectar for bees and butterflies. Think about using native species which will thrive without needing pesticides or regular irrigation.

It's easy to feel hopeless when we read articles like this and feel like the fight is too much for us as individuals to face. But as these experts have shown us, we all have our own part to play in the fight to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, and it's clear that as gardeners, we have some important tools at our disposal. No matter the size of your plot or the extent of your knowledge, it could be that the next step you take outside to your garden could be the first step towards positive change. 

By 2024 the use of peat in all forms of compost for non-commercial use will be banned in the UK if the current government plan announced in December 2021 comes to fruition. 

This is right for the environment, as peat bogs are exceptional storers of carbon and we need to drastically cut carbon emissions. The move is supported by many gardeners who rightly care about the environment. However, once they actually start to use peat-free compost, they may be a little less enthusiastic.

For as long as most of us can remember, peat-based multi-purpose compost has been a fairly cheap commodity that you get at the garden centre, DIY store or even the supermarket. The discerning gardener might opt for a quality mix like Westland’s Jack’s Magic, but many are just as happy with a cheaper own-brand option, often sold as a three-bag special deal for about £15 or less. Whether a posh mix or a cheap own-brand, it does the job, everyone knows how to use it and everyone’s happy. This is going to change and it's likely to have an impact on your crops and your pocket.

Why peat free is not a like-for-like replacement

Having bought compost in this way for years, consumers just think of it as bags of ‘dark brown crumbly stuff’ that they use for everything from container gardening ideas and hanging baskets to soil regeneration, but they have never had to think about what is actually in that ‘stuff’ and how its composition needs to be treated to get the best result. 

I think the gardening public currently see ‘peat free’ in a similar way to a ‘brand’ as though it was all one product – rather than the disparate group of products that bear the name peat free but other than that have little relation to each other. 

The description peat free covers a diverse set of recipes, often with different watering and feeding needs. Moreover, producers are promoting their peat-free products as though they are a like-for-like replacement and they are not. I don’t think the public understands what they are buying at all.

There is no set standard for the contents of peat-free compost. It can contain anything from green waste, fibrous coir, wood fibre, bracken or sheep’s wool. Most of these materials have benefits, but none of these alternatives replicate the core beneficial properties of peat: which is even distribution of water and prolonged retention of important nutrients. And all the various recipes need to be treated differently. 

What was once a simple exercise of buying bags of multi-purpose compost is now a complex selection choice that will require trial and error to get the product that is right for you.

Why peat-free compost will cost more

There's no doubt that peat-free compost will cost a lot more. Steve Harper, CEO of peat-free specialist Southern Trident, predicted industry-wide price hikes in a recent issue of Amateur Gardening. He suggested that a 50-litre bag could rise from an average of £6 to as much as £9 in the UK. 

He also explained that coir, one of the most popular peat-free ingredients, is a by-product of the coconut industry, mainly imported from Sri Lanka and it had gone up in price by 20-25% due to increased shipping costs. Wood fibre and bark, other key ingredients, had risen to 20-30% as producers are competing for resources with the construction industry. 

Also, in the UK, another popular peat-free ingredient, green waste, has been in short supply due to local councils suspending domestic green-bin collections due to the shortage of lorry drivers. 

The extra expense isn’t just about the cost of the bag you buy. Another reason peat free will cost more is the need to add a lot more plant food for fertilizing plants throughout the growing process. Some producers suggest more than double the plant food and in some cases it will need to be the producer’s own-brand product – which won’t be cheap. 

Lack of clear guidance on how to use peat-free compost

When it comes to actually using peat-free compost in their pots, garden borders and flower beds, I think the consumer will have an unexpected challenge. I think many will just use peat free in the same manner they did peat-based products and not be aware that watering and plant-food regimes need to be different (depending on each brand recipe). But unfortunately this is not very well explained on the packaging. 

I have pointed out to several of the producers that none of the packaging on peat-free compost explains how the user should treat their product in relation to how they previously used peat. A representative of one of the key players in the market, whose product I had used and failed with, confessed that this was the case. 

Another, Catherine Dawson of Sylva Grow said: 'The editor [of Amateur Gardening] is right — what we don’t say is that if you are used to using peat compost, here’s what you need to know about ours.' 

This is quite an admission when you consider that this should be the most important thing to tell the consumer. And if they weren’t using peat before, what were they using! One market-leading brand’s packaging is chock-full of catchy slogans and mysterious funky-sounding trademarked formula names, but no clear advice. 

Perhaps the most extraordinary answer to why no clear advice is given comes from Neil Bragg of the Growing Media Association, who explained that the omission of this content was probably due to lack of space on the packaging. Does he know how large a 70-litre bag is? Surely how to use the contents of these completely new recipes in relation to how the consumer previously used peat must be the first thing to put on the bag? 

My own experience with peat-free compost

In 2021 I conducted my own test of peat-free compost by growing vegetables in pots. I opted for potatoes and had six containers using peat-free and six in multi-purpose peat compost. A couple of weeks into the test I noted that while the peat compost was holding its water, the peat-free compost was dry at the top. Later I discovered it was drenched with water at the bottom of the container. 

Clearly it does not hold water in a uniform manner. This means the nutrients will drop to the bottom of the bag with the water. At the end of the test I only managed about half the crop of potatoes in peat-free compost that I got in the peat compost. 

Dr Anton Rosenfeld, Knowledge Transfer Officer at charity Garden Organic, said peat alternatives such as coir, composted bark, wood fibre and green waste composts behave differently. 'Plants in peat free tend to need feeding sooner,' he explains. 'Peat composts contain controlled-release fertilizer, but organic peat-frees may need feeding after three weeks, although it varies from brand to brand. Green-waste compost contains a lot of nutrients, but they are released more slowly, especially nitrogen, so they may need an initial boost of feed.'

What Amateur Gardening readers say about peat-free compost

When I asked the Amateur Gardening readers to tell me their experiences of using peat free the responses were not very positive. 

One reader, Simon Landers said: 'The results have been very disappointing. It seems as if the peat-free compost requires more water and certainly much more feed and from an earlier time.' 

Brian Harden said: 'What a disappointment it has turned out to be. Plants and tomatoes in the greenhouse have struggled to survive or just died off despite extra watering and feeding.' 

Their feelings are summed up by Kathleen Drever who opined: 'I can only say that if it doesn’t get any better than this, I will probably not bother growing my own any more. I am all in favour of peat-free, but it needs to be much better than this.' 

Part of my failure and probably theirs was down to us treating peat-free compost as though it were peat. Also, the lack of clear instructions on the packaging and the producer’s over-enthusiastic claims of their products being straight replacements gave users a false confidence about ease of use and non-specific details on watering and feed regimes.

However, not all perspectives are negative. The Gardens Group chain of garden centres in southern England said its in-house nurseries have been using a peat-free compost for over two years, successfully producing hanging baskets, patio plants, bedding and bulbs. Asked how this was achieved, managing director Mike Burks said: 'Different watering and feeding regimes needed to be learnt. This was carried out by very close monitoring – and some trial and error!'

My peat-free compost key findings

• No peat-free multi-purpose compost currently replicates the water distribution and nutrient-holding properties of peat compost. 
• There is no set recipe for peat-free compost – every producer has their own unique mix of ingredients that need to be treated differently.
• There is no guarantee of consistency of content with many peat-free brands because producers have problems sourcing consistent volumes of materials. That is one of the reasons they are shy about declaring the exact mix of contents on the bag. Also, the bags are produced a year in advance to save money – another reason to be coy.
• Some peat-free compost contains green waste, which is consumer garden waste bought from local councils. This material may contain weeds, micro-plastics and fungal diseases. However, councils state that high temperatures during processing kill off microbes, weeds and diseases, and screening removes remaining contaminants.
• Some peat-free products contain coir – which has to be shipped across the world from Sri Lanka and therefore may not be the right choice for those who are keen to create a sustainable garden and want to avoid options with environmentally bad footprints.
• No producer currently explains on the bag how the consumer needs to use their material compared to how they used peat.
• Retailers need to give clearer information at point of sale, so consumers better understand what they are buying and how it needs to be used.
• Peat-free compost will cost significantly more than the cheap peat-based compost gardeners were used to buying. Gardeners will also have to invest in buying more plant food to make up for peat-free’s current inability to hold on to nutrients.
• Basket and container plants in peat-free compost will have to be fed more often because peat free does not have the nutrient-storing properties of peat.
• There is no current peat-free seed compost that is the equal of peat for growing vegetables or flowers from seeds.
• Producers are working hard and spending vast amounts of money to develop better peat-free products.

What's next for peat free?

I don’t believe that the peat-free composts currently available are a true like-for-like replacement for multi-purpose peat compost for the general gardening public. I think some of the compost producers have over-sold their products as direct replacements – and they are not. I also think they have to work harder to educate consumers on how to effectively use their products. 

Producers also need to work hand-in-hand with retailers to create clear point-of-sale information to properly inform consumers and to help them understand that they need to treat peat-free compost differently to how they used peat compost in the past. 

The big producers in the market have invested millions of pounds into development and research, and they know they must get it right — there is no room for bad product. Once peat is banned, if crops habitually fail, people will cut back on gardening and the producers will sell less product. I know from talking to producers that there is a lot of work being done on creating new feed and water-retaining agents that could make a big difference. We still have about two years before we have to make the change. 

So where does this leave the gardener who just wants to be able to enjoy growing plants as before in their flower beds, pots and kitchen gardens, but using the current peat-free multi-purpose? First, forget about the idea of buying cheap – it will be a complete waste of time and you will lose crops. Cheap compost and the days of three bags of good brown crumbly stuff for £15 are gone and are unlikely to return. 

As a case in point, Amateur Gardening tested five lesser-known brands of peat-free sourced from B&Q and Lidl – where one would expect a bargain – and the results were very poor. One brand, Grandiol peat-free multi-purpose from Lidl scored 0! Our horticultural expert Steve Bradley said: 'This sample was poor. It contained a lot of black sticks almost like charcoal, plus smaller fibrous pieces. When the pots were watered the compost slumped!' 

So buyer beware. You need to pay the extra, choose a top brand, get to know it and understand how to make it work – then stick with it. Buy in large batches too as you currently cannot guarantee consistency in the mix of contents.

Steve Bradley will be testing all the current main brands in the late spring of 2022 for Amateur Gardening and we will endeavour to make sure readers are properly informed about the best performing products so they can make the right choice for their own gardens. A case of watch this space.

A Warsaw-based garden designer has transformed her tired balcony into a retro sanctuary that mirrors the vibrancy of the surrounding neighborhood. 

Agata Rochowska-Hławka had picked up a trove of balcony garden ideas through her position in the industry – but there was no better place to experiment with them than in her home. The result is a multi-hued space that combines stylish statements from the 60s with modern garden trends in a celebration of the colorful Ursynów district.

If you have a similar small garden, urban balcony, or window box, you can mirror the balcony's style in your own mini makeover. Here, Agata from Projektant Zieleni shares more about the design process. 

Retro balcony makeover – before 

Agata explains that she handled the majority of the work alongside her husband, who is a DIY enthusiast. 'We wanted to mix contemporary trends with 60/70s vintage feel that would fit our neighborhood,' she explains. 

The designer focused the process around retro furniture, including a stool by Polish wicker master Wladyslaw Wolkowski. 

The couple found the chair in a dumpster near their apartment and decided to make it the focal point of their new space. They also collected iron decorative dog figures from their friend's summer cabin and picked up rusty farm feeders for their succulents.

Retro balcony makeover – during 

The couple made their furniture and lamellas in their small workshop – including a storage bench made from birch plywood and painted with wood glaze. 'For the lamellas, we used Siberian larch also painted with wood glaze,' Agata says. 

To complement the furnishings, Agata played with container gardening ideas to settle on the tones that best accentuated the space. She used Hydrangea paniculata, Salvia nemorosa, and Senecio 'Angel Wings', amongst other colorful blooms, to truly bring the area to life.  

Retro balcony makeover – after 

What was once a dated balcony is now an inspiring space – whose style will endure through the seasons. She paired her Fragresia robusta 'Formidable' with a Sedum and Sempervivum mix before adding light fixtures for when night falls over the capital city. 

Finally, Agata introduced soft accents with a patterned throw and rusty-hued pillows that further emphasize the retro theme. 

The makeover has just reset the bar for small garden ideas – and we're wholly inspired.

It's crucial not to overlook the deeper benefits of a garden. And by that, I'm talking about the wonders they can do for our mental health. 

We often talk about the hottest new garden trends – be it à la mode fence colors or furniture – or how to design functional, family-friendly spaces for firing up the BBQ. Of course, all of this allows us to elevate our lifestyles and channel our sense of style into our surroundings. But, our gardens can also be a place that nourishes our well-being, which is particularly important in light of the last two years.

As we all know, the pandemic has taken a huge toll on the nation. Loved ones have been tragically lost, long stretches of isolation have been endured, opinions and beliefs have been divided. Inevitably, it has affected many of us: research from mental health charity Mind reveals two in three adults say their mental health has worsened since the first national lockdown. But, Mind also discovered that getting outdoors is the most popular way to cope with the ongoing strain, with three-quarters of adults and young people acknowledging the advantages.

It's not just amid a global pandemic that fresh air has helped to heal. The benefits of the great outdoors have been recognized by many medical and therapeutic professionals, as well as people suffering from all sorts of physical and mental ailments, however severe they may be. As a result, charities and communities that focus on horticulture and well-being are becoming more widespread.

Why is gardening good for our well-being?

Dr. Sue Stuart-Smith, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, recently wrote an award-winning book – 'The Well Gardened Mind', published by William Collins – which analyzes the relationship between gardening and mental health.

Sue reveals that, while researching her book, she interviewed people from mental health gardening projects – prisoners, veterans, and at-risk youth, as well as people suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction. 'They spoke of gardening as a life-changing and in some cases, life-saving experience. Hearing their testimonies was deeply moving,' she says.

'The great power of gardening is the way that it answers to the emotional, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of life. The earthy physicality of gardening can be an antidote to looking at a screen, which many of us are doing more than ever these days, and there is also good evidence for the anti-stress effects of green nature on us.'

Dr. Olivia Chapple is the co-founder of Horatio's Garden, a charity that creates and nurtures beautiful sensory garden spaces in NHS spinal injury centers. She explains how she has personally found a sense of calm, distraction, and hope in nature throughout the pandemic. 

'The natural world reassures us in times of stress and it's so important that we ensure that people facing very difficult times have access to well-cared-for outdoor environments,' she says.

'There is robust evidence which irrefutably demonstrates that being in gardens can enhance all aspects of well-being. The sights, sounds, and scents of a garden can reduce blood pressure, improve serotonin levels, and reduce cortisol and the need for pain relief. It is a proven, powerful tonic.'

On a psychological level, research shows that gardening can help alleviate depression and anxiety, as explains Sue. 'I find that gardening forces me to slow down, and I like the feeling of being part of something much larger than myself,' she says.

'Tending plants puts us in touch with the cycle of life through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal,' Sue continues. 'This means that deep existential processes can be involved in caring for a garden and many people say that it's helped them work through experiences of trauma and loss.'

The process of growing inspires hope and the sense of looking forward – something that Thrive, a gardening-for-health charity, recognizes as integral to mental well-being. Plus, producing vegetables and fruit or learning how to grow flowers from seed gives people a sense of achievement and pride, which boosts self-esteem and confidence.

But, Sue also acknowledges how gardening can be an interactive activity, too. Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind, agrees, saying how spending time in nature can help us connect to each other.

He explains how ecotherapy – a type of treatment that involves doing activities in nature – can help people make new friends and feel more involved within their local communities. 'Ecotherapy or nature-based activities may be particularly helpful for people who are socially isolated or who don't feel comfortable attending other forms of talking therapy,' he explains.

Kathryn Rossiter, CEO of Thrive, says, 'Gardening gives us the perfect environment to connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give – the five ways to well-being which are cited by the NHS as important paths to mental health.' It's no wonder that gardening has been described as a 'green pill'.

Who gardening can help

This year, Mind will host a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Funded by Project Giving Back and designed by eight-time RHS Chelsea gold medal winner Andy Sturgeon, The Mind Garden will encourage all-important conversations about mental health, highlighting the importance of reaching out and seeking support.

In the lead-up to his garden design, Andy met with Mind volunteers who shared their experiences of mental health problems and how gardening and the outdoors have helped them.

Faris is just one example of someone who has found gardening beneficial to his mental well-being. He battles with strong suicidal tendencies and, at times, debilitating depression and PTSD. But, alongside the help from his support system, he has also found solace in tending to his indoor garden.

'I moved to a new apartment almost a year ago and received a few houseplants as a present. I've been looking after them every day since,' he says. 'Gardening helped my mental health unexpectedly. I was going through a bad time and didn't care for my mini bonsai tree. All the leaves fell out, and it appeared to be dead.

'I was really upset and felt really guilty,' continues Faris. But, 'I still had some hope for it, so I gave it some water. I couldn't bear to throw it away. 

'Three days later, a new bright green leaf appeared, and I was overjoyed. Now the plant is back to life. The simple process of caring for a living thing makes you feel responsible for its well-being. So, even if I'm having a terrible week, I get myself out of bed and water those plants. Before I know it, I see the life in them, and how the sun dances between their leaves, and I feel glad I'm alive.'

Gardening helps Sarah, too, who participates in one of Thrive's therapeutic horticulture programs – of which nearly 300 people took part last year. Sarah had suffered a severe panic attack that led to her not leaving her home for several years.

She attributes horticultural therapy with healing and helping restore her confidence. 'I feel transformed having been here,' she says, explaining how it's helped her ability to communicate with people and to express herself.

'I feel very safe and cared for. Everybody is so nice, gentle, and understanding,' she says.

Gardening for illness and injury

Getting outdoors can also be hugely beneficial for those with illness or injury, particularly when accessible garden design is taken into consideration. 

Take Shan, for instance, who has MS and uses a wheelchair. To stem the progression of his MS, he joined a Thrive Birmingham Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) program which has helped his limb movement, stamina, and overall outlook. Seeing the difference, his consultant now encourages him to do more gardening.

Gardening is now a strong motivator, getting him up and moving: 'It gets me out of the house,' Shan says. 'It has given me a sense of purpose and structure in my life.'

Curtis also benefited from the effects of gardening on both his mental and physical health. He was involved in an industrial accident that left him paralyzed. After arriving at London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, he soon began to visit Horatio's Garden London & South East daily to see the greenhouse, watch the birds, enjoy the fresh air, and relax. 'The garden has its own healing power. It makes you feel better in yourself,' he says.

Not only that, but one-on-one gardening sessions with Head Gardener Ashley led to an improvement in his dexterity, allowing him to hold small tools and sow seeds. 'I find it therapeutic,' Curtis says. 'Each little movement has helped my hands to remember how to work, particularly positioning my palm in a certain way to plant seeds. It's helped me to get back the movements I thought I'd lost.'

How can you improve your well-being with gardening?

Anyone can get involved with gardening to improve their well-being. It doesn't have to be anything grand or overwhelming – even small steps can have a big impact.

Stephen Buckley from Mind explains a few things you can try:

• Start small. Even small amounts of time in nature can boost our mood. Try spending five minutes paying attention to nature. You can do this outdoors or in your home.
• Grow or pick your own food. We've rounded up some of the easiest vegetables to grow in our guide which are ideal for getting started with. If you don't have access to a garden, you could plant salad leaves or herbs in a window box or plant pot.
• Do what works for you. Try different nature activities to find things you enjoy and that you can fit into your daily life. Try not to worry if something does not work for you.
• Find a gardening community. Apply to share an allotment, or look for community gardens or food growing projects in your local area. If you’re based in the UK, see the National Allotment Society, Social Farms & Gardens, or your local council's website for more information.
• Do things you find relaxing. You might like to sit under a tree, look at the stars or do art activities in natural spaces.
• Find a way to fit your budget. If you are worried about the costs of gardening, look for free swaps or giveaways. For example, you might be able to swap spare seeds with other gardeners at a seed-swap event. Or you could try upcycling old pots, jars, or other household items into plant containers. Our cheap garden ideas have plenty of inspiration to help you get started.

If you are new to gardening or want to deepen your knowledge, Thrive can also help. Their website has step-by-step gardening guides which also detail the health and well-being benefits of activities, as well as instructions on how to do them and what materials and tools might be useful. You can also sign up to their Gardening Club, which offers fortnightly free tips. And, for people with a disability or health challenge, Thrive's Carry on Gardening website has a wealth of information, tips, and resources.

How can you access nature if you don't own a garden?

'It can be hard to know where to find nature,' says Stephen from Mind. 'Many of us do not have a garden. And those of us who live in cities or towns may not live near a park or green space.'

Here are some of his suggestions for you to consider:

• Look for local green spaces. Your local council may have information about parks or nature reserves near you. You can find your local park on the Gov.uk website. Or you could use a walking app to find nearby walks.
• Bring nature indoors. If going outside isn't possible or feels difficult at the moment, you could invest in some of the best indoor plants, or try growing seeds on windowsills. The simple act of nurturing a living thing and watching it grow can give us a sense of achievement.
• Look for nature wherever you are. Nature is everywhere, even in busy towns and cities. Walk around your local area or look out of your window and take notice of trees, birds, insects, the sky, or the weather.
• Connect to others. Your local Mind group may be able to provide details of local projects or ways to connect to nature in your area, including organized groups so that you can meet other people. Or, you may be able to find walking clubs or nature groups through social media or community centers.
• Look for accessible green spaces or activities. In the UK, The Wildlife Trusts have information on accessible nature reserves, while The National Trust and The Outdoor Guide have information on accessible walks. Euan's Guide has disabled access reviews for places across the UK, including parks and green spaces.

Hopefully, these tips will come in handy next time you feel like you need a boost. And the best part is, fresh air is free.

Personally, there is nothing I enjoy more than noticing the signs of the seasons – be it spring flowers, autumn leaves, or the fresh smell of mowed grass on a summer's breeze. In a busy, screen-dominated society where we often spread ourselves too thinly, spending a bit more time pausing and reconnecting with nature is something I believe we can all benefit from. 

This year, I will certainly be aiming to spend more time outdoors, and I urge you to do the same. You may be surprised at what a mental shift it can create.

Leila and Alex, company directors, have transformed their 50 by 80 foot walled garden into a delightful place to relax, sit and entertain. The aspect is south facing and so the garden gets plenty of sun.

Leila’s space is only a short step through an old gateway into the walled garden, but it seems far away from the outside world. It’s a calm space where bright sunshine filters through a canopy of bronze and green foliage, highlighting an array of spring flowers. 'It was the garden that sold me the house,’ says Leila. Dating from the sixteenth century, the house has been extended over the centuries, and the garden seen many changes. ‘Old houses feel very different to new ones, and their gardens have a special mood,’ she notes.

When the couple first moved in, the garden was well cared for and very traditional, with a framework of mature plants such as the magnolia, a purple-leaved ornamental cherry and wisteria. But overall, the garden design ideas needed a refresh. ‘The first thing I did was to completely change it around, getting rid of the greenhouse and compost heap,’ she explains. ‘It is a small garden, and I have a conservatory where I can sow seeds – I love seeing what's coming up each day.’

The plan for the garden makeover

Originally the view from the house was of a greenhouse, compost heap and wooden gazebo on the raised, westerly corner, so the space needed to be completely re-organised to create an open outlook as seen from indoors.

Once the greenhouse and compost heap were removed, Leila looked at how to plan the garden design. The gazebo was relocated to the top of the steps, not only creating an alluring view from the house, but also providing a place to sit deep within the garden and enjoy seeing beds and garden borders develop.

Having relocated her gazebo to a raised area, the lower step leading down to the lawn was replaced with a round millstone, and box balls established to each side. The circular shape of the step was then echoed in a patio built from granite setts, where there is now a table and chairs. ‘Friends often ask whether I drew a plan, but I never did,' says Leila. 'I'm very relaxed about the garden, and am quite likely to wake up in the morning, and decide to do something there and then.'

Experimenting with planting

The garden has developed in stages, and along the way Leila readily admits to making mistakes, moving some plants successfully, whilst losing others. ‘I didn't set out to become a gardener,’ she points out. ‘I just love plants, so I've learned through trial and error, and am never afraid to try again when something doesn't work out.’ 

Each year, she has a project, and a couple of years ago she tried out a trellis idea on top of the walls to filter the wind because it can be surprisingly windy in the northerly corner. ‘It hasn't worked though!’

Creating a statement path

More recently, she tried out her own pebble garden path idea, and it was a great success. ‘Originally, there was a pathway, but it wasn't delineated, and I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted. So, instead of paying a builder, I built it myself,’ she explains. 'Informal paths tend to curve, enticingly leading the eye towards a focal point or hidden area of the garden.'

First, Laila cleared the ground and laid a weedproof membrane, before arranging the pebbles on top. 'It's really important to eradicate all persistent weeds such as dandelions, and lay a weedproof membrane over levelled ground,' she says. 

'It's also a good idea to choose materials which meld with the planting and harmonize with architecture – obtain samples of pebbles in different colorings and sizes, to lay side-by-side with existing materials.'

Next, on each side she planted a box hedge. ‘At the moment, the plants are little more than twigs and look a bit pathetic, but they will fill out in time.’ Doing the work herself was a great cheap garden idea, costing a lot less than hiring a landscaper.

The path is gradually being softened by plants such as self-seeding forget-me-nots and honesty which, once past their best, she pulls out, scattering the seeds for next year. Welsh poppies also return annually, settling anywhere, whether in sun or shade. ‘I absolutely love the little yellow flowers and for years, I put plug plants in different spots, until some finally took. Now they seed in places where I wouldn't think of putting them.’

Spring blooms to add seasonal color

Most of Leila’s favorite things in her garden are spring flowering plants. There's wisteria, which she has grown in all her previous gardens, and each autumn she plants lots of different types of tulips which are followed by peonies and bearded irises. 

‘This is not a big garden, but the borders are quite wide and take some filling,’ she explains. So initially, she bought lots of undemanding, vigorous ground cover plants such as hardy geraniums, Japanese anemones and aquilegias. ‘They self-seed and create a lovely haze of nodding heads in spring.’

Coping with the south-facing heat

As this is a south-facing garden, the plot bakes at the height of summer. ‘The automatic irrigation system was installed for this reason,’ explains Leila. The soil has been enriched for many years, but a layer of chalk lies not far beneath the surface, and Leila wonders whether the loss of several acers in the early years is because the roots found it difficult to establish. 

‘Initially, I bought mature plants in huge pots, but after the losses, I started buying smaller plants. Now that I'm more patient, I'm enjoying seeing them grow, and shape them over the years,’ she adds.

Choosing trees for natural shade

The garden’s plentiful dappled shade and leafy canopy comes from Leila’s love of trees and preference for shade rather than sun. ‘And also for the joy of seeing the sun filtering through the leaves, and the light playing on the lawn,’ she adds. 

Her favorite tree is by the seating area, an unusual, upright Japanese maple, Acer palmatum Dissectum 'Seiryu', which has bright green foliage in spring, turning gold and red in autumn. Another beautiful acer, which is one of the best trees to grow in pots, thrives in a container near the house.

Leila has also planted a golden-leaved, false acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia', which has grown seven metres in a decade, casting shade over a border where summer’s heat was quickly killing off plants. 

More recently, she planted a slower-growing pink acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia 'Hillieri'. The elderly magnolia has long lived in the garden, and originally had lots of low, spreading branches that took up too much space. ‘I agonised about pruning it, but finally took out a branch a year to create a more upright shape, and it is thriving,’ she says.

With her trial and error approach, Leila has successfully created a stunning outdoor space that can be enjoyed in all seasons. 

A couple has built their own DIY garden shelter for hanging out outdoors. Perfect for some alfresco dining this festive period, it's kitted out with the Aldi Kamado BBQ, a pizza oven, and some shelving for keeping glasses and drinks to hand.

So, if you've been considering some outdoor kitchen ideas to your own plot, be inspired by their cozy pergola.

DIY garden shelter

'We bought the kit to build the shelter from Jackson’s Fencing, and then built it ourselves,' Sarah tells us. The DIYer, gardener and interiors enthusiast shares photos of her home and garden on Instagram account @swallows_in_the_window.

She says that they made it out of a set of five fence panels (two for the back, one for the side, and two for the roof). Once the DIY garden shelter was up, Sarah built the kitchen units with the leftover pallets that the shelter arrived on. 

She also used some decking and pine paneling to tidy it up. Having built it in September, Sarah and her husband are determined to use it in all seasons. They're also hoping to cook gammon here in their outdoor kitchen on Christmas Day.

Before

'It’s all painted in Cuprinol Urban Slate,' Sarah adds. This sophisticated dark gray color ties in with their existing outdoor furniture.

They have added some outdoor string light ideas and candles to make the shelter look extra inviting. The outdoor rug and soft furnishings add a sense of comfort and softness.

Previously, the space was just an empty area of paving, and we think the outdoor structure really makes the most of it. It's perfectly located a few steps from the back of the house, making it more enticing in the winter than if it were right down the bottom of the backyard.

After

The DIY garden shelter definitely lends itself to entertaining, with the pizza oven and BBQ positioned next to the outdoor dining table and chairs. If you're tight on space, you could try some outdoor bar ideas for evening soirées instead.

With the addition of a couple of outdoor heaters or a fire pit, you'd have a very cozy outdoor space for an outdoor Christmas dinner. Over the last year, we've spotted lots of creative outdoor kitchens, with people wanting to make the most of the great outdoors.

If you're thinking of making one in your backyard, you could even add a screen for extra privacy and protection from the elements.

Jilyane Rickards lives with her partner and their three children in a Victorian mid terrace house in north London. As only the third occupants of the property in its history, the garden was largely untouched with a patch of concrete by the house, central lawn with stepping stones and a large grapevine down the right side.  

The challenge was to create a beautiful and hardworking family-friendly garden, that also provided peace, privacy and a beautiful outlook. The family wanted a practical space that everyone could enjoy with space to kick a ball, eat outside with friends and seek a quiet to relax and read. Storage was also an issue that required a creative approach to their garden design ideas.

The original garden and how it looked before

‘Neglected, small and shady were the first impressions of our garden,’ says garden designer Jilayne Rickards. ‘And I knew some clever thinking and careful planning was needed if it was going to work for us. 

'With a patch of paving just outside the house, a small, central sunny patch of lawn and a shady top area, overshadowed by a mature Horse Chestnut tree, the layout was hardly inspiring. Measuring just 20ft (6m) wide by 55ft (17m) long it was going to be a challenge to include everything we needed, plus there was also a mature grapevine stretching down the right boundary along with collapsed fences that had to go.'

The plan for the redesign

Drawing up a wishlist is always a good starting point when thinking about how to plan your garden design. High on Jilayne’s family's list was a place to eat outside, a lawn and wall to kick balls against, and a quiet, secluded spot for reading. 

Necessities such as storage, ample seating and garden privacy were also on there, along with creating a beautiful space that looked good year-round. Not an easy task, but by drawing it out and being inventive with multi-tasking features they soon had a plan of action.

Introducing hard landscaping elements

It took six weeks for the hard landscaping ideas to be completed and everything had to come through the house. Mud, brick and paving was all brought through by the contractors, and the floors had to be continually cleaned before the children returned from school. 

A low retaining wall and flight of four steps were built, just beyond the paved area, to make sense of the plot’s 120cm change in level. This then leads on to a small section of lawn – occupying the only sunny spot – before opening out into a paved seating area at the top of the garden.

'We tucked a shed into the top left-hand corner of the garden and disguised it with trellis and climbers,' says Jilyane. 'Next to the house, wooden seats were built with lift up lids for extra storage, while the stone capped retaining wall also provides a useful perching spot if there are lots of guests.'

Choosing plants for shade

Choosing shade loving plants that provide year-round interest was a must. ‘It’s so important in a small space to choose plants that offer more than one season of interest and selecting these is often the trickiest part of the process,’ says Jilayne. ‘As there’s little flower power with shade lovers, we were left with mainly foliage plants to play with. I experimented with some dramatic combinations, concentrating on contrasting shapes, form and texture. Autumn foliage offers some show stealing colors, so exploring and using these in both garden borders and pots was a must.’

Acers always thrive in urban gardens, as they are pretty sheltered spaces and work well with surrounding buildings. They also add elegant winter structure, have stunning shoots in spring before their leaves turn to vivid autumn shades. For this reason, Jilayne included quite a few in the garden and teamed them with sculptural Buxus spheres, airy, evergreen grasses and vivid ferns. Other star performers include black stemmed bamboo, Pittosporum and the deep purple Cotinus, with its beautifully rounded leaves.

Improving the soil quality

Besides the plot’s shady aspect, the soil – good old London clay – needed lots of attention before being fit for planting. Across the site, Jilayne dug down a spades depth and added tonnes of horse manure to break up and improve the soil. She then implemented her planting plan, adding in structural, evergreen planting in November before following on with herbaceous plants the following spring. 

Adding a thick layer of compost, once or twice a year and following the no dig gardening method has really helped to keep the soil workable and healthy.

Adding privacy and seclusion

As an urban garden, surrounded by houses, creating a sense of seclusion was always going to be a priority for Jilayne. ‘I really wanted the top section of the garden to be a leafy retreat that I could go to for a quiet read and sense of peace.’ A large Horse Chestnut tree, just beyond the fence already provided some garden screening and shade, but there was still more to do. 

Adding tall trellis panels to the garden fences and planting up with climbers such as Virginia creeper and clematis helped to soften the boundaries, while adding a metal arch at the entrance to this seating area created a more enclosed feel as well as providing extra privacy from the house. This was planted with fast growing but stunning Akebia Quinata – the Chocolate Vine. ‘I love its unusual plum-coloured blooms in spring and the fact that the bright green leaves are semi-evergreen,' says Jilayne. 

When it came to creating privacy nearer the house – and the eating area – Jilayne chose a row of black stemmed bamboo - Phyllostachys Nigra. ‘Although known for its creeping habit, I knew it would work here as the bed was fully contained and would safely limit the roots,' she says. 'Tall, elegant and arching, it provides a gently rustling, living screen and I decided to remove the lower branches and expose the black stems for added drama and interest.’

Finishing touches

Clever layering and creating planting opportunities are an important element of any small garden ideas. Jilayne likes to remove the lower branches of shrubs, to lift the crown and underplant with ground cover plants such as heucheras and hardy geraniums, to add extra texture and interest. Planting spring and summer flowering bulbs – such as narcissus, alliums and camassia is another great way to make the most of the space. 

Containers planted with ferns and acers and topped with pebbles are ideal for adding shape and form to paved areas, helping to soften hard lines and add in color and interest.

The range of plants has turned this uninspiring plot into a space which changes with each season, with enough interest to look good all year. The finished project is a secluded space in the heart of the city which the whole family love.

Michelle Dawson lives with husband Nick, and their five children in a five-bedroom detached Edwardian house in London. They moved here in October 2018, and the garden was the last area to be renovated.

'We bought this house as a big renovation project,’ says Michelle, ‘We had plans to extend and completely transform the interior, so the garden was way down our list of priorities. We knew we wouldn’t be tackling it properly for ages, but we also couldn’t just leave it as it was. 

The couple wanted a characterful space with lots of clever garden design ideas including a roomy eating area, well-planned storage for bikes, easy-to-care-for planting and hard-wearing play space. 

‘Within a week of moving in, we’d demolished and cleared away the old garage and laid some rough turf, so the children had somewhere to play outside. That turned out to be a really useful move, as the grass very quickly became mud, and we could see that the ground was just too damp for a real lawn. Over the next 18 months, the space gradually turned into a builder’s yard, piled with scaffolding poles, machinery and building materials as our renovation progressed, but that didn’t stop us from planning the garden transformation.'

The original garden and how it looked before

When the couple moved in the garden was little more than a concrete yard, with no planting to speak of apart from a few pots. 

It was definitely a tricky space, as not only was it quite a small strip, but it was also an irregular shape. To add to this the ground sloped down slightly from the house, and there was an imposingly-high brick wall between the family and the neighboring property.

The plan for the garden makeover

The couple browsed Pinterest and magazines for small garden ideas, and they eventually decided on creating two distinct zones. 'One would be a paved patio where we could all eat and relax together, and the other would be for the children to run around and play,' says Michelle. 

'I think the best way to get the most out of a small area is to pack a lot in, and make it all really useable,' she adds. 'We wanted the garden to feel like another room in our house, so it had to be fun and visually pleasing as well as super-practical and designed to work for our family.'

Having already seen how disastrous a proper lawn could be, the couple realised that using alternatives to grass was the only sensible option for the play area, so they opted for artificial turf. Over several months, Nick drew up the plan in detail, making sure there was something interesting to look at from every angle. 

Laying the groundwork

Once happy with the design, the first stage involved working out the levels for the sloping garden. The eating zone is on the patio, which is reached by two steps down from the house. There’s another small step down from there onto the play area, which then slopes almost unnoticeably towards the back gates. 

'It was quite complicated to get it all correct and we measured, checked and measured again to be sure. After that, our builder laid the patio. It was essential to get it perfect so that rainwater doesn’t pool, and Nick and I were happy to leave that job to the experts.'

The couple also had professional help with fitting the artificial grass. 'It sits on layers of hardcore, topped with sand, so water drains away, and it’s been really firmly fixed-down around the edges. After a lot of research we felt it would be worth the expense to get the best-quality artificial grass we could find. It looks and feels realistic, plus it’s robust and low-maintenance.'

A big proportion of the budget went on labor, but it was money well-spent, as the couple knew the garden would get a lot of use, and they didn’t want problems to arise months down the line. 

Practical and stylish storage

One of the ‘must-haves’ was user-friendly garden storage ideas for recycling boxes, and the family bikes. 'I didn’t want a conventional shed or anything too functional-looking, so we came up with designs for two brick structures that anchor the space at one end. '

There are racks inside the taller one so bikes and scooters can all be hung tidily. They laid sedum matting on the flat tops of the stores to create green roofs which add texture and soften the brickwork. The tops are slightly angled, so that water naturally drips off the upper one onto the lower one, and then down into a drain at ground level.

Creating an outdoor room

The family wanted to create that all-important outdoor room feel in the dining and seating zone, so they hit on the idea of incorporating an outdoor fireplace. It was originally in the front room of the house, but was no longer needed so it had been sitting outside for a while. 

Nick designed the brick chimneypiece around it, making it look like an interior feature. 'We love color and there are lots of green tones indoors, so we painted the surround bright emerald green. It makes another link with the house and just adds a bit of fun.'

The shutter mirrors were put up afterwards, just to complete the look, and reflect a bit more light. The final touch was the solar-powered festoon light ideas. The tall boundary wall came into its own at that point, as they could be positioned really high up above the seating so they look very effective at night. 

Greening up with planting

'I love having leafy plants inside my home, so when it came to the garden, I followed a similar pattern,' says Michelle. 'As it’s a small space, I wanted plants with texture and impact, and varieties that would look good all year round with minimal attention. Our choices were partly inspired by holidays in France or Spain, so we’ve got some palms and dwarf olive trees that lend a Mediterranean feel.'

Opting for container gardening ideas gives the couple the flexibility to move things around sometimes. It does limit the size of some plants, but that hasn’t been an issue for the couple, and having only a few beds to weed is the ideal trade-off. 

'The whole project took us about two months and we’re really happy with how it’s turned out. I love that the children can run in and out as much as they like without bringing masses of mud and mess indoors. At meal times, they’ll help carry the plates outside to the table and it’s just like having another dining area. We wanted our garden to be about maximum enjoyment with minimal maintenance through the year, and that’s what we’ve got.'

Antony, a garden designer, and his partner Christopher, have filled their 18x14m garden with palms and exotic plants in a dynamic range of colors that peak in late summer.

When this couple first went hunting for a new home, their approach was somewhat different to the norm. It wasn't the interior that mattered most but the outside space. They asked to see the exterior before anything else, much to their amusement.  

'We found the 1880s detached house 15 years ago down a quiet west London street. We nearly didn’t view it because the online plan wrongly showed the garden as north-facing, when in fact it faces south.'

The plot turned out to be both an ideal size and not overlooked, a rare find in an urban environment. It was when the couple saw that their garden backed onto allotments that they decided to make it their home.

In the decade since they moved in, they have included lots of inspiring garden design ideas to create a tropical oasis with a strong framework of yuccas, bamboos, cannas, olives and cacti. The giant torch cactus is a major talking point amongst the collection of pots on the tiled terrace.

The original garden

Standing on the balcony outside their living room, at the top of an iron staircase that leads down to the garden, it is hard to imagine the original garden. Back then, the view was of an untidy rectangle of grass with a straight, tiled path leading from front to back, ending by a diseased plum and old cherry tree. 

At the very back, the level dropped away to a gate that opens out onto an alley leading to the allotment entrance. The 10ft drop from the house to the back fence needed working into any new design.

The plan for the makeover

Addressing the heavy clay soil was top of the to-do list. It was prone to water-logging, making it unsuitable for growing certain plants. As the couple are fans of tropical garden ideas, they were keen to create an exotic look by planting lots of palms. As palms are one of those plants that require good drainage and hate soggy damp soil, they needed to improve the soil. So it was supplemented with around 15 huge bales of topsoil, as well as many bags of grit to further improve drainage ready for planting.

The 10ft fall from the house to the back fence would be addressed with a sloping garden path that brings the planting to eye level before arriving at an area for outdoor eating and cooking.

Based on careful measurements, and bird's eye photographs taken of the entire plot from an upstairs window, various designs were drawn up before Antony and Christopher settled on a sunken, S-shaped path to create the feeling of a journey from the house to the outdoor living area.

Tackling the sloping site

With a fall of three metres from the patio to the end fence, they decided to create a sloping path, rather than have steps at the far end. This allows you to walk down the sloping garden with most planting raised up closer to eye level, rather than at floor level. 

They then began excavating the soil but, the deeper they dug, it became clear that the path would need retaining walls. Reclaimed London stock bricks, which have an aged appearance, were used for the new garden walls to ensure they were in keeping with the surrounding houses and boundary walls.

A builder constructed the walls, as well as fixing a band of trellis to the top of the side boundary walls. This creates more privacy, but without either blocking or stealing light from neighbors. They also installed a contemporary wooden screen two-thirds of the way down the plot as a clever garden divider idea, separating the entertainment area from the rest of the space. 

Adding a circular lawn

They decided on circular-shaped lawn ideas in the end after trying out several alternatives. The first involved cutting the existing lawn into a kidney-shape, before replacing it with a circular shape. A circle allows the eye to keep moving, fooling it into thinking the dimensions are greater. This worked so well, that the idea was carried over into the redesigned garden, containing it within a low brick wall.

Mowing the circular lawn proved difficult because the edges always looked unkempt, so it was replaced with artificial grass which has the advantage of being ideal for their lively terrier, Obi. 

It helps minimise the upkeep, along with an automatic irrigation system that leaves only the pots needing watering with a hose. Most work comes in early spring with the sowing and rearing of young plants. 

Creating a space for entertaining

Near the top of the wishlist for the new garden was an intimate area for entertaining, with permanent outdoor seating ideas, a good barbecue and practical cooking area. They also wanted a cabin which, whilst providing a focal point to glimpse through the planting, also stores bikes and garden furniture. 

Planting trees for permanent structure

The couple opted for a number of the best tropical plants in their plot. These include a mix of evergreen palms, ranging from the smaller Blue Fan Palm to a Jelly Palm, and Chusan palm that has settled in so happily that it almost brushes the bedroom window upstairs. Beneath that, woven through the permanent planting, is a tapestry of late-flowering perennials and annuals. 

Creating a bright planting palette 

The garden color scheme is full of tropical brights, using different varieties of zinnias, rudbeckias and verbenas blended amongst clumps of tall orange Mexican sunflowers that the bees love. The plants are all insect-friendly.

Plenty of their plants are grown from seed in a greenhouse on the adjoining allotment, which also has nursery beds for cultivating wallflowers, or propagating plants from cuttings. 

The allotment was one of the key factors for the couple in choosing to live here because it allows them to grow everything themselves, such as flowers and lots of vegetables. It's away from the garden, but still within close reach.

This is a garden that is really lived in, enjoyed, and shared with friends and family. Yes, it was a lot of hard work, but the entire design and work has been a joint effort throughout for the couple. Now it's a source of huge pleasure to them both.

If you love entertaining in your garden there’s no need to stop just because summer’s over. It could be time for an upgrade though to bring things up to scratch for year-round socialising.

Whether it’s celebrating the new season with a full-on barbecued roast or your own fireworks party, or simply star gazing while snuggled under blankets with a warming mug of hot chocolate while toasting marshmallows over a fire pit, there are lots of ways to continue enjoying your garden right round to next summer.

But with so much out there how do you choose the best buys? If you want the latest expert info and looks for barbecues, fire pits, chimineas, spas, lighting and furniture to keep you warm and toasty throughout autumn and winter LOFA (Leisure & Outdoor Furniture Association) can point you in the right direction. They represent the best brands in the outdoor living industry so really know a thing or two about what to choose for your outdoor space. What’s more, you’ll find all the info you need in one handy place.

You can access 70 companies through LOFA, and their products are widely available in garden centres and specialist stores across the UK and Ireland. They also work in partnership with Planet First to reduce their carbon footprint, something we all care about. What's not to like?

There are plenty of fun and exciting ways you can give your garden an upgrade this season and fully embrace autumn outdoor living with family and friends. 

Get fired up

Setting up an enclosed seating area around a fire pit, log burning brazier, chiminea or modern outdoor fireplace is a tried and tested way of ramping up the cosy factor.

It creates a natural gathering place. After all, who doesn’t love the atmospheric pop and crackle of a good fire. As well as warmth the fire will add extra light and can be used for seasonal treats such as toasting marshmallows and chestnuts or warming mulled cider.

Add a warming glow

A good selection of lighting adds that all-important glow at dusk and creates a welcoming ambience for when you're entertaining outdoors. 

The evening garden needs lots of lights to get the right effect. For the best results add layers of lighting at different heights, starting with low level recessed uplighters and battery powered lanterns to light paths and steps, as well as make porches welcoming. 

Then add tealights in glass jars and hurricane lights at table height, finishing with wall-hung lights and festoon lighting looped through the branches of shrubs and pergolas to add extra sparkle.

Comfort is key

Upgrade your furniture with some armchair style seating that’s comfortable, weather resistant and durable for cosy cocooning. 

Try synthetic resin styles as they can be left outside and there’s a huge choice of sofas and armchairs to pick from, which usually come with deep cushions for added comfort. There are also table options with integrated fire pits. 

Furniture with a powder-coated aluminium frame is another good choice as it’s rustproof. Cocoon style egg chairs are super snug for chilly evenings, especially if you add a furry fleece or two. 

All furniture supplied by LOFA members is safe, durable and well-built without sacrificing comfort or style. The collection offers something for all budgets too.

Get cooking

Just because there’s a chill in the air doesn’t mean your alfresco cooking options are over for another year. An autumn or winter roast in the garden is just the thing for celebrating the season in style with a friends and family gathering. 

Now's your chance to elevate your craft with one of the latest grills with set-it and forget-it options so you can enjoy socialising while your food cooks away. Pizza ovens are another option to consider for fast and professional results. 

Create an all-weather outdoor dining area for enjoying the food by adding a pergola and plenty of patio heaters. With the right lighting and accessories your alfresco dining space will feel cosy and intimate, perfect for hosting friends. 

LOFA can help you find the best designs for outdoor cooking as well as the must-have accessories to go with them. 

Embrace Scandi-style hot tubbing

The sky is dark, the stars are out, the air is crisp, and you are one step away from pure steamy bliss. It may be chilly outside but winter is a wonderful time to use a luxe hot tub as practiced by the Scandinavians. We don’t expect you to jump in the snow afterwards though. 

There’s no place like your own spa to soothe away the troubles of the day, relax with family and friends, or raise a glass of fizz to celebrate special occasions like Christmas and New Year. Why not add festoons of fairy lights to your gazebo, a floating spa bar with drinks and snacks, and big fluffy bathrobes for wrapping up warm in afterwards.

For the latest news and updates, follow LOFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

No expense was spared when a couple from the Isle of Wight completed this striking Mediterranean-inspired outdoor kitchen renovation. 

When Laura and Jamie Currie bought their home in 2020, they inherited a traditional garden with a pond and a rockery. However, the traditional features didn't match the family's plans to use the space for relaxing and entertaining. 

To create a space that the whole family could use Laura and Jamie decided to brainstorm outdoor kitchen ideas to create the ultimate outdoor dining space.

'I’m not particularly green-fingered,' confesses Laura. 'I couldn’t even tell you what plants were in the rockery. To me, it was just a bit of a waste of space.'

'We’ve got two teenage daughters who love having their friends round. So being able to have an outdoor kitchen area with a BBQ and pizza oven was ideal for us as we spend a lot of time out there.'

Before

Laura and Jamie settled on a Mediterranean-inspired space, opting for smart landscaping ideas that required minimal maintenance. When settling on the outdoor kitchen layout, the couple decided to build the whole thing around one of the best pizza ovens they could find, a lovely Fuego pizza oven.

'The pizza oven was an integral part of the plan,' explains Laura. 'We found the pizza oven quite early on. It was handmade in Spain and shipped over. So the kitchen was almost built around the pizza oven as such, to go with it.'

After a brick base had been built for the pizza oven, it had to be lifted into the garden with a crane. 'We had to get a specialist crane company to actually lift the pizza oven into the garden for us,' explains Laura.

With the pizza oven in place the couple turned their attention to the remaining details, including the flooring and fencing. For the paving, Laura and Jamie took the risky decision to invest in the last batch of some antique bricks from a local supplier.

'We spent a long time trying to find the right flooring to put in there. The antique brick was pretty expensive but it is a real feature,' says Laura. 'They were the last lot of a batch, so luckily we just had enough to finish it, as we wouldn’t have been able to get anymore.'

To complement the rustic look of the brick flooring, the couple chose a timber cladding garden fence to surround the kitchen using Western Canadian Cedar. They used the same wood on the cupboard doors to tie the space together and save a little money. 

'The bits of the cupboards are actually the offcuts of the fence,' explains Laura. 'It was quite expensive and we didn’t want to waste any of it.'

The fence proved to be a true labor of love as Laura and Jamie had to spend hours oiling each individual bit of wood by hand to protect them against the elements.

After

To finish the space the couple added in a smart barbecue from Buff Barbecues, an outdoor wine and beer fridge from blastcooland clever modular garden furniture from Moda Furnishings. They also included an outdoor sink, complete with a hot and cold tap, which Laura says has been one of the best parts of the outdoor kitchen.

'It is so handy to have one in the outdoor kitchen,' says Laura. 'To have a hot and cold tap is like wow!'

However, Laura and Jamie's favorite feature of the outdoor kitchen renovation remains the pizza oven they built the space around.

'We have a fire pit elsewhere in the garden, but whenever we have people in the garden they always seem to end up gathering around the pizza oven as there is always still some warmth,' says Laura.

The outdoor kitchen renovation cost about £20,000. It took around 10 months to complete due to delays caused by the pandemic, however, the couple used that time to their advantage.

'It gave us time in between each stage to think how exactly we wanted it. So it just evolved as it went. So I think it was just allowing the process to make the decisions,' says Laura. 

You can see more of Laura's garden transformation on her Instagram account @litte_gurnard_pad. This lovely renovation is proof a garden doesn't always need to focus on planting to make a stunning statement. 

Top pizza ovens

Love the idea of adding a pizza oven to your outdoor space, just as Laura and Jamie have done? You can shop all the top buys at the best price in our handy edit below. 

On receiving her first bonus in a new job Caroline Cassell asked a local landscaping company to transform her tiny 11x4m, south-east facing plot in Essex in the south of England. Originally, the garden was terraced into three levels (with a step up to each level), with a path up the middle of the plot that dominated and dictated the layout. 

The house is a semi-detached 1897 cottage situated on a quiet suburban road. 'It was my first house – previously I’d had a flat – and the modest size of the garden really appealed to me,' says Caroline. 'I moved in during the winter and was desperate to start creating a garden straight away. Both my dad and grandad were keen gardeners, so it’s in my DNA, but I knew I needed to wait and I was glad I did because hidden gems began to emerge in the spring.' 

Taking her time allowed Caroline to really think about what garden design ideas she wanted to incorporate into her space to resolve the issue of the uninspiring layout. 

The plan for the makeover

With its central garden path and dull layout, the garden was ready for a complete change. Caroline didn’t see the point of just walking up and down a path. Instead, she wanted places to sit, as well as create views of the garden from different angles.

'I found myself inspired by TV home and garden makeover shows, books and visits to National Garden Scheme gardens, and I started a list of dos and don’ts while also sketching out my ideas. Originally, I worked with 
square shapes, until I realized the benefits of using circles to create an illusion of greater space.

'After 20 months of research and list-making I handed over my design to Edward Stone Supplies & Landscaping and looked on as my plans became reality.' 

Creating the new layout

Keen to include some decking ideas in the redesigned space, Caroline earmarked the end of the garden for a new deck. The landscaper created three level areas, connected by single steps up. Then, working to Caroline’s design, he created the circular deck, and two other circles in the middle to visually link the spaces.

'I wanted a shady deck at the end, with a step down to two almost interlocking stone circles. However, my budget did not stretch to the second stone circle so we simply repeated the circular outline in brick, and filled in the centre with grass. Now, I love to walk barefoot on it or have a picnic.'

Experimenting with planting

'Marking the overlap of the two stone circles are two clipped, small-leaved Japanese holly balls (Ilex crenata ‘Kinme’) in antique-style zinc pots. I originally had box balls, until box moth caterpillar stripped them of leaves, so I’ll never grow it again. Fortunately, Japanese holly is almost indistinguishable from box. 

'I planted clematis to cover the garden walls and fences, starting with the vigorous Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ on the kitchen extension, while the ruffled white flowers of Clematis ‘Arctic Queen’ lighten the narrow side return, and Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’, drips from arches and fences. Not forgetting the roses, with several repeat-flowering varieties bred by David Austin Roses, including Rosa ‘The Lady of the Lake’, a rambling rose with fragrant, blush-pink flowers, and the golden English rose, ‘The Pilgrim’.'

A small wooden shed is tucked away amidst ferns, hostas, tiarellas, hardy geranium 'Johnson's Blue', a maple and redbud 'Forest Pansy'. 

Adding planters for extra color and interest

'It’s not obvious that many plants are actually grown here in garden planters. I realized that I didn’t have to grow everything in the ground, and could add potted plants raised on chimney pots, so as to allow those in the ground sufficient root space and light to thrive. 

'I can also bring plants along in the sun, and then place them in shadier spots as they are flowering. Others wait in the wings, ready to move around at different stages of their growth, and slot in wherever a gap appears. I treat my garden rather like a room indoors where I am forever moving the furniture around for a change.'

Considering nature and wildlife

'I am now very conscious of the need to include plenty of wildlife garden ideas in my space, of organic treatments and, for example, leaving caterpillars on the verbascums to feed the birds. I’ve seen a lot of Comma and Red Admiral butterflies; they lay their eggs on the nettles, which provide food for the caterpillars when they hatch.

'In such a small garden, you can do a lot in just a quarter of an hour – it’s great for pottering. In winter, it largely goes to sleep, awakening to be a joy through the warmer months. My garden has a lovely calming effect and is a wonderful place to come home to.'

As one of the most frequently googled garden renovation projects of the year, a pergola is a brilliant way to maximize your outdoor space. A savvy DIY fan has made their very own pergola from scratch, opening up the sunniest spot in their garden for outdoor get-togethers.

Allison and her husband brought their pergola ideas to life over lockdown, and it's given them a lovely spot to unwind in outside without compromising on comfort. Take a look at her projects @allie_wilson_home.

Before

Things were looking a little different pre-pandemic, but the family has clearly always enjoyed spending time in the great outdoors. 'The pergola was a labor of love through lockdown, which my husband built single-handedly,' Allison tells us. 

The pair hoped to create an area they could really relax in, in the spot where the sun hits the garden in the afternoon. This was previously a completely unused part of the garden (pictured above). 

A whole load of hard graft later and it's a chic hangout for the whole family – including their very cute dog. Although the pergola is a large structure, the whole space now makes so much more sense.

After

There's still plenty of lawn area for the kids to play on, and raised beds for bringing extra color. Pergolas are a great shade idea for gardens for those scorching summer days, as well as providing cover from the rain if needed.

They're also a brilliant option for zoning larger outdoor spaces. When it comes to how to build a pergola, it's relatively straightforward for anyone used to doing a little DIY around the house.

Allison says the cost of the materials to make the pergola came to around £1,000. Then they spent some money finishing it off with the best garden furniture, an outdoor rug and accessories. 

The fresh new wooden fencing goes a long way, and we're big fans of the outdoor mirror, which looks a little like a window, adding a sense of depth and space. Sticking to a geometric pattern and stripes for the soft furnishings has made the space feel very cohesive and restful.

But, most importantly, there's ample seating around the outdoor coffee table, which makes for a really convivial space for enjoying lazy evenings with friends and family. Festoon lights from Amazon similar to those used here are ideal for lighting up your outdoor space come evening. 

As well as helping you see what you're doing out in the garden, festoon lights are also a surefire way to create atmosphere. Allison and her husband's garden now looks totally unrecognizable – we think the weeks of DIY certainly paid off.

Making the most of an awkward side garden can be challenging. It can easily turn into a forgotten concrete thoroughfare running between the house and the main garden. 

However, Jess and Josh Blyth-Mallet have given the unloved space a lovely cottage garden makeover full of clever side garden ideas. The couple documented the transformation on their Instagram account @ourtaylormadehome as part of a total garden makeover.

When the pair first moved into their new home they were met with a dismal sight in the garden. 'It had turned out that the owner of the house had decided not to mow the lawn after we had our offer accepted on the property,' explains Jess.

'What had turned from a tired and slightly disheveled garden, was now a complete jungle.'

The garden had been a big selling point for Jess who spent months leading up to the move researching small garden ideas on Pinterest. Jess knew she wanted to include lots of flowers and plants so decided to fill the new garden with lots of cottage garden-inspired ideas.

However, before any planting could commence the garden needed to be cleared. The grass was cut back, a buddleia whose roots were growing into a drain was taken out and a couple of trees were cut and trimmed to let more light into the space.

Once the couple had their blank canvas to work with they started planning their landscaping ideas. 'I knew that I wanted to have a circular lawn – this way, we could frame the garden and there would be a flow from the cottage garden area to the rear,' explains Jess.

The pair created a circular lawn with space for borders around the edge, including a lavender pathway that would lead from the patio area to the lawn.

'I have always loved lavender and I thought it would be really lovely for the lavender to brush your legs as you walked onto the lawn to release the beautiful smell,' says Jess.

All the planting and patio laying was done by Jess, Josh, and their secret weapon Jess' mum. As a housewarming present, Jess' Mum brought a mountain of plants for the couple to fill the garden with.

'It was a massive surprise and help,' says Jess. 'She went to her local garden center and bought a ridiculous number of plants all in the sale.'

'What should have cost £1,200, my mum managed to spend £400 on plants that nearly kitted out the entire garden.'

Once the main garden was completed Jess and Josh turned their attention to the side of the house. 'The space had become the dumping ground with all the rubbish from the garden and the housework we had done.'

The area was naturally quite shady, so Jess decided to make the most of this turning it into a separate shady seating area. To connect it to the rest of the garden and give it a bit of life she decided to add a raised timber planter.

The couple created a BBQ area to disguise a manhole in the same Cotswold stone they had used in the main garden. To further tie in the side space with the rest of the garden they also painted the fence in the same Cuprinol paint in Natural Stone (£32 at B&Q) used on the main fence panels.

Once the raised planter had been built, Jess and her Mum filled it with shrubs and plants from the local garden center. Thanks to the pair's savvy shopping skills they managed to pick many of them up in the sale for as little as £1.

'It has taken us over three years to get the garden to how I initially planned it. The work took blood, sweat, tears, many bank holiday weekends of hard graft and even a hospital trip! But I would 100% do it again,' says Jess.

'There are still things I want us to do with our little garden, such as changing the slabs for the patio and main pathway. But I am excited to be able to enjoy the space now and start to have friends over in a garden that I can relax in.'

Overall Jess and Josh spent approximately £3,000 creating their dream cottage garden ideas.

To help stretch your budget Jess recommends reusing what you can. 'Paint things such as furniture to give them a new lease of life for a fraction of the cost of buying new. And hit up garden centres just before a heatwave to get some incredible deals on plants!'

Buying a new-build home can have many benefits, not least having a blank canvas to work with, both indoors and out. It offers the perfect opportunity to make your mark on the interior and garden and design the spaces to suit your own needs. 

That's exactly what Charlotte Evans did when she bought a six-bedroom new-build in Oxfordshire, UK, with her husband, two sons and Harvey, their much-loved fox red Labrador.

'Having spent an incredibly long time looking for a traditional property without success, I bought my newly built home in 2018. Initially I transformed the interior and then the garden a year later. The house was built six years ago and is part of a new development, having only had one previous owner.'

The garden was an open space without any real structure. The couple wanted to incorporate lots of different garden design ideas and create areas for relaxing as a family and entertaining with friends.

The original garden and how it looked before

It was almost winter the couple moved in and the garden was in a poor state. 'It felt unloved and in need of some fresh ideas,' says Charlotte, who runs online interiors shop Betty’s Barn Interiors. 'After we had completed the interior decoration of the house, Andrew and I decided it was time to tackle the garden. We thought it was important to plan how we would use the space as a family and take into consideration how the sun moved around the garden, making the most of sunshine and shade at different times of the day.' 

The plan for the garden makeover

'My passion is interior design and I wanted the garden to be an extension of our home. Having spent the previous year refurbishing the interior throughout, I had an image in my mind of how I wanted the garden to look.' says Charlotte.

The soil and lawn was in desperate need of improving before they could start planning a layout for the structural work. The couple ultimately wanted it to become an attractive, relaxing space, filled with their favorite plants which would become focal points around the garden.

'Top of my wish list was to soften the view of the neighbor’s house at the bottom of the garden,' explains Charlotte. The garden wall is very prominent and so needed screening as much as possible with plants to conceal it from sight.

'My idea was to plant a row of bamboo, mainly for their height and without taking too much depth from the garden. I’ve always wanted to use railway sleepers for their rustic look and this was an ideal spot for them. We chose a mix of bamboo and phormium plants to help soften the view from the dining room and kitchen.

'I saw in various magazines and Instagram just how effective it can be to repeat the same variety of plant in groups in garden borders, creating a simple, unfussy style. We bought fairly established plants which were expensive but large enough to make an impact and disguise the wall instantly.

'Overall the garden construction and planting cost around £4,000. We tackled the project in several stages, preparing the ground, constructing and planting, taking us about six months to complete.' 

Designing a dramatic backdrop

'I stained the garden fence panels and newly installed shed in black to create a dramatic backdrop for the overall scheme. The water-based stain was inexpensive, easy to use and gives a matt finish. It’s the perfect backdrop for my furniture and accessories which I sourced from my shop.' 

The ornate garden mirrors add a touch of glam. ‘I love the luxurious feel with gold framed mirrors and lots of comfy cushions,’ says Charlotte.

Continuity with the interior

'I also like the idea of continuity from the house, as I chose an almost black shade for the dining room walls. It started to feel we were getting somewhere with all our efforts as our ideas began to take shape.' 

'As new stock arrives into my shop, I like to style and refresh the look with new cushions and throws, both inside the house and outside.' 

The inside/outside feel is helped with the bi-fold doors. 'It works so well for us – we usually spill out from the house into the garden, chasing the evening sun.' 

Our top tip? Carefully chosen paving ideas can help to enhance that indoor/outdoor feel further. By opting for the same flooring materials for your interior and the patio, you can blur the boundaries between the two spaces. 

Creating multiple seating areas

When selecting the best garden furniture for her space, Charlotte opted for  lightweight designs so it can be effortlessly moved around the garden and stored away with ease. She then found a good selection of stylish, showerproof cushions and outdoor rugs online, which really add to the indoor-outdoor feel.  

'What I really love is using the garden throughout the day, weather permitting. I look forward to a morning coffee sitting outside the dining room and, if I have time later, a quiet read on the swing chair in the shade. Of course, the evening sun on the seating at the top of the garden is such a wonderful treat.'

A spot of DIY in the garden is a great way to save money and upgrade your space. However, on some occasions, it is better to call in the professionals.

This small London garden was given a facelift thanks to clever garden landscaping ideas featuring raised planters and a built-in bench. The design was created by carpenter Nick Spellman The Ealing Carpenter out of sleepers. These large rectangular pieces of timber were traditionally used to lay rail tracks on, but have become a regular feature in many raised garden bed ideas. 

Nick created the planters and seating area for his friend's family garden to help create a defined area for eating and for the kids to play in. The space was originally home to a hammock which they wanted to keep, but give it a more sophisticated backdrop. 

When it comes to small garden ideas it can often be tempting to scale down borders and plants, but it is actually better to go bold with big planting. The raised planters were created with this in mind.

Instead of planting directly along the back wall, they were designed to create two spaces, with the bench running between them. Another planter was installed across the garden for taller plants to slightly hide the area behind and further create the illusion of space.

Tips for laying garden sleepers safely

If you are tempted to try your hand at making your own raised planters out of sleepers, Nick urges caution. 'Sleepers are extremely heavy and require at least two fit people to lift safely,' he explains. 'They’re also exceedingly difficult to cut by hand so it’s worth hiring a chainsaw. Use appropriate PPE and take your time.' 

Nick advises bedding the sleepers on a flatbed of soil, by building up and tampering down where the sleeper is going to lay. He also suggests thinking about what you are going to be putting in them when building the planter.

'When building consider the excessive pressure of what may go into the container you’re building,' he explains. 'Soil, compost, water and plants will add to the outward force of the wall of sleepers and may cause the wall to collapse. Securing the sleepers with brackets and pins will help keep them stable.'

As this planted-up seating area was designed as a family space it is crucial that any splinter potential is kept at bay. Nick's top tip for overcoming this is to smooth the wood down.

'It’s worth smoothing the top and the edges as water ingress will lift the grain and expose splinters over time,' he says. 'Adding oil to the sleepers will protect them and ensure years of splinter free gardening.'

The natural charm of sleepers makes them a wonderful material to use for planters and other rustic garden ideas. However, if you opt to do the project yourself over hiring a carpenter, heed Nick's advice, and take care.

The finished result is a small space that is now bursting with character, thanks to the contrast between the wood and white-washed garden walls. The built-in seating is the perfect space for the family to perch between the planters. However, it still has posts built in to hang the family's favorite white hammock from. 

Simple but clever garden designs don't get much better than this.

The best garden design is one that makes you feel relaxed and happy, and this Malibu inspired garden makeover epitomizes this sentiment. It summons up memories of a holiday in the sun for these lucky homeowners.

'We stayed at the Surfrider Hotel in Malibu a few years ago, and knew we wanted to recreate a bit of that feel in our London garden,' explains Isobel Thomson Cook. The Instagrammer, inspired by the garden design ideas of her holiday getaway, transformed her dull concrete garden into a luxury retreat with a stylish bespoke built-in seating area.

Isobel turned her attention to her garden renovation over the last couple of years, documenting the transformation on her Instagram account @228locationhouse. When Isobel and her partner moved into their home, the garden was covered in patio tiles with brick wall borders.

'We always wanted the garden to be soft, slightly wild, full of flowers and interest. Having lived with it for a while we also knew where the sun went, so wanted to have seating/entertaining spaces that we could enjoy throughout the day,' says Isobel.

Luckily, despite the old patio slabs, the garden also came with some beautiful established trees which formed a great base for the new design. The couple started by lifting up all the patio tiles and stripping the garden back to dust and sand. They worked with garden designer Emily Hillier to plan and create their dream patio area and garden using raised minimalist patio ideas, raised planters and clever built-in seating.

'Given budget constraints, we took on as much of the manual work ourselves as we could (with amazing family and friend support!). This enabled us to cut back the very overgrown garden and dig out the area that would become the main patio and raised planters.'

'We had amazing landscapers to finish the prep work, and do the hard landscaping for the garden such as the raised planters, the patio, steps, and later on, laying the grass.'

'This year we added the seating area at the back of the garden, levelling the space ourselves, to create a sunny spot to enjoy throughout the day.'

The patio's bespoke bench seating that was introduced this year is the star of the show. While DIY-ing can help keep costs down, to create that luxury finish the couple decided to invest in a custom piece designed and created by carpenter Ross Reed. This gorgeous outdoor seating idea is the perfect way to squeeze in extra seating without cluttering the patio.

Overall the project cost around £20,000 to complete. The last two years have been a real crash course in garden renovations for Isobel. If you're currently in the process of renovating a property, Isobel advises against leaving your garden landscaping ideas until last.

'Try to include the garden in your main renovation project - especially if like us, you live in a terraced house,' she says. 'We have taken so many wheelbarrows, garden waste bags, plants, tree branches, soil and more through our house - I really wouldn't advise it!'

'We were able to get alternate access to bring in all the materials for the hard landscaping, otherwise, we would have been in a really sticky situation!'

The final garden result is a sleek and minimalist space, oozing Malibu cool. 

A DIY-savvy couple has transformed their garden into a calming outdoor retreat with relaxing garden features they made themselves.

Stephanie and Will spent lockdown giving their backyard a modern makeover, complete with inviting outdoor living space ideas including a pergola, fire pit table and homemade water feature.

Previously, their garden was decent-sized with a flat lawn, a single paved path and some outdoor furniture tucked in the far corner. The fence was looking a little tired and the whole space certainly wasn't being used to its full potential.

Working out how to plan your garden design is a daunting task but the end result has effectively given this couple an additional room in their home. They replaced the fence and put down fresh new paving, and built a pergola which they bought from Amazon.

Pergola ideas were the number-one most popular garden renovation project of 2021 according to Google search data. In this space it creates a focal point, positioned in a lovely sun-kissed spot.

Stephanie and Will even made their own water feature – see their step by-step-video on Stephanie's IGTV video. Writing on Instagram, Stephanie says, 'When we designed our garden I always knew I wanted a water feature. I love listening to the sound of water and I’m so pleased with how it turned out!'

She says that you can buy water feature kits online but her husband managed to find everything they needed, including using an old iron gate to make the grate. They drilled all the way through three large rocks and dug a hole big enough for a large bucket filled with water.

Next, they threaded a pipe, attached to a pump, through the holes in the rocks.

Keeping things practical, they decided to kit out their garden with a shed for storing away their best lawn mower and other garden essentials.

Painted in Cuprinol's 'Natural Stone' to match the pergola, it has a barn-style door, a trellis up one side and lavender window boxes. It really goes to show that functional garden storage ideas can be incorporated without compromising on looks if we pay attention to details.

The comfy cushioned seating in gray and table featuring a gas fire pit create a convivial set-up for outdoor get-togethers. They've also added an on-trend circular mirror from William Wood to make the space feel larger, plus outdoor lighting ideas, candles and blankets for that living room feel.

In completing the project, they have succeeded in bringing the indoors out, and made a space that's convenient and stylish for making the most of summer. But it's not all outdoor cushions and fencing, as the garden is brought to life with plenty of greenery and plants, too.

They opted for stunning flamingo trees, buxus balls and hebe bushes and have maintained a large area of lawn for their family to play in. 

If you need to update your gardening tool kit, then you've come to the right place. We've scrolled through the best Amazon Prime Day garden tool deals to find the top shopping picks for you.

Whether you need a new pair of secateurs for annual pruning, an updated spade for effortless digging, or a smart set of shears to get your lawn in order – we've got you covered. Fantastic tools at fantastic prices – what's not to love?

And, once you've finished scrolling our garden tool deals, don't forget that we've rounded up even more brilliant bargains in our Amazon Prime Day garden deals feature.

1. A set of secateurs

Whether you've just learnt how to prune roses or how to prune lavender, everyone needs a trusty pair of secateurs.

2. A pair of pretty but practical gardening gloves

Whatever garden job you're doing – from potting and planting to weeding or painting – gardening gloves are a must-have for protecting your hands and providing more grip. 

3. A useful hand trowel

Feeling inspired by our guide to garden borders? These trowels are ideal for helping you freshen up your beds with beautiful blooms, so take your pick from these garden tool deals.

4. Garden shears for every clipping task

Clipping a hedge or the edge of a lawn by hand can be rather therapeutic – and these garden tool deals will ensure you get great results.

5. A trusty garden spade for essential garden tasks

Maybe you've just learnt how to build a garden pond, or are planning on some other DIY action for your landscaping ideas. Either way, you'll definitely need a reliable spade for the job, and we've got some great picks with these garden tool deals.

Looking for more bargains for stylish outdoor living this season? We've also rounded up the best BBQ deals and hot tubs deals for you to peruse.

Spotted: a Kärcher pressure washer at Amazon for less than £100. Yes, you read that right. This is before Amazon Prime Day, too. The Kärcher K2 is now £99, down from £150, at Amazon, so now is your best chance to buy one. Or, to treat your Dad to one ahead of Father's Day. Prime members will get theirs tomorrow.

Why the Kärcher K2? Not only is this Stacey Solomon's favourite pressure washer, and the one she is using to spruce up the outside of Pickle Cottage, but it's also rated a whopping 4.6-stars out of five by more than 1,000 reviewers. Not just that, but this version is smart, so it can connect to an app for you to see valuable tips from Kärcher experts. This app can also help you choose the right pressure for your cleaning task - and adapt it. Use the handy T 150 surface cleaner to remove dirt and give a new lease of life to your patio, terrace or driveway. It's even on wheels and has handles for easy manoeuvring around your garden, and with a 5-metre hose, you'll be able to reach all of those nooks and crannies. You can find out more about the Kärcher K2 below, including what else it can do. Buy the Kärcher K2 pressure washer from Amazon, for the cheap price of £99, now.

See our best pressure washers guide for more top suggestions. 

Buy the Kärcher pressure washer now...

• Head to our dedicated Amazon Prime Day garden deals page

What do reviewers say about this Amazon Kärcher pressure washer?

There are lots of happy reviewers of the Kärcher K2, with comments on Amazon such as 'excellent value pressure washer for light home use', 'small but powerful' and 'Great compact power washer'. 

Several reviewers also noted that it's inexpensive for what it can do, it has the ability to transform an outdoor space and that it's easy to use. There are also lots of comments on its size, and how convenient it is to store thanks to this. It has been called a household power washer several times, meaning it's not too powerful for lighter garden jobs, and it's pretty much all you need to give your garden a refresh a few times a year. Another thing to note: it, apparently, works to clean without splashing you too much – a mega bonus.

The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2021 is making a welcome return to Cheshire’s spectacular 1,000-acre Deer Park. This floral extravaganza will be one of the first major outdoor events to be held in the north-west of England this year, bringing gardeners and plant lovers together to celebrate all things gardening once again.

After last year’s cancellation due to Covid-19, the RHS Tatton Court Flower Show 2021 is back and better than ever. It will be packed full of inspirational ideas and advice for you if you're looking to maximise your own indoor and outdoor growing spaces, following everyone's renewed appreciation of gardens and growing since lockdown. 

The much-loved event will see the return of innovative garden design ideas and fantastic floral displays with thousands of plants available to purchase, family fun and a packed timetable of talks and demonstrations throughout the week. 

It's your first stop for gardening inspiration, says RHS Flower Show Tatton Park Show Manager Gemma Lake: 'We're so excited to return to Tatton Park this summer for a much-needed celebration of colour, love and all things gardening. We have seen a huge increase in people gardening and growing over the last year and so to be able to return to the north west this summer with a show full of inspiration and advice for all gardeners and plant lovers is fantastic.'

This year’s show has a ‘Summer of Love’ theme that's celebrated with a centrepiece Rainbow Pride planting that soars skywards, covered in hundreds of beautiful blooms including rudbeckia, echinacea, achillea, geraniums and crocosmia. 

The show takes place in the spectacular grounds of Tatton Park, an historical estate with a neo-classical mansion and 50 acres of landscaped gardens. It looks like being unmissable.

We've rounded up all the info you need to know about the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2021 below – from what’s on and show highlights to travel info and food options. Book your ticket today!

When is the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2021?

The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show is being held on the 21-25 July 2021. The first day – Wednesday 21st – is for RHS members only. Tickets start at £30.75. 

Thursday to Sunday admittance is open to all. Tickets start at £25.25 for members and £29.75 for non-members. More info can be found on the RHS’s dedicated web page.

For specific opening times, see below:

Wednesday 21st July, RHS members only: 10am – 5pm. 

Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th July, RHS members and non-members: 10am – 5pm (Sunday 25th July - plant sell off starts at 4pm)

Where is the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show located? 

The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show is held in the grounds of the historic National Trust property Tatton Park, a stunning estate with neo-classical mansion, 50 acres of landscaped gardens and Deer Park.

Tatton Park is situated in Knutsford, Cheshire, 16 miles south of Manchester.

The full address is:

Tatton Park
Knutsford
Cheshire
WA16 6QN

RHS Tatton Park Flower Shower 2021: what to expect 

Get inspired by stunning garden designs

If you’re after inspiration for your outdoor space, whether that’s new garden design ideas or planting suggestions for your flowerbed ideas, the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show promises to deliver, encouraging you to look beyond the beautiful gardens and plants on display and make more considered plant choices in your own garden.  

Former RHS Young Designer finalist Anca Panait will return to the show with the RHS Flower Power Garden, highlighting the positive power of plants and their emotional and healing properties, immersing visitors in a celebration of colour and scent.

The RHS is joining forces with the gardening team at Tatton Park with a feature garden by Manchester-based designer Michael McGarr, which takes inspiration from the ecology of the lesser-known areas of Tatton Park, inspiring visitors to look at their own local green spaces and the wealth of biodiversity they attract for inspiration on how to fill their own spaces with wildlife garden ideas.

Five upcoming designers under 30 will go head to head to be crowned this year’s RHS Young Designer of the Year with their thought provoking gardens highlighting issues of sustainable gardens and mental health.  

The ever-popular back-to-back gardens along with the three winning gardens designed by local BBC Radio Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside listeners will provide creative solutions for small garden ideas. The small gardens will be packed full of tips from highlighting how to make gardens more flood resilient to how to create a more sustainable garden. 

Show gardens will also return this year designed by RHS Tatton Park favourite Pip Probert and three debut RHS Tatton Park designers: Peter Lloyd who is creating a garden oasis to escape from the stresses of everyday life, and Robert Hardy and Neil Sutcliffe who are creating Legacy Gardens for leading charities, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK. 

Confirmed gardens for the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2021

Show and feature gardens:

• RHS Flower Power Garden designed by Anna Panait
• Garden with a View designed by Pip Probert
• Breathe Easy designed by Peter Lloyd
• The Cancer Research UK Legacy Garden designed by Neil Sutcliffe
• Macmillan Legacy Garden designed by Rob Hardy

BBC local radio city gardens:

• Island in the Sun designed by Dawn Evans, BBC Radio Manchester
• My City, Our Music designed by Susan Burke, BBC Radio Merseyside
• Bee Happy in the City designed by Denise Reddin, BBC Radio Lancashire

Back to back gardens:

• Full Circle Garden designed by Rachel Bennion
• Crescendo designed by Clive Scott

Young designer exhibitors:

• On Tropic designed by Freddie Stickland 
• It's Okay Not To Be Okay designed by James Smith
• The Dreamscape Garden designed by Ellie Edkins
• The Earth Garden designed by Max Parker-Smith
• Shooting Star Children's Hospice Rehearse Garden designed by Emilie Bausager

Boost your gardening knowledge with workshops and garden advice from the experts

There’s more to the Tatton Park Flower Show than show gardens. There are also live demonstrations, workshops and talks. 

Celebrating the wonderful world of floristry, the Flower School will return with floral creations by local florists and demonstrations from floristry expert Jonathan Moseley. Combining flowers and fashion, the show will also welcome Fleurs de Villes who are bringing their spectacular array of floral couture installations to the show, blending fresh blooms with bespoke floral-dressed mannequins.

A riot of summer colour can be found in the Floral Marquees and Plant Village, with more than 90 of the UK’s finest growers selling a huge selection of award-winning indoor and outdoor plants ranging from air plants, cacti and succulents to summer favourites including chrysanthemums, salvias, gladioli and dahlias.

For those unsure what plants to purchase the new ‘Community Borders’ will be full of imaginative planting combinations to appeal to anyone looking to boost their own garden borders at home.

Stay refreshed with a wide selection of food and drink

A tempting array of refreshments is a must for every great day out, and at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show there is something for everyone. 

You'll find a mix of food courts throughout the show, offering covered and outdoor socially-distanced seating, with a wide variety of food and drink available. All food is sourced from local producers, made from the highest quality ingredients and freshly cooked. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available.

Highlights include freshly made 100% beef burgers, sustainable fish and chips, freshly-baked cakes, baguettes and pastries, and Fairtrade tea or freshly ground barista-made coffee.

And don't miss the treats such as British strawberries, ice cream, Champagne and Pimm's!

Shop stunning buys for your outdoor space

You will be spoiled for choice when it comes to the shopping delights on offer at the show. There's lots to browse in addition to the wonderful selection of plants for your patio gardening ideas.

Choose from a range of plants from everyday favourites to unusual gems. You can also meet the experts who will explain how to care for the plants, with everything from tips on how to grow dahlias to how to prune roses. Choose from over 70 hand-picked growers and nurseries, all selling award-winning stock.

The Country Living Pavilion brings together a hand-picked selection of beautiful and unique products from artisan designers, artists and crafts people from around the UK. 

There is also a tempting array of home accessories, original art, bespoke and handmade jewellery, and stylish fashion. From gardening essentials to delightful home decorations, the hand picked selection offers a fabulous boutique shopping experience. 

Organised by the Guild of Fine Foods, the Great Taste Market gives you the chance to purchase direct from local award winning producers, and take home a range of fine foods, wines and craft spirits from independent artisans.

Finally, the RHS Hub is the one-stop shop for all things plant related. Snap up great gifts for gardeners, as well as once-in-a-lifetime gardening holidays.

Covid-19 safety precautions at the Tatton Park Flower Show 2021

The Tatton Park Flower Show is a large outdoor space that can be enjoyed safely by everyone. However, extra precautionary measures will be in place where necessary, to ensure you have a happy, safe and worry-free experience. 

Everyone visiting the show should familiarise themselves with the latest Government advice before attending.

• If you're feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms associated with Covid-19 you will not be permitted entry to the show
• All key queueing points will be socially distanced.
• Extra parking and park and ride facilities will be available.
• Layouts have been revised to avoid crowd build-up in popular areas.
• Track and trace check-in will be available.
• Transactions will be cashless wherever possible.
• Hand sanitization points will be positioned around the site.
• Cleaning and waste disposal regimes will be enhanced.

How to travel to the Tatton Park Flower Show

Most visitors travel to the show by road or by train. 

Metrolink

Getting to the show from Greater Manchester is easy. Travel by tram from any Metrolink stop to either Altrincham or Manchester Airport, where a free shuttle bus operates to and from the show. 

The shuttle buses depart from Altrincham  Interchange (Stand B) and Manchester Airport (Stand L) every 30 minutes. Visit the Transport for Greater Manchester website to plan your journey.

Shuttle buses

There’s a free shuttle bus from Altrincham and Manchester Airport to the show. 

Train

Trains run between Manchester Piccadilly and Knutsford stations (journey time approximately 40 minutes). Knutsford station is a 10-minute walk from the Knutsford Gate entrance of the Tatton Park estate, and a courtesy bus service operates from the Knutsford Gate to the showground entrance and back. 

For full details on all regional train services (including information for disabled visitors), go to  tfgm.com/ or visit nationalrail.co.uk/

Car

Routes to the show are signposted on all major roads in the area. Due to changes associated with the newly opened A556 your route to the show may be different this year. Please follow the yellow and black show signs and not your satnav to minimise delays entering and exiting the show. 

Please allow adequate time for your journey. The drop-off point for cars and taxis is the Rostherne Gate.
 

Parking

There is ample parking in the grounds of Tatton Park, free of charge. You will be directed to an appropriate car park on arrival. All car parks are open from 8am, and shut one hour after the show closes. Shuttle buses, some with wheelchair access, are available where appropriate to assist in transport from the car parks to the showground entrances.

Limited Premium Parking closer to the show entrance is available for £8, which you can purchase along with your show ticket.

Parking on the roads around the showground is strictly prohibited.

Where do you buy tickets for the Tatton Park Flower Show 2021?

Whether you’re after cottage garden ideas or the latest patio ideas, find all the inspo you need and more at the Tatton Park Flower Show 2021. Tickets are now available to buy online.

Prime Day is right around the corner, and if you are in the market for some brand new outdoor furniture – specifically some Amazon garden furniture – then you couldn't have chosen a better time to shop. We expect lots of outdoor buys to be featured in this sale, including everything from bistro sets to hanging chairs, garden sofas and so much more.

The Gardeningetc Amazon garden furniture edit is just below – shop 10 of our favourite buys with prices from £42.95.

See our best garden furniture guide for more top suggestions, or head to our Amazon Prime Day page for plenty of early deals.

1. 909 OUTDOOR Hanging Chair – £42.45

2. GlamHaus Metal Garden Bench – £149.95

3. IntimaTe WM Heart Outdoor Textoline Furniture – £139.99

4. Stream Garden Furniture Set – £159.99

5. VonHaus Rattan Bistro Set – £159.99

6. bigzzia 4 PCS Garden Furniture set – £195.49

7. Outsunny 5pcs Patio Rattan Wicker Sofa Set – £549.99

8. Outsunny Rattan Garden Furniture Dining Set – £609.99

9. Panana Rattan Furniture Set – £659.99

10. Garden Store Direct Sydney Aluminium Large Corner Lounge Set – £849.95

Toying with the idea of investing in the best outdoor fridge this summer? The knowledge that socialising is best - and more importantly, safest - out in the fresh air this year has encouraged everyone to upgrade their outdoor spaces. 

From new furniture and accessories to refreshed patios and planting, too - everyone is revamping their gardens to ensure they have a stylish and welcoming space to enjoy throughout summer and beyond.

But what about eating and drinking outdoors? There's been been a huge increase in people searching for outdoor kitchen ideas and while a barbecue and a sturdy work surface is essentially all you need to make an alfresco kitchen, why stop there? 

Having the best outdoor fridge will raise the (entertaining) bar, allowing you and your guests to stay put and enjoy each other's company without having to repeatedly nip indoors to grab a top up.

We've gathered a selection of fridges you can use outdoors - from compact mini fridges for fairweather gatherings to the (more expensive) designs that are built to withstand the elements, so you can leave them outdoors, year round. 

Take a look at our picks for the best outdoor fridge, and if you're in the market for an upgrade on your barbecue, check out our best BBQ selection to help you pick the perfect grill.

5 best outdoor fridges - drinks cooling must-haves for any garden gathering 

From temporary table-top party fridges to pro-look all-weather designs, we've chosen our five favourite picks for the best outdoor fridge to guarantee cold drinks all summer long. They're the perfect partner to our outdoor bar ideas too.

1. The grab-and-go outdoor fridge

2. The fully stocked outdoor fridge

3. The portable outdoor fridge

4. The super compact fridge with ice box

5. The pro kitchen outdoor fridge 

Want to know more about outdoor kitchens? Our handy guide on how to design an outdoor kitchen covers the must-haves and the materials you need to use.

A garden makeover or redesign usually means a fair amount of rubble, soil and other waste building up while you work. This might involve taking down sheds, disposing of old topsoil, or digging up patios and paths, all in a tight space. Sacks of garden refuse start to build up which are too heavy to take to the tip, and in the meantime they get in everyone’s way. 

So if you’re looking for a fast, convenient and cost-effective way to dispose of it, get organised with HIPPO. Its range of HIPPOBAGs means there’s always an option that will work for you. And now with the launch of its new app, it's even easier to locate and book what you need.

How the HIPPO app works

This easy option for waste clearance is just the thing for busy DIY enthusiasts and garden designers alike, especially if you prefer to purchase and manage things through your mobile phone (and who doesn’t). 

You can download the new HIPPO app either for immediate use now or for later on in your renovation when you’ll need it most. Designed with speed and convenience in mind, the app allows you to select and purchase the right size of HIPPOBAG required for your project and to easily book a collection just as soon as you’ve finished filling it. 

The app also allows you to store contact information for future reference and to save order details to take away the hassle when you want to check back in. Available to download from your usual app store now, the HIPPO app puts rubbish clearance in the palm of your hand. It’s all about making life easier for you!

The stress-free clearance option

Rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, the innovative HIPPOBAG is available in three sizes (MIDI, MEGA and SKIP). With the new app, the HIPPOBAG service is available at the click of a button, making rubbish clearance stress-free and multiple trips to the local dump a thing of the past. 

Cost-effective and flexible, they come flat-packed so that they don’t take up valuable space until you’re ready to use them. Better still, there’s no waiting in for your HIPPOBAG to be collected, as it can be taken away from your garden without you even having to be there. 

Prices start at £12.49 for the MIDIBAG only or £144.99 for the MIDIBAG with collection. 

For more information, please visit the HIPPO website or call 0333 999 0 999.

And there's more good news

As an eco-conscious waste removal company, HIPPO also ensures that all waste collected is taken to one of over 250 accredited waste transfer stations where more than 95% is diverted from landfill and the remaining is disposed of in a responsible way. HIPPOBAGs are 100% recyclable, making the HIPPOBAG service as eco-friendly as possible too.

Head over to HIPPO's Facebook page for more details. 

Spending your money on new garden furniture? We say head to Dunelm's garden furniture section: it's as stylish as it is budget-friendly. We're talking rattan sets, wicker garden furniture and even items that are made from steel to last in your garden for years to come.

Whether you are looking to spend your money on the best garden furniture around, ready to welcome guests and host a few summer garden parties, or perhaps you have a smaller space so you'd like a bistro set? We've handpicked our favourite Dunelm garden furniture finds below, with everything from a hammock to a swing chair featured, too. Don't miss your chance – lots of Dunelm garden furniture is already sold out.

See our garden furniture deals page for more great offers, from all our favourite shops.

• Click to shop all Dunelm garden furniture

1. This space-savvy and budget-friendly bistro set

This wooden bistro set comprises two chairs and one table – for popping your drinks and snacks on or using to dine alfresco. It's ideal for a balcony or terrace due to its compact size, while it's even better should you be on a budget as it's less than £200. Pop it on top of an outdoor rug and accessorise with some cushions...

Made from eucalyptus wood, the Florenity 2 Seater Grigio Bistro Set requires assembly, but rest assured it's reliable and robust once up. It has a grey finish and each chair has handles for easy moving or carrying Smart, stylish and a bargain!

2. This elegant wooden hammock for chilling in the sun

Pop this hammock up on your perfectly cut lawn and throw yourself onto it, with a book, in the sunshine. The only way to nap in the sun, it's comfortable, sturdy and it can be used by anyone in your family – including the kids. It will also blend in with your garden, and shouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

With a larch wood curved stand, the Wooden Hammock With Arc Stand Cream Canvas needn't be attached to a tree to do its job – place it in the middle of your lawn to make a statement. Wipe the cream hammock clean, when need be, with a damp cloth. It's also height adjustable which will prove handy.

3. This wicker bistro set for boho-style spaces

This comfortable bistro set boasts curved chairs and a rounded glass-topped table, while it comes with plush seat cushions to make it comfortable as well as stylish. It's small enough for a balcony or terrace, while it would look equally as great on a patio or grassed area. It's ideal for boho-style gardens as it looks like bamboo...

This Wicker 2 Seater Bistro Set is made from weather-resistant wicker and steel, to make it sturdy yet stylish. It's recommended that you cover this set while it's not in use, in the winter, to protect it from harsh weather conditions.

4. This beige swing bench for extra seating at family BBQs

Well, this is a total bargain for less than £120 – and it can be used by two to three people at the same time. It even has a roof to protect you from the sun, while it has a cushioned seat that's comfortable for lounging with a book, a Pimm's in hand or even to have a coffee in the sun. It also comes in a stylish grey colour. Pop it on your grass to make a statement, or place it in the corner of your garden to fill an otherwise empty spot.

Yes, the Striped 2 Seater Beige Swing Bench is a steal – and it comes in two stylish colourways. It's made of sturdy steel and waterproof polyester so that you can leave it outdoors year-round.

5. This 4-seater rope set that's a total bargain

This large set can seat four people on one two-seater chair and two armchairs. It also comes with a sturdy table for your drinks and snacks. It's ideal for minimalist gardens that are black or grey in colour, while you can easily accessories this set by adding some cushions and blankets. It would be great placed on decking or grass or even a patio. It might even squeeze onto a balcony! Did we mention it's less than £300?

The lovely and minimalist Elements 4 Seater Black Rope Conversation Set will soon be available to buy from Dunelm, so keep your eyes peeled for it. It's a cheap price considering it seats four (or five at a push) people, while it also comes with a sizeable coffee table. It boasts a black metal structure with plywood armrests and tabletop, and let's not forget about the comfortable fabric cushions.

Searching for some garden wedding decorations to buy? Whether you are getting married in your own garden this year – like Stacey Solomon is – or perhaps it's the outdoor space at your venue you are hoping to decorate? Either way, you'll need some help adding some style to a plain lawn and some boring fencing. This way you'll walk down the aisle, dine in the sun and dance the night away under the stars in a place you love, that's decorated to perfection.

We've been doing some shopping to find the loveliest garden wedding decor buys online, all of which happen to be surprisingly budget-friendly and also very chic. We are talking about everything from a photo backdrop for those all-important Instagram pictures to outdoor lighting for pathways and tables, and even garden games for younger guests. There's some serious inspiration to see below, and you might want to check it out fast before this stuff sells out – it's unsurprising to hear that weddings are booked up more than ever this year, and next...

Check out our backyard wedding ideas page for more inspiration after you've had a browse below.

1. This beautiful faux flower backdrop for photos 

2. Some bottle fairy lights – for lighting up your garden come dark

3. Buy this noughts and crosses set for the kids (and the kidults!)

3. This personalisable neon sign to hang above the top table 

4. These wooden chair signs for the Groom and Bride

5. These very long fairy lights – for wrapping around or hanging from trees

6. These wooden table place card holders that shouldn't blow over in the wind

7. This Polaroid frame for hanging from a tree – or stand – for photos

8. Hang these curtain fairy lights from a pergola for a breathtaking effect

Don't miss:

• Can you get married in your garden? Find out before planning your backyard wedding!

When it comes to barbecues you want to do it in style. Whether it’s a gas, charcoal or wood grill you’re after, you want the very best in terms of durability and construction. Well, here’s the answer: look no further than UK Grills, the official UK home of beautifully designed Arteflame and Aga Evo products. When it comes to grilling, these products look amazing and have unrivalled functionality too.

As they’re weatherproof they will see you right through the year from summer soirées kicking back with a few beers to Scandi-style winter get-togethers toasting marshmallows. Just dust off the snow and fire up the grill, and you’re as good to go in December as July. 

Anyway, if Martha Stewart’s a fan then so are we! Read on to find out more about what's on offer from UK Grills...

What’s so special about Arteflame grills?

These sleek and streamlined grills make preparing and serving delicious food in the garden simple. They’re sure to add a designer touch to your alfresco get-togethers too, providing a stunning focal point for guests to gather around while the food cooks. The distinctive Corten steel adds the weathered on-trend look so loved by garden designers too.

Later in the evening these grills convert easily to fire pits so remain centre stage in the garden long into the night, helping you to create plenty of special memories with family and friends for years to come. So from summer seafood cookouts and bank holiday barbecues to Halloween S’mores and Bonfire Night sausages, all your outdoor cooking needs are covered, as well as helping to make get-togethers special.

Arteflame grills offer so much more

The multi-tasking Arteflame from UK Grills is so much more than a BBQ. It’s so flexible you can use it as a rotisserie, griddle and pizza oven. Then when you’ve finished cooking it can be transformed into a fire pit. 

They’re suitable for outdoor cooking all year round as they’re made from weather-resistant steel so can withstand whatever the elements throw as them. They develop a beautiful patina over time too, that doesn’t require any maintenance. You can also get fitted canvas covers for them if the weather does get wintry. They’re heirloom pieces too as they’re really built to last. 

Just remember: they’re quick to heat up, quick to cook with, and quick to clean.

Cooking made simple with Arteflame grills

The cooker top heats from the centre out, which means higher cooking temperatures closer to the centre so you can cook a variety of different foods simultaneously. You can choose wood or charcoal for cooking with an Arteflame from UK Grills, and both will reach the perfect cooking temperature in no time.

You really can cook anything on them. They grill meat and seafood to absolute perfection and do a mean job on the vegetables and other barbecue sides too. Fancy a cooked breakfast in the garden? You can also rustle up breakfast bacon and eggs and pancakes perfectly.

The Arteflame One Series 30” is a one-of-a-kind grilling experience. The cooktop is made of carbon steel and the base is a high grade of weathered Corten steel. It’s the perfect grill/firepit combo for the garden, as the cooktop is removable from the base if you want to use it as a firepit.

The Arteflame Classic 40” is a high base grill that combines a contemporary look and outstanding functionality. With its tall base and solid steel cooktop, it perfectly combines an outdoor charcoal grill, griddle and fire pit, all in one.

Did you know…

With Arteflame solid steel inserts, you can easily transform your Weber, Big Green Egg or Kamado style BBQ into an Arteflame grill. Grill inserts are direct replacements for your existing grill grate. Simply take out the existing grate, and put your Arteflame insert in and you’re ready to grill!

Try Aga Evo cooktops and tabletops for flexibility

A brilliant addition to any garden, terrace or deck, the heavy gauge stainless steel construction of Aga Evo products gives you strength and rust-free quality.

For those occasions when you want to be able to move your barbecue around (such as to dodge the sun or rain!) the Professional Series Wheeled Cooktop offers you all the flexibility you need. The large flattop grill with 762mm cooking surface gives you unparalleled heat retention and distribution for precise grilling. The inner and outer burner controls command variable temperatures across two circular zones for edge-to-edge even heat. The adjustable vents in the lid let you roast, steam, warm or smoke food.

Perfect for small spaces and grilling on the go, the AGA Professional Series Freestanding Tabletop offers the ultimate standard in outdoor cooking. Whether you’re cooking at home or camping out, this clever cooker offers endless options.

Find out more about UK Grills or follow them on Facebook

Transforming your outdoors into a space to enjoy right through summer has never been more important as we’re using our gardens more than ever for get-togethers. With warmer weather on the way you’ll really want to make the most of your garden as an extra space for entertaining and relaxing. 

If you want to update the look with some new garden furniture, the latest barbecue or some on-trend accessories make sure you’re buying quality pieces that meet safety standards. Now you can avoid hours of online searching (and still not finding what you want!) as help is at hand. Whether you’re looking for garden or conservatory furniture, barbecues, lighting, spas, chimineas or garden accessories, if you let LOFA help you choose you can be sure you're getting the best value for money, as well as having a great selection to choose from.

You can access 70 companies through LOFA, and their products are widely available in garden centres and specialist stores across the UK and Ireland. They also work in partnership with Planet First to reduce their carbon footprint, something we all care about.

Upgrade your garden furniture

When it comes to garden and conservatory furniture it’s often confusing as there’s a huge selection to choose from. Rattan is trending in online searches at the moment but you might be tempted by aluminium, weave, wood or recycled options. How do you find out what’s best for you? 

For stylish high-end designs combined with expert knowledge, the best value and the safest products on the market turn to LOFA. All furniture supplied by LOFA members is safe, durable and well-built without sacrificing comfort or style. The collection offers something for all budgets too.

Choose the best barbecue

Who doesn’t love cooking outdoors? Getting the barbecue out signals the start of summer like nothing else. But perhaps yours is no longer up to the job so it could be time to invest in a new one. 

Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just the two of you LOFA can help you find a barbecue to suit your individual grilling needs. From the latest gas, hybrid and charcoal versions to the must-have accessories to go with them, LOFA members manufacture and supply the best barbecues, so whatever you’re looking for they can help.

For the latest news and updates, follow LOFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

The grow your own trend is more popular than ever. If you’re already a convert with an established plot you’ll know nothing beats the satisfaction of eating homegrown food. It might be that the ‘look’ of your patch could do with a little work though to turn it into something altogether more pleasing. 

Or perhaps you’re keen to try grow your own but not sure how to style it up to fit into your space for those polished ‘look what I grew’ Instagram moments. But either way, if you want to add some stylish touches to help your plants in all their growing endeavours you’re in the right place.

The trick is to accessorise with elegant wirework obelisks, cages and cloches that segue beautifully into your growing space and add an ornamental touch, while being sturdy and practical at the same time. Choose supports that are made to last with a solid steel construction that’s rust resistant and harnesses the latest technology yet at the same time complements the classic kitchen garden look. 

The Elegance Range by Agriframes lets you theme your garden accessories to create a cohesive look. The Sage Green and vintage finishes blend seamlessly into planting, whatever your garden style.

What’s the secret of success in a kitchen garden?

The trick is to grow small amounts of different crops that offer big rewards, particularly if space is tight. 

Choose vegetables that look good as well as being easy to grow, then give them a helping hand with the right supports and protective netting so they reach their full potential. Biodegradable jute netting can also be composted at the end of the growing season to tick the all-important eco-friendly garden box.

What can you grow in a kitchen garden?

Graceful bean and pea hoops (they even have finials!) help super-sweet peas and dwarf varieties of beans romp away, while the runner bean tower adds a pleasing architectural note to the vegetable patch that’s a million miles away from the bamboo cane look. 

Crop cages and hooped cloches are the perfect growing environment for dark leafy greens like chard, spinach and cavolo nero, and will keep them safe from being nibbled by birds, especially if used together with netting. 

Protect cut and come again salad leaves like lambs lettuce and rocket and oriental greens such as mizuna and mustard greens with pretty bell cloches for a rustic garden touch. It’s time to get growing!

Follow Agriframes on Facebook for the latest news and updates

An eco-friendly garden is top of everyone’s wish list. A few simple changes can make a big difference to your garden’s impact on the environment. But while it’s easy to plant for the bees, ditch chemicals and make your own compost, the sustainable credentials of hard landscaping often get overlooked.

If you’re planning a hard landscaping project such as a new patio or driveway it’s important to think about the eco credentials from the get-go. Choose a product from the new ECO range by garden hard landscaping manufacturer Bradstone and you can be sure you’re getting an eco paving solution that lowers your carbon footprint. This means you can do more for the environment while also improving the design aesthetic of your garden.

Offering a complete range of low carbon products for patios and driveways, Bradstone ECO lowers the carbon footprint by more than 20% compared to previous versions of the products. 

You get complete reassurance too, as products have undergone rigorous testing to offer the same quality, durability and aesthetics as before but with the added benefit of looking after your carbon footprint. 

The ECO range is a win-win as it has the same high-end look but comes with the added benefit of being kinder to the planet.

What makes this new range so special?

The design mix of Bradstone’s concrete paving products has been updated and now uses more sustainable materials. Choose either Bradstone ECO or the newly introduced Old Town ECO Evolve, which offers an even higher carbon reduction.

Over to Bradstone MD Simon Marriott to explain the science behind it. 'We have reduced our carbon footprint by more than 20%, so a typical 30m2 patio offers a carbon saving equivalent to that generated by three mature trees over a year (according to the European Environment Agency), with no compromise on quality. 

'We have achieved this through improvements in manufacturing and the design mix to help reduce the carbon footprint of each paver.’

What we love about Bradstone ECO 

Products have been reformulated with a more sustainable design mix. The concrete paving collection replicates the look and finish of natural stone. 

Choose from Old Town ECO, Old Riven ECO, Aged Riven ECO, Ashbourne ECO and Edale ECO paving, as well as BradDrive Cobblestone ECO for driveways. All are available in a range of colours and pack sizes.

What we love about Old Town ECO Evolve

An innovative new product that’s more than 35% lower in carbon compared to the previous version, it’s also lighter and easier to handle, as well as being faster to lay.

The reduced weight means larger quantities can be transported at the same time, further helping to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Silver Grey uses a secondary aggregate in the mix to give it a contemporary colour and unique sparkle (available in a 7.2m2 project pack featuring 4 sizes - 300 x 300mm, 600 x 300mm, 600 x 600mm and 900 x 600mm). 

Follow Bradstone on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and product updates

Looking for outdoor living ideas and gardening advice and want to have it delivered straight to your inbox every week? Of course you do! Sign up to the Gardeningetc newsletter and every week you'll receive all the latest ideas, advice, buying guides and expert tips to inspire your garden project. 

The Gardeningetc newsletter is packed with all the latest outdoor living and gardening content. Whether you're after expert buying guides on outdoor furniture or must-have gardening tools, new ideas to transform your outdoor space into the perfect entertaining zone or play area for the kids, expert tips on plant ideas or top tips on how to grow your own fruit and veg, we've got it covered.  

Sign up to the newsletter today by providing a few details in the form below and your weekly outdoor living inspiration will soon be arriving in your inbox each week. 

Plus, if you sign up today we’ll also send you our 30 Minute Gardening ebook FREE. Packed with brilliant ideas and practical tips, it includes quick-fix checklists, step-by-step projects and expert advice to help you to create a whole new look for your garden quickly so you have more time to enjoy it. So what are you waiting for? Sign up today to receive your FREE ebook. 

Gardeningetc.com is the website for anyone looking to create the perfect outdoor living experience. Launched in July 2020, it's packed with 1,000s of design ideas and guides to make your garden a brilliant outdoor living area. It also offers expert advice on how to make your time outdoors the best it can be – from rounding up the best BBQs and hot tubs to kids’ toys that are guaranteed to keep them entertained.

There will also be practical guides on everything from how to build a brilliant decked area to how to achieve an outdoor pool experience on a budget, plus must-read advice on how you can transfer the style principles you use in your home to your garden. For anyone looking for inspiring ideas, our easy-to-follow guides will help you create your first planting scheme, design your perfect patio or successfully grow your own fruit and veg. 

You can also you can join our social community for the latest news, seasonal outdoor living and gardening tips, plus plenty of inspiring ideas for your project. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. 

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About our reviews and reviewers

Our writers and reviewers test everything we feature in their own gardens. This way, we can give you the best information about how they work in practice – not in a lab. We ask our reviewers to share a little bit about themselves and their gardens so you can compare to your own needs.

Most products are tested for at least two weeks, though often longer to allow the reviewer to give every feature and function a go. In some cases, the reviewer will be allowed to keep the product, meaning they can test it over a much longer period and update their review in the months or years to come. After all, we want you to know how your investment will perform long after unboxing.

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