With winter finally behind us, the excitement of enjoying long, sunny days and pleasant evenings in the garden returns at last. Family gatherings and parties with friends, children playing, barbecues by the pool, sunset cocktails… Everything is possible in a garden that follows the latest trends, one that is just as pleasant to look at as it is to be in, becoming your dream retreat for the coming summer. Are you up to date with all the trends?
We have brought together the key approaches that landscape designers and architects across Europe are embracing in their projects into five ideas to help make your garden the envy of the neighbourhood this summer. Discover how bold colour, tactile textures, elegant natural planting, low-maintenance gardens, the use of technology to support biodiversity, and the garden conceived as a shared sensory space for everyone are all becoming popular.
1. Long live colour, long live life
The gardens set to stand out next summer will be a true explosion of life and colour. While soft, romantic pastel shades have defined trends in recent seasons, they are now joined by the bold intensity of plants and flowers in vibrant colours, sometimes paired with softer tones, muted greens or dried flowers.
These colourful plants and blooms will stand out against the whites, neutrals, earthy shades and forest greens that are currently in vogue in outdoor décor, with terraces and porches designed to encourage moments of pause and relaxation.
2. Resilient, low-maintenance gardens
Recent summers and the past winter have shown that climate change is a reality, and it is becoming increasingly urgent to take action at home to make our living spaces more resilient to extreme weather. If you need to introduce new plants, choose native or Mediterranean species adapted to the climate of southern Portugal, along with low-maintenance hedges, trees and lawns.
Sustainable solutions for garden care that reduce the use of water, electricity, fossil fuels, and polluting emissions have been on trend for years. They also make it increasingly easier to automate time-consuming tasks such as watering and mowing the lawn, without having to wait for your gardener to find the time to do it.
3. Technology at the service of efficiency
The Husqvarna Automower®robotic lawn mower, with 30 years of experience and the trust of over 4 million customers worldwide, mows the lawn autonomously and silently around the clock. With Swedish design and European manufacturing, the Automower® has maintained its sales leadership across all continents thanks to advanced technology that delivers a perfect finish and precise cut, even in models that do not use a perimeter wire.
The new generation of Automower® AI Vision robots takes this even further. They are equipped with a camera using Artificial Intelligence vision technology that can see and interpret its surroundings, stopping or changing direction to avoid collisions with people, animals, or objects left on the lawn. This innovation ensures a completely safe environment while guaranteeing a flawless result, no matter the size or shape of the garden.
Automower® also promotes lawn health by cutting the grass into such fine clippings that they decompose within hours, naturally fertilising the soil and reducing the need for watering.
Automation is becoming increasingly important in garden care, with technologies that are more precise than ever. If you haven’t already, consider installing automatic irrigation and smart lighting with solar charging to enjoy a lush, sustainable garden effortlessly.
4. Sensory garden
Gardens have always been a peaceful retreat for relaxing and entertaining guests in a calm atmosphere, but there is an increasing focus on creating an experience grounded in the principles of neuroarchitecture, combining a wide variety of elements, both plant-based and decorative, to enhance mood and stimulate the senses.
How can this be achieved? The possibilities are almost endless. You could plant aromatic herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender or sage along walkways, create ponds with water features whose gentle sounds encourage relaxation and mask external noise, choose soothing colours for plants and furniture around seating areas, or install warm, indirect lighting that not only adds decoration but also allows you to enjoy a starry night sky.
The Artificial Intelligence vision technology in the latest generation of Automower® robots makes garden design more flexible than ever. You can set up temporary exclusion zones, adjust mowing patterns with different styles, or customise your garden by area with varying uses, schedules and cutting heights, all easily controlled from your mobile device.
The robot can also create intelligent maps of your garden. By combining satellite-assisted navigation with vision technology, it ensures full lawn coverage and a flawless cut, day or night, quietly and without interruption, even in areas with a weak satellite signal.
5. Organic, natural materials and rich texture
Just as textures dominate the fashion runways, they are also taking centre stage in gardens. This season, walls, steps and decorative features that incorporate natural stone, rough organic and natural materials such as wood, or large terracotta and raffia pots are all on trend.
This emphasis on texture extends to flowers and plants as well, with species such as coneflowers, hydrangeas, amaranth and ornamental grasses providing both tactile interest and vibrant colour.
6. Shaded, comfortable areas
With temperatures becoming increasingly extreme, creating shaded structures in the garden is not just a trend in European gardening, but a necessity for blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living.
While outdoor kitchens were a highlight last season, the focus now is on enhancing outdoor life with furniture, covered areas and protection from the elements, allowing you to enjoy your garden well into the autumn. Take advantage of installing pergolas and gazebos to continue your goal of creating a more sustainable garden, filled with aromatic plants that will make your evenings truly memorable.
Far from the formal gardens of the past, designed merely to be admired with clearly defined areas and rigid geometric shapes, the trend is now towards gardens with varying depths, textures, shapes and colours, but above all, spaces created to be experienced and enjoyed with your loved ones, in harmony with nature.
This respect for the natural environment has inspired the Swedish group Husqvarna throughout its more than 300-year history to develop the most efficient, innovative and sustainable products. These values explain why Husqvarna forestry and garden machines are market leaders worldwide.
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