Garden Trends for 2007

Fling open the french doors and roll back the sliding windows - connecting the two environments has never been more appealing, especially with balmier ‘global-warming’ temperatures.

“The outdoor living boom has clearly moved from being ‘just a trend’ to a lifestyle,� says Susan McCoy, outdoor living trendspotter and president of the Garden Media Group.

According to McCoy, consumers have discovered that outdoor living is more than dressing up patios with a few containers. Instead, people are transforming their ordinary backyards into ‘specialty rooms’ complete with kitchens, bars, TVs and even heaters for cool nights. Flowers, shrubs and trees are being used as accents, room dividers, carpets and curtains.

“Today the average homeowner can walk into the home and garden department at any major store and find outdoor end tables, all-weather floor lamps, waterproof art and even affordable entertainment sets along with big and bold flowers and plants,� says McCoy.

A Better Homes and Gardens survey confirms this trend. The survey states that building a major garden or landscaping project is the second most popular home improvement choice.

An interesting twist on garden design is that many homeowners are developing their areas to reflect their favorite vacation destination.

Thanks to the efforts of plant breeders, more species are able to tolerate conditions they couldn’t in the past enabling people to “defy� garden reality.

The demand for earth-friendly products is expected to quadruple in the next few years. Some analysts are referring to this as the ‘eco-chic’ movement.

Fashionable gardens will present a sleek, contemporary look, with bold lines, well-defined angles and an emphasis on colourful, exotic foliage, more so than flowers.

Comfort in function and form is essential however. Super-size plants, including extra-large perennials and gigantic containers spilling over with jewel-toned blooms are in. Native, sustainable plants remain popular.

Integrating ornamental and edible plants will be huge this season. People don’t want just to work in their gardens. They also want their gardens to work for them.

Browns and oranges continue to top the tonal chart, but are closely followed by mineral shades like grays, blacks and yellows. Caribbean colours are coming up strong in the fashion world.

Last but not least, nighttime use has become more important. Busy lives result in limited daylight hours for leisure.

Outdoor lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes and power supplies are strong considerations, as well as a selection of plants that carry after-dark appeal including the feathery Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, rapier-like Astelia chathamica and pastel-shades of fragrant roses.