FIXTURES & FINISHES


Grand gardens


Millboard’s Caroline Birdsall discusses the various design approaches available to help self-builders achieve a truly ‘premium’ outdoor space


G


reat outdoor spaces reflect the style and ambience of the properties that they belong to


– and they also communicate the temperaments of the owners. Designs that step outside of those tenets have a tendency to be jarring, or worse, uninspiring. Happily, there’s never been a better time to immerse yourself in landscaping as the diversity of available options means that everybody can find a way to make their gardens marry up with their houses, and with their personalities.


Generally speaking, contemporary


premium garden design falls into two camps – hyper luxe (think of sleek hotel courtyards with muted colours and flashes of chrome) and naturalistic (which can mean anything from wild meadow flowers


may/june 2019


to lawns punctuated with showy topiary). But in between these two polarities sits an entire smorgasbord of options. From comfortable and creative bohemian hideaways to lap-of-luxury outdoor living rooms, gardens offer so many opportunities for self-expression. What holds these themes together under the banner of ‘premium garden design’ is the finish and commitment to the idea. Premium design doesn’t dip its toe tentatively in a tin of red cedar fence paint, it goes all-out with teal, magenta, extravagant blooms, and flamboyant foliage.


The other marker of quality is, unavoidably, quality. Premium design calls for premium materials, so these gardens are more likely to be spruced up with products like the Exteriors range by


Gardens constantly evolve, so don’t be afraid to make bold statements


Farrow and Ball than the high street value range. They’ll also contain expertly mapped out lighting, perfectly choreographed to highlight this tree or that water feature. Naturally, such expense doesn’t want to be mistaken for inferior products so these


www.sbhonline.co.uk 55


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