What will your garden add to your home during the next year?
2010 is going to be a big year for South Africa, especially with us hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup. This has made it essential for home and hotel / guest house owners to rethink the quality of their accommodation and also the state of their gardens. As with anything else in the world, gardening has also become an international industry that needs annual growth to ensure development of this important decorative aspect found at homes across the globe.
A beautiful garden also adds a lot of value to your property – especially when you are planning on selling, as most people want and appreciate a well established garden. But which plants will be popular in 2010 and which colours will decorate our sunny country when we play host to the rest of the world? I decided to get the experts to answer a few questions in order to establish the trends for the gardening industry during the next year.
Tim Horn from Abacus Gardens was kind enough to give us his professional opinion about what is in and what is out as far as gardening is concerned.
Q: What is going to be the most popular gardening styles in 2010 and why?
A: “ ‘Green’ gardening. Our clients are increasingly keen to do their parts in protecting the environment and therefore regardless of garden style everyone wants to incorporate “green” ideas in their garden styles. Water-wise products, indigenous and organic are thus recurring themes.
Q: What do you think will be the main source of inspiration for 2010’s look and feel in the garden and why?
A: “South Africans in particular are very proud to be Africans and we love including afro-centric themes in all aspects of our lives. However as we look forward to the Soccer World Cup, I believe we will gain exposure to more international influences and thus our tastes will broaden too.”
Q: Which plants will be most popular in 2010?
A: “Flowering plants and in particular annuals will be the most popular in 2010.”
Q: Which colours will be most popular in the garden and why?
A: “This will depend on the season. In summer cooler colours will prevail whilst in winter warmer colours will be very popular. Yet this winter flower displays in public gardens in particular are likely to be filled with every possible colour, as South Africans display our rainbow nation to the world.”
Q: Do you think water features and accessories will be popular in 2010?
A: “Water features as focal points will be the most popular accent in the garden in 2010. Garden décor is becoming more popular in creating unique punctuation points in garden design – garden landscape character lies beyond plants choices and extends through to hard landscaping too.”
Q: Which new trends mentioned in this forecast do you think will remain popular and why?
A: “Contemporary garden styles are the vogue right now. They are likely to remain as such as more and more people build with contemporary architecture. The trend towards uncluttered lifestyles and a less is more approach is largely responsible for this trend.”
Q: Please give our readers some practical tips on how to spice up a dull garden this summer?
A: “Annuals with colour such as petunias, pansies, begonias or New Guinea impatiens will add fresh and immediate vibrant colour into any ‘dull’ garden”. Adding décor into the garden, such as pots, water features, archways, garden benches etc. will liven up any garden whilst creating unique focal points.”
5 Easy accessories to give your garden that extra spunk …
Gardens are not only great for entertaining but they also add a lot of curb appeal to your home. For those who are new to the garden scene, there are many types of garden decor that will easily add some spice to your oasis:
Let your garden ROCK: Rocks are a very important feature in the garden and even the plain ones can have an amazing effect on its look and feel. It adds style to your garden and can even be used as seating to complement the natural feeling you want in your garden.
Waterworks: Nothing blows life into a garden like the sound and sight of running water. Adding water to your garden will make it extremely inviting to creatures like birds and butterflies and you can even add more life with some colourful fish.
Lighting concepts: If you spend a lot of time on your garden and you will want to enjoy your creation as much as possible. Garden lighting will allow you and your guests to enjoy the features of your garden even after the sun goes down.
Take a seat: Benches and chairs add grace and style to your garden and can aid you in truly enjoying your garden in the relaxing manner it is supposed to be enjoyed in. Why else go through all of the work to create a wonderful garden if you can’t sit out with a book and a cup of tea and enjoy it.
Look at the birdie: Gardens are not all about getting dirty and mowing the lawn, it is also about the regular ‘guests’ that often come around. Ensure that the birds are always happy, satisfied and welcome at your home. A bird house and feeder would be perfect, both as decoration and to lure wildlife to your garden – so that you can experience Africa in its full sense.
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