Livinghouse

Using a variety of ground coverings in our gardens not only enables us to break up the space, but also to navigate it more easily. Whether we opt for turf, gravel, slate, pebbles, paving, decking or a combination of several materials, we’re able to create interest and zoning where necessary.

The only trouble is we’re not very adventurous when it comes to the design aspect. It’s not surprising really when you think about it. In general, we tend to head to our nearest garden centre or DIY shed to find suitable ground covering and they’re not very inspiring places. Just huge storage facilities with tills, really.

Don’t get us wrong, we don’t have a problem with using traditional materials to overhaul the garden, but we’d like garden centres to inspire us more. Whilst we’re waiting for them to adopt more of an IKEA approach, we’ll share a few inspired design ideas to liven up your tired lawn and shake up your formal borders.

The grass is greener…

There’s nothing better than an immaculate lawn to bring out the competitor in your neighbour. But why stick to convention when you can mix things up a little?

Create contrast in your garden by combining stone paving with lawn and the odd mound for added interest. We can’t get enough of the irregular edges and the cut outs in this lawn to show glimpses of paving. How about you?

Graduation’s what you need

We love the idea of breaking with tradition and injecting a contemporary feel into the garden. Why stick to rigid lines to define areas when you can use graduation instead?

The Devil’s in the details

Okay, so this design may feature more materials than you’re keen to use, but it certainly transforms what could be a very average area into something more interesting. Or at least gives you an idea of how you can create contrast with colour and texture by using different materials such as grass, concrete, gravel and various sizes of pebbles.

Sticking with formality

Formal gardens aren’t just for traditionalists. On the contrary, modernists can have a field day with the straight lines and symmetry that can be created by combining different materials and thinking outside the box.

Modern Victorian

We’re no strangers to Victorian geometric tiles leading us up the garden path to the front door, but how about utilising them in other areas of your garden?

Tiles allow you to take control of awkward areas and dinky courtyards by maximising all of the available space and providing clear boundaries. Opting for a design which features plenty of white also opens up the space too, which is useful if the area doesn’t benefit from much sunshine.

Highlighting curves and straight lines

There’s nothing wrong with preferring a well-defined edge between your lawn and your borders, but why not highlight it with lighting to really show off the curves or straight lines? Rope lighting, available for outdoor use, is a really simple and effective way to get lighting into your garden.

Showcasing natural beauty

And finally, we love the colours and textures wood provides for pathways in both modern and traditional gardens.

How about these two nifty ideas? Wood blocks finished with fire and slices of tree highlighting the natural and vibrant colours of wood.