Make improvements and love spending more time at home.
/
It’s the beginning of spring in 2021 and in this Covid world, we are now all realizing that we may need to learn to spend more time with this virus close to our shores, for our nearest and dearest future. How can we claim back control? Let’s focus on what we can do, and what we can do now.
With our freedom of movement that is now returning, let’s continue to embrace what is most special to us. Our time with family, the world within our ‘bubble’ and how that looks. Now we have the opportunity to make the improvements that means we don’t mind spending more time at home, if need be.
Being a landscape designer, of course I am going to focus on our outdoor spaces, but I am also concerned with how this links to our indoor rooms. No matter what the season is, or how long we have to spend indoors, it is important to let nature in and that we feel linked to the outdoors.
A wonderful trend many of us are enjoying is bringing plants into our homes. There is no secret that the indoor plant industry is booming, and what a wonderful thing. I have a passion for plants, and to be surrounded with plants indoors and outdoors is truly special.
When I am considering ways to enhance a client’s garden, I always look at each unique season we experience here in New Zealand. During the cooler and wetter days, we need to still have that connection with the outdoors. Damp soggy grass is not inviting, so I like to link the house with an all weather space of decking or patio that can be used at any time of the year.
When we add more ‘hard’ surfaces like paving or deck, I like to break it up with planting borders and built in raised planters to soften the space with luscious and bold plant textures. This is an opportunity to surround ourselves with loving nature. Some additional attractive pots placed within your home’s window views, planted with bold leaved plants, and some seasonal flowers, will pull your outdoor view into your indoors.
A clever trick is to use the same style or colour pots for both inside and outside, with different sizing to suit each space. The same goes with your colour scheme inside the house. If you can echo some of this colour into the outdoors, all will feel in harmony with each other.
I hope you enjoy playing with plants and colour around your home this summer. And I am only a phone call away if you need a little help.