Hottest garden ideas for 2006

Experience the indoors...outdoors
The garden is an important part of the home, so why not extend the personality of the interior outside and do some 'exterior design'. For some garden chintz or retro try the following:

• Outdoor wallpaper
  Susan Bradley, a London-based designer who works on domestic outdoor spaces and has exhibited at Chelsea in 2005 and 2006, is renowned for her 'Outdoor WallpaperTM' - making traditional designs, like damask, in trelliswork from stainless steel, aluminum or acrylic Perspex.

  Susan Bradley (www.susanbradley.co.uk) explains, 'I think people are realising more and more that their outdoor space represents a relatively large portion of their total living space, and so are making their outdoor areas more personal like they would the interior of their homes. So, just as people have art on their walls and pieces of sculpture indoors, they are now thinking of these as relevant to their outdoor spaces too. I also think people are realising sculpture outdoor doesn't have to be a monolithic slab of stone or a Grecian statue - it can be much smaller, personal and a bit quirky.'

    Related Links

  • Landscaping your garden on a budget
  • Making over a front garden: a photo diary
  • Feng Shui your garden
  • Home & Garden Home

    Most viewed

  • Caring for orchids
  • Glass tiles
  • Getting rid of ants
  • Knit your own slippers
  • Bedroom makeovers on a budget

  The wallpaper-patterned panels, which can be fixed onto any garden wall, unlike some plants, need minimal attention. 'Outdoor WallpaperTM can be used in outdoor spaces of any sizes and is ideal for the smallest balcony or roof terrace. It provides an immediate impact and requires no watering or pruning, and won't wither through neglect - perfect for people who want an instant garden with minimal effort,' she says.

• Garden bean-bags
  Be a lounge-lizard outside on a giant garden bean bag, made in water and rot-resistant materials, like this one created by Odd: www.oddlimited.com
• Pink gardening
  Blend in with the begonias and support Breakthrough Breast Cancer at the same time with bright pink Yeoman secateurs and Camelot gardening gloves, available from various garden outlets. (www.breakthrough.org.uk)
• The Victorian garden
  Fill a shady garden corner and make a statement with ornate furniture. 'Retro furniture is around in a lot of garden centres and is made to look Victorian-style with inter-mess steel [woven in a criss-cross pattern],' says Bob Sweet.