FEATURE: OUTDOOR LIVING


LANDSCAPINGTRENDS


What are the key trends that we can expect homeowners and DIYers to incorporate in their 2022 garden projects? Here, Garry Gregory packed products director at Tarmac, takes a look at some of the top landscaping trends set to be big this coming year.


T


here’s no denying that the


trend


we’ve seen over the last two years for outdoor living is firmly set to stay;


the shift towards hybrid working means that many of us are spending more time at home and the garden has emerged as a central part of this new way of living. Together with the ‘improve don’t


move’ mentality, homeowners are increasingly looking at new ways to enhance their outdoor space and transform the garden into a stylish extension of their home. So, what do retailers need to know about the latest landscaping trends and what advice can they offer to customers?


Inspired by nature


Biophilic design has long been talked about as an interior design trend and this will be a big focus for the garden in 2022, with natural materials


such as rough wood,


bamboo, concrete and stone set to be important elements incorporated into garden design. There are several ways your customers can incorporate biophilic design principles across projects: planting shrubs and trees as well as using wood and stone for bridges or paths is one solution. Another is installing a water element, such as a fountain, to create a calming natural outdoor space. Here, opting for concrete will offer a durable, maintenance free solution that will blend well with surrounding nature. Blue Circle Multi-Purpose concrete can be used to create a


new sound level base for water features, and casting ducting into the concrete can hide pipes and cables for pumps and lights keeping the area looking clean and tidy. You can continue the biophilic design in furniture choices too through a range of materials, from traditional wood to rattan or even aluminum blended with teak.


Plants in landscaping With biophilic design on the rise, we can also expect to see a growth in naturalistic planting, where plants or perennials are freely planted in small groups or on their own, creating a ‘natural’ look. In a landscaping project, this can mean adding some plants or grass alongside lines or borders,


“Biophilic design has long been talked about as an interior design trend and this will be a big focus for the garden in 2022”


so bringing together the hard landscaping


element with to see


soft natural plant. In this vein, too, we can expect


the the


continuation for rewilding projects and wildflower gardens. If space is an issue, complement a concrete driveway or small concrete space with a vertical climber.


Bringing the inside out The ‘inside outside’ garden trend is all about creating flow inside the home to the garden to transform the outdoor space into a stylish hub for entertaining and relaxing. The patio can provide the perfect space to create this seamless flow and porcelain, with its clean lines and smooth textures, is becoming an increasingly popular choice for patio projects.


Unlike stone and decking,


porcelain can also be used as a free- flowing option between interior


24 DIY WEEK JUNE 2022


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and exterior spaces – a great idea for customers that have French or bi-folding doors opening onto a patio, where the floor simply continues outside. To really get the effect to work properly, the inside and outside floor should be at the same level.


Alfresco dining With the rise in outdoor living comes the rise in outdoor dining, with barbecues seeing a huge increase in popularity over the last year; the Garden Centre Association, for instance, reported a 59.73% increase in sales in August 2021 compared to the same period last year. Building a classic brick barbeque


provides a readily available, year- round cooking facility – and a concrete worktop can really add the finishing touch to that outdoor kitchen. As any space like this will be fully exposed to the elements, it’s important to advise on the right products and materials to add value to their alfresco aspirations. Concrete worktops are generally long and thin beams, so it’s critical for anyone taking on the


task


to use a product with sufficient workability, aggregate grading and strength such as Tarmac Blue Circle High Strength concrete (40N).


Living walls


Fast becoming a growing trend in garden design, a concrete living wall provides a great way to


complement existing concrete walls and furniture by introducing additional green space. A concrete wall offers a durable, maintenance free and


solution. Placing wood


the


thermally retentive alongside


concrete will add warmth and depth to the finished product; for example, using horizontal rough-board forms to shape and imprint the concrete with the grain of the wood. Here, you should recommend to your customers that they opt for a high- strength product such as Tarmac Blue Circle High Strength Concrete (40N).


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