For the past few years, outdooring has been popular and now, more than ever, we want to create a thoroughly pleasant outdoor environment.

So just what are the trends for 2023?

From a horticultural perspective, plants that require little care remain popular: lazy gardening, happy gardening! Plants with coloured foliage, and particularly those with purplish flowers, are very trendy: think lavender, lilacs, Russian sage, globe thistles… The tendency is towards plants massed in flowerbeds. More and more people are enjoying different varieties of alocasia. And to add form and texture that will brighten up flowered spaces, use pots in various shapes and colours; they’ll be in good taste this summer.

Turning to other elements of landscaping, here are some to consider

• Pergolas – shady places that will shelter the spots where you relax, take meals, place your outdoor furniture. They will be dressed in sun shades, climbing plants, wooden slats…
• Landscape lighting, for reasons of both security and ambience, will let you extend your happy times outdoors — intelligent lighting, solar lighting…
• The fireplace corner invites us to gather all year round — from the cocktail hour to a starry summer night by way of a winter apres-ski.
• Outdoor kitchen and bar, with all kinds of integrated accessories: barbecue, cooking surface, smoker, pizza oven…
• Pool, outdoor shower and pond remain the must-haves.
• Large paved areas, made up of small European paving stones laid in chevrons, will be much in style.

Outdoor china will be seen increasingly in our gardens. Of course, sustainable and ecological concepts will take first place — the use of native or edible plants, re-use of existing materials, recovery of rainwater, installation of solar lights, the use of your own compost… Being eco-responsible is a top priority!

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