Garden Office Blog

Sustainable Garden Style

Sustainable Garden Style

By Steven Willis on 16th June, 2010

With the growth of environmental awareness and the widespread acceptance that our actions have a direct effect on the planet's climate, sustainability has become something of a buzzword in the last decade. In practice, sustainability can be applied to most areas of your life, but few are more effective, productive and generally rewarding than the garden.

Using local plant species is one of the best ways to achieve a sustainable garden, with local in this case referring to your specific region or area of the country. For instance, if your garden is in a coastal area it will inevitably experience a very different environment to one that is in the heart of the countryside, therefore it's important to carefully select what will make up your garden. Exotic species, while they may look stunning, generally need high maintenance and resources to successfully survive ongoing. So, choosing your plants and trees accordingly will result in a naturally thriving garden that doesn't need any special attention to flourish.

Environmentally-friendly material choices for items like decking and ornamentation are also a clear way to bring a sustainable style to your garden. These can range from items such as reclaimed timbers and salvaged stonework, through to responsibly-harvested wood from sustainable sources. With decking, patios and terraces becoming staple features of garden design, the need for sustainable materials becomes particularly important.

For a really organic design style, try employing curved, flowing shapes on lawns, borders and walkways instead of straight lines and edges. These curves echo the lines found in nature, and provide a subtle scenic touch when applied in the right way. This approach also fulfils one of the key principles of sustainable garden style - having a minimal visual impact on the surrounding environment.

Decorated Shed garden buildings are developed to achieve sustainable design in every aspect, and therefore make the perfect addition to a garden landscaped with same approach in mind. The materials used throughout, from the Western Red Cedar cladding to the optional sedum-planted roofing, are chosen for their sustainability and performance. From a design aesthetic perspective, several Decorated Shed styles have been created to evoke a natural form - the Curved Lodge garden studio being a great example of this, with its sweeping roofline.


Category:  Garden Designs

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