The best outdoor trends of 2015

Say goodbye to African violets and hello to market garden on your windowsill. Gardens are working harder than ever before. Plants need to earn their keep these days, and if we can’t eat you, move along.  It’s more cost effective to grow your own herbs than spending a small fortune on basil, only to have it wilt in the fridge. 

“Edible gardens bring an otherwise unused space to life,” says Christine Gough, IKEA interior design leader. “There’s the typical solution to line a window sill so the plants get enough sun [but] the solutions don’t end there – get creative and line a railing or shelf with herb planters on your kitchen wall or place pot plants on a step ladder.” Gough says these quick fixes work especially well in smaller kitchens and will reduce your wastage whilst working fresh and fragrant greenery into your home.

Source: Bon Appetit 

Edible flowers likely reigned supreme in your Instagram and Pinterest feeds this year. Visually stunning, good for you and pretty – that’s win, win, win in my books. 

Greenhouses are a good way to propagate plants, help seedings along and extend the growth cycle of plants that don’t like winter’s chill. 

“To grow and preserve your own herbs and produce can be wholesome family fun. You can start growing your own celery or other vegetables just from kitchen scraps within the Vindruva greenhouse to reduce the amount of waste in your kitchen,” Gough says. 

To market, to market 

Source: Design Sponge

Australia is blessed by the fresh produce we have at our fingertips, so why not show it off? 

“Open shelving units lined with your favourite baskets and glass jars bring a rustic and personalised touch to your kitchen. Your kitchen will feel like a farmers market when you fill the baskets with fruit, vegetables and herbs,” Gough says. 

Why not use fresh fruit and vegetables as a table piece (like the pineapple in the picture above) at your next soiree? They can be just as stunning as a bouquet of flowers and, well, delicious too. 

Cherie Slater from Marmoset Found says that spring weave wire baskets are clever enough to be functional, yet beautiful enough to be simply decorative – perfect as a rustic bread bowl on an outdoor table setting too. 



Bold is beautiful

‘Bigger the better’ has been this year’s plant mantra. We are obsessed with fiddle leaf figs. Who doesn’t want a tree in their living room? 

“No matter if they are on a print or in a pot in the house, big leafy green plants are right on trend this season,” Gough says. But what type of plant should you choose? Gough suggests peace lillies or tropical plants like the kentia palm grouped together to bring a lush look and feel to your home. 

Birds of Paradise. Source: Pinterest 

Emma Blomfield, an interior stylist, agrees and says birds of paradise, bromeliads and the monstera palms are trendy this year. 

The outdoor room

Source: Sapristipopette

Australia’s obsession with getting closer to nature with al fresco living has continued in popularity this year. 

“This season is all about create a space outside that is an extension of the internal lounge room, dining area. The idea is to have a natural flow that will keep the outdoors in harmony with the inside. It’s about creating a relaxed, lived-in feeling that isn’t precious,” says founder of Olli Ella, Chloe Brookman.

“There are ways to create seamless living to make the outside of your home an extension of the inside. Try treating your outdoor space like any other room in the house and create an outdoor room,” Gough suggests. 

Source: Desire To Inspire

“Rugs used outdoors will help extend the functionality of your lounge room to create a sweet ‘outdoor entertaining room’ rather than a separate zone,” Brookman says. 

Hang weather-proof art on the walls, is Blomfield’s advice. “It’s hard to fill your outdoor walls with art because your options are limited but there are some great companies out there doing some cool art installations for outdoors,” she says. 

Marsala 

Dahlias. Source: Flickr

The 2015 Panetone colour of the year has made its way into the backyard. We have seen oxtails, brown orchids and hellebones come into the spotlight, but this striking hue doesn’t have to be limited to your blooms. Use art work, flower pots and outdoor furniture to make colour pop amid your greenery.