Entertainment All Year: Designing a Garden for Every Season
In the words of Home & Garden, ‘after a couple of years of pandemic entertaining, we’ve learned that there’s no need to stop spending time in your garden when the temperatures start to drop” and designing the space to accommodate year-round entertaining is indeed essential. In this article, we will cover some key considerations when it comes to the design elements of your garden.
The Four Seasons Blueprint
When designing your garden or large estate, it’s vital to consider the four seasons here that we experience here in the UK. To ensure we want to entertain in our gardens all year round, we must consider what happens during spring, winter, summer and autumn.
Starting with Spring, the season of growth! With an adequate amount of rainfall and sunlight, our flowers start to blossom again after a long winter. Our lawns also love the springtime, and will become vibrant during this shift of weather. Spring is the perfect time to refresh your outdoor space, with new plants and landscaping.
Then, we move into summer. Unlike spring, the days of summer are much longer with higher temperatures. Many of us love entertaining in summer, with so much more daylight, we can spend even more time outside. During this season, we would recommend paying special attention to managing the amount of heat coming into your garden and having an adequate watering schedule to keep your plants protected.
Autumn is a transitional season, which in the UK, means that the weather becomes a lot more unpredictable, and the leaves will begin to become crisp and fall. Many of your trees turn beautiful colours of browns and oranges during this time as well. During the autumn, garden maintenance is at an all time high. With so many falling leaves, you will want to stay on top of keeping your garden clean and tidy. The temperature in autumn isn’t at an all time low, and many of us can still enjoy our garden’s during this season. We recommend creating cosy spaces with blankets and cushions so you can still spend time in your outdoor spaces, even as the temperature begins to drop.
Finally, winter will arrive. Starting in November time, winter is a dormant season for many plants meaning they tend to put their energy into surviving the harsh weather. Time spent outdoors during this season will be limited, but with some thoughtful design features, you can still get outside often.
Spring Season Garden Care
Spring Bulb Planting
According to this article from RealSimple.com, you should ‘select a variety of flowering plants that bloom at different times to ensure you have plenty of pretty flowers mingling with colourful foliage for most of the year’.
As we’ve mentioned above, spring is the season of growth. Temperatures will start to rise and with the sun in the sky more often, there is less frost around. With the warmer weather, our plants will spring to life once more. Some early bloomers such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths love this change in weather and if you have planted them at the correct time, will flower in spring.
All of these can be planted in autumn, and provide a beautiful display of colours come spring. Also, top tip: if you missed planting them this autumn, you can also find pre-potted bulbs at your local gardening centre. Your professional gardening team can plant these for you, and they should still flower in time for spring!
When considering spring during your garden design stage, we would recommend thinking about what colours and textures you bring into your outdoor space. As spring is associated heavily with flowers and how they bloom, then a diverse colour palette throughout your garden could add a visual appeal whilst also creating a dynamic garden space. Here at BZ Gardens, we love mixing the bold colours of flowers with the more subtle hues of herbs. You will also need to consider layer and composition.
Companion Planting
As all your flowers and plants spring forward in this season, it’s vital to think about how they will not only look together, but also how they will work. Companion planting plays with the idea of arrangement and composition of plants in flower beds. By layering a variety of plants at different heights, you can create both depth and dimension. You could even consider incorporating vertical elements. Trellises, arbours or climbing plants do wonders for maximising as much space as possible, whilst also looking visually appealing.
Summer-Time Garden Care
Seasonal Summer Flowers & Plants
Summer can be slightly different, and when designing your garden, it’s important to consider the changes this season will bring. In summer, some of your plants will continue to flower and if you want a vibrant garden all year round, it’s vital to place some of these beauties around your space. Lavender is one example – known for how wonderful it smells, this perennial herb is also drought tolerant meaning it can survive the heat. In addition, lavender is a great way to invite pollinators into your garden too! Another great summer flower is roses. Again, roses are known for their classic smell, but they are also a treat to the eye and will increase the beauty of your garden.
Garden Shade
Also in the summer, shade becomes extremely important. Summer is the perfect month for hosting garden parties and with large estates or gardens, you will want to be sure to place shade around for your guests. Pergolas, umbrellas or shade sails can create spots of relief from the heat during the height of summer. Or, strategically placed trees can also do the trick. Providing natural shade, trees are ideal for providing a place to hide from the sun.
Fire Pits & Outdoor Kitchens
Speaking of entertaining, summer is a great time to use your outdoor kitchens or try out a new fire pit. Outdoor kitchens can be enhanced by the plethora of fresh herbs springing to life in your garden during the hot months. Also, fire pits make for a lovely centre point in your garden for your guests to gather, sit around and chat way into the summer evening.
Designing Your Garden For Autumn
Autumn Foliage & Seasonal Vegetables
Autumn is known for its beautiful foliage. All our trees turn beautiful shades of golden brown and yellow. This can be the perfect backdrop for hosting your guests, even if the weather is slightly chillier. Also, autumn can host a whole range of seasonal vegetables. When designing your garden, you can designate a spot for all your vegetable and herb growing needs, which will make autumn all the more welcomed. Some of our favourites are garlic, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes and kale!
Entertainment Spaces For Autumn
Entertaining in autumn is also still viable – even with the change in weather. Gardens can still be enjoyed throughout the season, especially if you design to have cosy corners. We would recommend having plenty of blankets and cushions available to keep yourself warm.
Winter Wonderland
Winter-Friendly Plants
In the UK, winter gardening can be a particularly challenging feat. This can be down to the much colder and unpredictable temperatures, and much shorter daylight hours. Winter is all about keeping your gardening looking aesthetically-pleasing, whilst also ensuring that it is maintained during this dormant season.
During the harsh winters in the UK, it’s vital to incorporate a variety of winter-flowering plants that can withstand the unpredictable conditions. Including climbers like winter clematis and winter honeysuckle can greatly enhance your garden. Additionally, hardy shrubs such as mahonia and daphne are excellent choices that guarantee your garden remains an inviting space for entertaining even during the winter months.
Many keen gardeners also opt for evergreens, berries and ornamental grasses when considering winter. For example, holly is a classic choice for a reason. Holly can be identified by its spiky leaves with bright red berries. Typically associated with Christmas, these evergreen shrubs are the perfect festive touch to your garden, which will shine throughout winter. Not to mention, birds love the berries, providing them with a great source of food!
If you are looking for a winter berry recommendation, might we suggest the Pyracantha. Otherwise known as a firethorn, this eye-catching shrub produces yellow, orange and red berries which will light up a sleeping garden. As for ornamental grasses, miscanthus grasses is often chosen due to its arching foliage and feathery plumes. These identifiable features will persist throughout the cold of winter and will add a nice touch of texture to the outdoor space.
Winter-Themed Garden Decor
We all love winter for one main reason – Christmas! Winter marks the beginning of the festive season, and therefore, we can start adding some Christmas decorations to our gardens. To light up your garden (literally!) we would recommend adding a few strings of lights to your large trees or bushes. As well as illuminating up all your pathways, adding festive lights to your garden can ensure that you have a beautiful outdoor space to entertain, even during the winter.
Year-Round Hardscaping
No matter the time of year, hard-landscaping can add a sense of visual interest to any garden. Hard-landscaping, such as pathways, outdoor rooms, green houses, or statues can create focal points through a large garden space that will add to the overall ambiance. Hard-landscaping also serves functional purposes by connecting different areas of the garden and providing access to various features. If you are looking to create a space, which you will enjoy all year round, hard-landscaping should not be ignored!
BZ Gardens – Surrey-Based Garden Designing Services
Here at BZ Gardens, we offer a premier garden designing service. Based in Surrey, we are dedicated to excellence and a passion for creating stunning outdoor spaces. As well as specialising in garden maintenance, we can also help craft bespoke gardens or large estates which are tailored to your exact preferences and entertainment needs. If you would like to contact us on 01483 967160.