Where East meets West, one of the top trends for 2021 will bring some cool shades of calm to your home, both inside and out.
Not your average garden centre, Dobbies ‘Simple Serenity’ collection is effortlessly stylish, embracing the core design traits of Japanese and Scandinavian design.
Find indoor accessories that can be used to layer up an outdoor room alongside statement pieces that break the garden furniture mould. The range includes the Tokyo Rocking Chair and Stool, the ultimate laid back lounger, it’s sure to look just as good in the garden as it will in the living room
Outdoor Living Buyer at Dobbies, Lynsey Abbott, said: “This is an understated look that will work perfectly to create your very own calm cocoon that’s free of all distraction. The colour palette for this trend includes a mix of cool grey, bamboo and undertones of anthracite. The neutral shades of Simple Serenity mean it works well in any space, with a variety of outdoor furniture sets to choose from in the range, so you can tailor the design to the size of your garden.”
Horticultural Director at Dobbies, Marcus Eyles, provides his top tips to create your very own zen garden…
Compared to cottage and country garden style gardens, this style of outdoor space is uncomplicated and paired back, they don’t feature a lot of different flowers, creating a sense of peace and tranquillity. The aim is to create a space with a modern feel – light and clean lines are important when it comes to establishing a sense of zen.
The look works well in small to medium sized spaces, from pots on balconies to raised beds and patios in back gardens. They are often fairly low maintenance.
When planning the space, look to create a neat, organised structure with simple planting schemes and choose neutral, natural colours, such as lush leafy greenery, white flowers and silver, grey foliage. Tall sculptural plants will add height and work well in groups.
Get the look, plants and foliage that work well for zen style gardens
• Ornamental grasses: Larger foliage types such as Miscanthus and Pampas grasses (Cortaderia) or for ground cover then the blue Festuca glauca
• Hardy evergreen ferns: Including slow growing tree ferns, Hart’s-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) and Wood Fern (Dryopteris)
• Architectural foliage: Plants such as Bamboo (Arundinaria), which can be used around to frame the outside edges of gardens or to add some extra privacy and create zones or areas within a space
• Plants with large grey/silver foliage: Such as super soft Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ or Brachyglottis
• ‘Sunshine’ which produces bright yellow, daisy-like flowers in June and July
• Flowering perennials: Attracting bees, butterflies and insects, plants such as Echinacea, Butterfly bush (Buddleia) and Foxgloves (Digitalis) for a pop of colour
