10 Contemporary Updates to Revitalise Your Outside Space
Be inspired by the new season with these smart ways to give your garden a fresh, modern look for spring
After a winter of neglect, it’s time to venture out and start encouraging some life back into your garden. If things are looking a little tired, or you fancy making some changes, spring is the perfect season to set about your task. These 10 contemporary updates should inspire you with new ideas for your garden, or encourage you to make subtle tweaks to re-energise your outdoor space.
Keep things simple
Focusing on just one type of plant in an area might sound bland, but mass planting takes a leaf out of nature’s style book, creating instant impact with organic elegance.
Here, a sea of hostas flows around a winding wooden walkway, their heart-shaped leaves lifted to the sky. Position these shade-tolerant plants in a sheltered border or beneath a tree for vibrant foliage that turns amber in the autumn.
Focusing on just one type of plant in an area might sound bland, but mass planting takes a leaf out of nature’s style book, creating instant impact with organic elegance.
Here, a sea of hostas flows around a winding wooden walkway, their heart-shaped leaves lifted to the sky. Position these shade-tolerant plants in a sheltered border or beneath a tree for vibrant foliage that turns amber in the autumn.
Stick to similar shades
If you’re new to gardening or unsure where to start in the creation of your outside space, try limiting your colour palette to just two or three shades. Choosing plants within a strict colour theme will make your garden look organised and contemporary, even if you’re less than confident about the dexterity of your green fingers.
If you’re new to gardening or unsure where to start in the creation of your outside space, try limiting your colour palette to just two or three shades. Choosing plants within a strict colour theme will make your garden look organised and contemporary, even if you’re less than confident about the dexterity of your green fingers.
Get the hang of it
If you have a small courtyard garden, maximise the vertical space with an industrial take on traditional hanging baskets. Fill wall-mounted planters with a mixture of trailing and upright plants for a pleasing display of textural and colour variation.
Learn how to bring drama to your garden with a magical living wall
If you have a small courtyard garden, maximise the vertical space with an industrial take on traditional hanging baskets. Fill wall-mounted planters with a mixture of trailing and upright plants for a pleasing display of textural and colour variation.
Learn how to bring drama to your garden with a magical living wall
Install your own jungle
There’s a huge trend for leaf prints and tropical themes across interiors, so make this the inspiration for your garden scheme. Include hardy banana trees, prehistoric-looking ferns, bamboo and anything with oversized leaves to create a lush jungle oasis.
Want a tropical-style garden? Here are more ways to create your own jungle
There’s a huge trend for leaf prints and tropical themes across interiors, so make this the inspiration for your garden scheme. Include hardy banana trees, prehistoric-looking ferns, bamboo and anything with oversized leaves to create a lush jungle oasis.
Want a tropical-style garden? Here are more ways to create your own jungle
Contrast hard and soft
Ornamental grasses have a relaxed, meadow-like quality that works in many styles of garden, but they look particularly contemporary when paired with smooth paving and sculptural, angular designs, as seen here. Plant in a well-defined area for a purposeful finish and a relaxing rustle when the wind blows.
Ornamental grasses have a relaxed, meadow-like quality that works in many styles of garden, but they look particularly contemporary when paired with smooth paving and sculptural, angular designs, as seen here. Plant in a well-defined area for a purposeful finish and a relaxing rustle when the wind blows.
Sort out your structure
Sleek rendered walls create structure and uniformity in an outside space and make a modern alternative to brick. Here, the symmetrical layout of the garden has been reinforced by the matching plants in the foreground.
Sleek rendered walls create structure and uniformity in an outside space and make a modern alternative to brick. Here, the symmetrical layout of the garden has been reinforced by the matching plants in the foreground.
Try a new hue
Forget one-shade-suits-all brown and treat your fence to a bespoke colour fix. Deepest black makes the perfect foil to lush green foliage, as shown here. Or opt for a less extreme shade that still packs a visual punch, such as dark green. Other contemporary colour options include taupe, stone or grey.
Forget one-shade-suits-all brown and treat your fence to a bespoke colour fix. Deepest black makes the perfect foil to lush green foliage, as shown here. Or opt for a less extreme shade that still packs a visual punch, such as dark green. Other contemporary colour options include taupe, stone or grey.
Think horizontally
It’s been a huge trend over the past few years, and horizontal fencing is still on the design radar in contemporary gardens. Depending on the size of your wooden battens (or planks) and their positioning, horizontal fencing can be used to create privacy or provide a modern take on trellis.
It’s been a huge trend over the past few years, and horizontal fencing is still on the design radar in contemporary gardens. Depending on the size of your wooden battens (or planks) and their positioning, horizontal fencing can be used to create privacy or provide a modern take on trellis.
Go for a garden room
In a larger garden, install artificial divisions to create an impression of depth by obscuring direct lines of sight. This ‘garden room’ has been given the feel of a kitchen thanks to its neat raised beds and the inclusion of a large wood-fired oven.
TELL US…
Which contemporary touch do you like best in these gardens – or do you have your own suggestion? Let us know in the Comments below.
In a larger garden, install artificial divisions to create an impression of depth by obscuring direct lines of sight. This ‘garden room’ has been given the feel of a kitchen thanks to its neat raised beds and the inclusion of a large wood-fired oven.
TELL US…
Which contemporary touch do you like best in these gardens – or do you have your own suggestion? Let us know in the Comments below.
If you have a suitable corner, consider integrating a bench seat into the structure of your outside space. This smart, timber-clad sofa area matches the hardwood decking to create a chic, seamless effect.
Opt for custom-made cushions with waterproof fabric covers to ensure soft seating, and you could even consider incorporating storage beneath the bench to house them over winter.