Many of us love a splash of colour in the garden, but there are huge fans of just plain black and white. In fact a garden in black and white is the latest trend in gardens and outdoor living. Black and white gardens are popping up and down the country as one of the most important garden trends over the last decade - let's explore why!
Why Create A Black & White Garden?
There are a number of fantastic reasons to utilise a monochrome colour palette for your outdoor space, such as:
- Illusions of a larger space
- Less upkeep and maintenance.
- Greenery and coloured flowers stand out against the dark colours.
- Dark colours are very fashionable.
- Dark furniture also creates the illusions of a spacious patio.
Black & White Gardens Create an Illusion of Extra Space
It is proven that darker colours in any room or garden can actually achieve the illusion of a larger space.
Too many bright colours can make a space feel claustrophobic by appearing busy. With shades of darker colours and the white door frames above, the space appears minimalist and therefore much larger than it is.
On top of this, the choice of simply using a single size of paving slab (90cm x 60cm pieces above) creates lots of straight lines that act as though they elongate the space, adding even further to the illusion that the space is slightly larger than it is.
Darker Accessories or Fencing Can Be Easier To Maintain
Another benefit of darker furniture, railings or fences for example, is that less upkeep and maintenance is required.
With a darker tone being using for the fencing (above), the property owner wont have to spend as much time cleaning and protecting the fencing as any dirt is likely to be less noticeable. You can create a really dramatic backdrop to your garden by freshening up a tired fence or shed with a splash of an inky black stain!
Choosing black furniture or garden accessories matched with a white patio or tiles can work really well to create spacious, cool and trendy look for your garden
Black & White Gardens Highlight Contrasting Flowers and Other Plants
Darker colours can really make the colours of the flowers in your garden stand-out, and when black is matched with white, the colours really pop.
Anything that doesn't fit with the colour palette of Black & White is going to be highlighted which is a perfect opportunity to make your greenery and flowers really stand out. So if you wanted plants to be a prominent feature of your space, a black and white theme could be a great idea to really make the colours stand out. Notice how the reds of the plants catch your eye in the below image:
Black & White Gardens Are Bang On Trend
Contemporary black tiles or stones matched with bright white can really add a touch of glamour to the garden.
Monochrome or Black & White spaces have been on trend for many years. They are timeless and always add a touch of elegance to a space. No matter when you are planning on constructing your garden, you can be fairly certain that a monochrome palette is likely to be in fasion!
Timeless Monochrome Gardens - More Recent Trends
Excitingly the trend of crazy paving is back again, but unlike before, the darker shades matched with lighter and brighter shades are what home owners are lining up for. Opting for irregular shaped darker slabs on white stones works beautifully and puts you at the front of the current garden trends. 2019 was dominated with crazy paving and gabion walls (below) and the trend of seeing the garden in black and white doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon.
When it comes to planting you can go for a mix of bright colours that will really pop out from their black and white backgrounds. However, if you are keen to go elegant and chic without being boring, there is a huge selection of white plants and flowers that can work amazingly in garden of black and white.
Some examples of popular white flowers, as seen at the recent Chelsea Flower Show, include the Orlaya Grandiflora which flowers from June to September and is quite a hardy plant. The white rhododendron is a great white flowering shrub that offers excellent volume to your garden and can be a fantastic focal point during spring months. Another favourite white flowering plant is the Viburnum Burkwoodii (below) which is a woody shrub. It produces tiny white flowers that look like snowballs. This plant is great to add height to your garden.
A Monochrome Garden - Is It For You?
They are not for everyone, but have so many practical design perks that make them irresistible for many. If you wanted to opt for a design that was going to be trendy, functional and a will help create the illusion of a larger space, then this may well be the option for you!
If you’d like some help seeing your garden in black and white then why not give our team a call. We would be happy to recommend some products that will you achieve your dream garden.
If you're just beginning your garden makeover journey, it may be a great idea to read through our handy buyers guide before launching head on into such a large project!
