Local Life - Wigan - September 2021

81
In line with our new appreciation for gardens, many of us
have created garden ‘rooms’, where the inside flows into
an outdoor kitchen and dining area. The lines between
indoors and out have been blurred. It is no longer unusual
for people to install outdoor fridges, cookers, storage,
food-preparation surfaces and, of course, seating. The
latter will probably include a dining table with chairs
but also an outdoor lounge with comfortable furniture.
Sometimes this can take up most of the garden, but
hopefully there will be some attractive planting to
provide screening, perhaps a soothing water feature
and definitely a firepit so that everyone can stay outside
during the evening.
Gardens need life
Treating a garden as an extension to the home is a
developing trend for those who can afford this impressive
display of luxury. But is it good for gardens? Paving over
lawns and restricting planting to very limited zones isn’t
great for biodiversity. Beware of creating a desolate,
cheerless space with little life to be found. Most people
love the softness that plants bring to hard landscaping,
therefore every opportunity should be taken for
prioritising plants over paving. Aim to develop a passion
for the right plants in the right places.
We can all learn from the experts. The re-scheduling of
RHS Chelsea Flower Show invigorated people at a time of
year when interest is generally waning. We were wowed
by the array of plants that look stunning, even though
summer had passed. The show exemplifies the very best
combination of hard and soft landscaping and this is
what we should aspire to. A garden can, indeed, perform
many functions and a seating place amongst the planting
enables us to enjoy it to the full. Above all else we should
make provision for wonderful plants that will attract
pollinators, provide structure, movement, scent, colour
and soak up the excesses that the sky deposits. Plants
absorb pollution, they clean the air and produce oxygen.
Just relax by some lush planting and see how it makes
you feel – plants really are good for us.
The greatest garden trends
during the last two years
• Al fresco dining, often with built-in appliances and
heating and even a retractable canopy.
• Extending interior decor into the garden. People now
decorate gardens with lanterns, ornaments, colourful
accessories, rugs and cushions. Some even sacrifice
kitchen dressers, sofas and throws in a bid to make a
bold outdoor statement that creates a cosy space.
• Grow-your-own is a growing trend. At least fourteen
per cent of adults in the UK are following a meat-free
diet. Almost half the population now grows fruit and
vegetables at home. Not only is it fun and rewarding,
but it can be completely chemical-free too.
• Dry stone walling, gabion walls using wire baskets
filled with stones, and rocks, boulders and pebbles
are all increasing in popularity. These contemporary
features combine style with function and they
provide wonderful nooks and crannies that are
valuable for wildlife.
• Porcelain garden paving is the surface of choice for a
growing number of householders. It’s a rapidly rising
trend. Porcelain can look like stone but is less porous,
therefore it doesn’t turn green quite so easily. It’s
long-lasting, tough, slip-resistant and contemporary.
• Sowing seeds and planting for wildlife. There has
been a record demand for wildflower and other seeds
over the last eighteen months, with sales increasing
more than 600 per cent.
Allow a little rewilding in your garden and consider it a
compliment when spiders and insects populate your
space. Don’t be tempted to prune your hedge every
time it grows beyond the picture-book rectangle. Try to
change the way you see things and avoid the concept
of a tidy garden. These can be hostile places in terms of
nature.
Immerse your seating area within planting