GO OTT WITH YOUR
GARDEN TABLE
Hosting alfresco? This year’s tablescape
should be a bright, eclectic mix. Think
“colour everywhere, lots of pattern on the
tablecloth and napkins, be it gingham or
stripes or colourful chintz”, Crossley says.
“For tablecloths I often buy fabrics I love by
the metre. Flower-wise, I will have lots of my
bud vases down the table filled with sweet
peas, peonies and roses.” Host Home’s
multicoloured seersucker tablecloths
(£24) will add instant colour and texture —
then keep building on top, using a mixture
of cut flowers and even homegrown veg
or citrus fruits as your centrepiece.MEADOWS ARE THE
NEW LAWNS
Being too lazy to mow your lawn properly
is now, conveniently, both a stylish and
eco-friendly choice. “Within larger gardens
meadows are becoming more popular,”
says the garden and landscape designer
Alexandra Noble, “with mown paths
through for practicality.” Buy ready-mixed
seed kits that layer different plants to play
with scale and texture, and choose from
riotous multicolour and subtler tonal
combinations. “I particularly love the Lime
Light and Turkish Delight seed mixes by
Pictorial Meadows [from £43],” Noble says.BE BOLD WITH YOUR VEG
If you’re planning to cook the fruits of
your labour, then look for varieties you
won’t find on the supermarket shelves.
“This year I’m experimenting with
tomatillos as well as asparagus peas, both
of which I’ll be growing for the first time,”
Noble says. “Tomatillos make a delicious
salsa and are said to be prolific croppers.
Asparagus peas have beautiful rich,
red flowers and the young pods taste
wonderful in stir-fries.” Parkinson is also
a fan of a bold vegetable: “I always grow
one ‘Crown Prince’ pumpkin, as I love its
duck-egg-blue skin.”sunflowers — for Ukraine — and chocolate
cosmos.” Creating a harmonious effect is
particularly relevant in smaller gardens
— Parkinson’s course on Create Academy,
the go-to website for creative online classes,
is a masterclass in planting in pots — but
will also look amazing scaled up.
DITCH HARD EDGES FOR
A SOFT, SPRAWLING VIBE
We don’t all have rambling gardens and
thatched roofs, but any space will benefit
from a little rewilding. Think “hedges
instead of fences, abundant overspilling
planting instead of large areas of hard
landscaping”, says the fashion designer
and urban gardener Stina Hasan, who
documents the latter as the Hackney
Gardener. She has noticed a shift towards
gentler gardening that encourages
biodiversity. “Natural and reclaimed
materials win over metal and concrete. In
terms of look and vibe, I’m after softness
and romance. Following on from the
interiors trend for vintage furniture,
gardens are also moving away from the
sleek and contemporary towards classic
cottage gardens and romantic courtyards.”
Soften brick walls with climbing vines and
roses, let wood furniture turn silver as it
weathers and don’t be too quick to
cut back plants.BUZZY
BLOOMSTHE
FASHIONY
FLOWER