Sustainable Garden Design - Planting for Pollinators & Year-Round Enjoyment

At Design@Studio17, our passion extends beyond the walls of your home. We believe in creating spaces that nurture wellbeing and leave a positive impact on the world. This philosophy naturally extends to the garden, an integral part of your living environment. Our focus on sustainable garden design means that your garden can be a sanctuary for you and a haven for local wildlife, all while reflecting your commitment to sustainability. This means making conscious choices that leave the world a little better than we found it.

Boosting Biodiversity: Planting for a Positive Insect Population

A thriving garden is a balanced ecosystem, and insects play a vital role. By choosing the right plants, you can create a welcoming habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects, reducing the need for harmful pesticides.

• Go Native: Native plants are adapted to the local climate and provide food and shelter for native insects. They often require less water and maintenance than more exotic species. For example, consider planting lavender, which attracts bees, or native wildflowers like oxeye daisies.

• Embrace Plant Diversity: Plant a variety of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees to attract a wide range of insects. Include plants with different shapes, colours, and bloom times to ensure a continuous supply of pollen and nectar.

• Keep It Natural: While you might be tempted by the idea of a faux-lawn being low-maintenance, astro-turfs are made of plastic, can date quite quickly, often looking tired and unauthentic, and they also do nothing for your natural garden environment, which a natural grass lawn would do. Natural grass lawns have health benefits for your wellbeing too; when barefoot on grass you will be engaging with your natural surroundings and be practising a type of grounding technique – these techniques have been shown to reduce pain, stress, depression, and fatigue, and in turn, they boost your overall feeling of wellbeing.

• Provide Shelter: Leaf litter, dead stems, and logs in your garden can provide nesting and overwintering sites for insects. While you may be tempted to tidy up and remove all traces of these, we’d suggest looking at how they could be repurposed as a built-up log pile or ‘bug hotel’, to continue to provide a habitat for these insects (they will repay the favour in the warmer months, playing a key part in natural pest control).

• Avoid Pesticides: Say no to harmful pesticides by opting for natural pest control methods like companion planting, organic sprays (garlic, neem oil), and encouraging natural predators. Natural predators like ladybirds (which eat aphids) are attracted by planting dill and fennel. Tomato plants can be protected with companion planting of marigolds to deter nematodes from feasting on your summer salad supply.

Image Sources (Left to Right): Insect Friendly Planting by Design@Studio17 / Wall Hung Planter by nkuku.com

Illuminating Your Sustainable Sanctuary: The Importance of Garden Lighting

Garden lighting enhances safety, extends the usability of your outdoor space, adds to the ambience, but can also be energy-efficient and minimise disruption to nocturnal wildlife. Consider these sustainable lighting options:

• Harness Solar Power: Solar garden lights are a fantastic sustainable option, utilising renewable energy and requiring no wiring. They are cost-effective and are a good long-lasting option for adding light to your space for use in the evening.

• LED Outdoor Lighting: Energy-efficient and long-lasting, LED lights are a great choice for outdoor use. Choose warm white tones to create a welcoming ambience.

• Strategic Light Placement: Use lighting to highlight pathways, steps, and architectural features.

• Candle Lighting: The use of candles can be functional and beautiful, adding to the ambience in your garden; placing refillable citronella candles in decorative holders will look gorgeous, while ensuring that you don’t have any unwanted pest-guests encroaching on your space.

• Minimise Light Pollution: Use shielded fixtures to direct light downwards and avoid disturbing nocturnal wildlife. By using a combination of timed and motion sensor lights, you can also help conserve energy and reduce unnecessary illumination.

Image Sources (Left to Right): Softly lit Outdoor Seating by Design@Studio17 / Mushroom Lamp by abigailahern.com

Seasonal Garden Design: Optimising Outdoor Living Spaces

To truly enjoy your garden year-round, consider creating distinct zones that cater to different seasons and activities:

• Summer Social Hub: Design a comfortable patio or deck area perfect for al fresco dining and entertaining during warmer months. Consider shade solutions like pergolas with climbing plants. If entertaining isn’t your thing, then think about creating a quiet corner with sun loungers to enjoy some downtime in the warmer months.

• Spring Awakening Nook: Create a sunny spot with comfortable seating where you can enjoy the first blooms of spring. This might be a sheltered corner, or a bench positioned to capture the morning sun.

• Autumnal Retreat: Design a cosy area around a fire pit or outdoor heater for enjoying the crisp autumn evenings. Consider windbreaks and comfortable seating with blankets.

• Winter Interest Focus: Incorporate structural elements like evergreen shrubs, interesting tree bark, and sculptural elements that provide visual appeal even in the colder months. Plan for winter-flowering plants like snowdrops and winter aconites.

Image Sources (Left to Right): Outdoor Fireplace by abigailahern.com / TBCo Block Check Throw Blanket via anthropologie.com / Rattan Lounger by nkuku.co.uk / Adirondack Chair by Mobek.co.uk

Maintaining a Tidy & Thriving Garden for Summer Enjoyment

Prepare your garden for the summer months with these tips:

• Spring Clean: Remove any excess of accumulated leaves, branches, and other debris (Make sure to nurture insect habitats with our advice from earlier in this read!).

• Weed Regularly: A little and often approach will prevent weeds from taking over and competing with your desired plants. Mulching helps significantly with weed suppression.

• Lawn Care: Mow your lawn regularly but raise the mower blades to avoid cutting the grass too short, which can stress it. Consider grass cycling (leaving clippings on the lawn) to return nutrients to the soil.

• Mulching Matters: Apply generous layer of organic mulch (wood chips, compost, shredded bark) around your plants to retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and to regulate soil temperature.

• Deadhead Flowers for Continuous Blooms: Remove spent flowers to encourage further blooming.

• Prepare Outdoor Furniture: Clean and treat your garden furniture to get it ready for use, while helping to maintain its lifespan.

Image Source: via Design@Studio17

By embracing these sustainable gardening practices, you can create an outdoor space that is not only beautiful and functional but also a positive contribution to the environment, perfectly aligning with our commitment to leaving the world a little better than we found it.

If you’re embarking on a garden redesign, and want to read a little more, see our advice on making design decisions for your outdoor spaces, that will last for seasons to come here. If you’d like to work with us to help create your dream outdoor sanctuary, or to solve a garden design dilemma, book in for one of our garden design services – we’re looking forward to helping create something beautiful and sustainable for you.