Top garden trends for 2022

We spend more time at home than ever before, so it’s little wonder we’ve turned our attention outside. No longer reserved for a couple of summer barbecues, our gardens have become extensions of our homes, offering a green space in which we can relax, play, cook, dine and even work. So, with a renewed appreciation for the humble garden, let’s look ahead and see what 2022 has in store for yours

FRONT GARDEN FOCUS

Lockdowns and Covid restrictions have left people craving connection more than ever, so we predict a renewed focus on our front gardens and porches, with many experts espousing their benefits. Compact spaces where you can sit and watch the world go by or catch up with your neighbours, porches and front gardens can offer fresh air and vital connection to the world beyond your fence. You can make yours more inviting with comfy seating, good lighting and some potted plants.

LUSH FOLIAGE AND GRASSES

2022 will also see a big focus on greenery. Award-winning London-based garden designer Charlotte Rowe is forecasting a focus on grasses in particular. “What’s trending with clients is using grasses mixed with perennials and bulbs alongside more structural planting,” she writes. “Grasses are popular as they look good for a lot of the year and do not need masses of maintenance.”

With the focus on outdoor living, many of us are keen to cook outside, too. An outdoor kitchen could be as simple as a firepit with a removable grill top, or you could go the whole hog and install a barbecue, pizza oven, functional prep area, outdoor sink and even outside refrigeration. Plant anearby herb garden or fruit trees for a full garden-to-plate experience.

PATTERNED TILES

From encaustic and ceramic to cement, patterned tiling has been slowly making its way from our bathroom floors and kitchen splashbacks and into our gardens — and 2022 is its time to shine. There's no end of striking designs to choose from, whether you're after a bold graphic print to inject colour into a grey patio or a more subtle, neutral pattern for an elegant courtyard. The choice is yours!

BACKYARD BIRDWATCHING

Sales of bird feeders and birdseed have skyrocketed this year, suggesting many of us have recently caught the birdwatching bug. It’s not hard to see the appeal to beckoning birds into our gardens – they help ground us in nature and connect us with the seasons. Indeed, our fascination with our winged friends has led many to rethink their gardens and add plants that provide shelter and good foraging options for birds. 41

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Hoteliers in Bristol have made a fresh plea to the Government to extend the current reduced rate of VAT for their businesses, which face a bleak start to 2022.

Most members of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) suffered a difficult end to 2021 with many reporting business was at least 30 percent lower in December than they had hoped for. With no furlough scheme to fall back on and costs increasing, the BHA say more Government support is vital if businesses are to survive. “Right now we have very little revenue, increases in costs and continuing staff difficulties. Not only is recruitment hard – in terms of available recruits and costs – but many businesses are losing people temporarily because they have to isolate. “Some hotels have had more than 20 staff in one week unable to work because they have tested positive or have to self-isolate.” In July 2020, the Government announced a temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality industry. This was increased to 12.5% in October 2021.

BHA Chair Raphael Herzog said: “At the end of last year, the Government announced grants of up to £6,000 for hospitality businesses. But that would only cover us for what we lose in one day with a conference booking, as an example. “As it is, there are very few conference at the moment, because people are worried about mixing. Few people are travelling, even fewer are taking leisure trips, so it’s really quiet. “January and February are looking extremely slow for us, on the back of a very disappointing Christmas period. “At the very least, we need the Government to extend the reduced rate of VAT at least until the end of the summer in order to give us some chance of sustaining our businesses. Ideally, the reduced rate should be made permanent. At present, this rate will run until 31 March, after which VAT is due to rise back to the full rate.

But hoteliers are calling for the reduced rate to remain if they are to have any realistic chances of recovery, given all the current challenges.

Mr Herzog said: “It’s very hard to operate a business in the current climate, with more money going out than coming in, and an extremely challenging first quarter ahead. “We need more support, not only from the Government, but from other companies and customers to help with our long-term recovery from the impact of the pandemic.”

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