How to decorate your outdoor space

It's official – having an outdoor space is good for your health. You don't even need to be a green-fingered guru to enjoy the benefits. Almost any back garden, balcony, or patio can become a stunning sanctuary. Here are the basics of decorating your outdoor space:

• Identify what you want your outdoor space to be
• Set a budget for plants and garden furniture
• Plan around the light and wind conditions
• Pick a style or theme that you like
• Choose a wide variety of plants

Before you start picking out plants, it's important to decide how you want to use your outdoor space. You don't necessarily have to approach this from a gardening angle. 

Think about how your space needs to work for you. Create a place to entertain with statement plants, like Kirby the cordyline or unusual citrus trees like Lionel the calamondin - he’s perfect for cocktails. If you want to attract wildlife, why not add some bird feeders or pollinator-friendly climbers, like Clem the clematis? 

Get kids involved by growing your own fruit and veg. Even a small space can become a mini-allotment – crops like blueberries or kiwi berries can grow quite happily in pots on a balcony or patio.

Always be realistic about your available space and set a budget. Pick one or two things that are the most important to you and focus on those.

When choosing your plants, knowing how your outdoor space behaves really helps. Learn which spots get bright sunlight and which areas are cool and shady. Some plants prefer more sun, while others need cool shaded spots to thrive.

For example, Rose, our rose bush, loves soaking up lots of sun. This helps her create those beautiful blooms that we all know and love. Meanwhile, Beryl, our golden shield fern, prefers hanging out in the shade.

It's also worth figuring out how sheltered your space is. Plants can be a bit fussy about wind, and some won't like it if they get blown around. Others, like Bree the black bamboo, love a bit of a breeze.

We've all admired the perfectly manicured gardens on TV or social media. But for your own outdoor space, be honest about how much time and effort you can put in. Take a look at your schedule and set aside a bit of garden time, even if it’s just an hour every week.

Even someone with a busy lifestyle can create a lovely but low-maintenance outdoor space. The secret is to pick low-effort plants that look gorgeous for most of the year. Evergreens like Boo, our fargesia bamboo, and Ivy, the English ivy, are perfect.

It’s easy to fall in love with a particular style. But it’s always worth making sure that your chosen theme actually works with the layout of your outdoor space. 

A sunny balcony or courtyard patio works really well with a Mediterranean theme. Choose plants that love sunny spots like Orla, our sweet orange tree. Ollie the olive tree is also a great pick and looks great in a stylish concrete ridge pot.

Shady, sheltered spaces are perfect for creating a lush tropical jungle. Plants like Fats, our fabulous fatsia japonica, and Tam the tree fern love these conditions.

If you want to grow-your-own, choose crops Rory the raspberry bush. You can even create your own orchard with Andre, Cherie, and Pierre - our apple, cherry, and pear trees.

Variety is the spice of life, and your outdoor space is no different. Experiment with plants that bring different colours, textures, leaf shapes, and sizes to your outdoor space. This helps create lots of visual interest, making your outdoor space an eye-catching event.

Pick a mix of plants that look their best at different times of the year. In spring and summer, use flowers like Aggy the agapanthus and Gia, our hydrangea, to create a feast for the senses. In autumn and winter, evergreens like Laura the bay tree can keep your space lush and green.

Mix and match plants with different heights and shapes to create a dramatic display. For example, pair Cory the cabbage palm with his big sister Mae. This dynamic duo can bring some flair to any empty corner.

When you’re short on space, thinking vertically is an easy way to add some interest. Climbing plants like Harriet the honeysuckle or Rosa the climbing rose can help you get the most out of balconies and other small spaces. 

To truly set off your outdoor space, it can be worth spending a little extra on one or two larger statement plants. Helena, our Japanese sago palm, and Phoebe the Canary Island date palm are both great show-stoppers.