The garden as an expression of lifestyle

Diversity is evident in the palette of decorative elements for the garden. There are new ornamental pieces to suit every taste and every style, whether the desire is for something complementary for a thematic garden, a striking contrast or an imaginative eye-catcher. Here fashion and trends play a particularly significant role, and a tendency towards particular themes becomes apparent. The sea as a theme is one example of this: there are fish of wood or china, bowls made of shells and lanterns in the shape of lighthouses. And everywhere the predominant colour is blue. Then there is the theme of country living: whole families of ducks or flocks of chickens, mainly in natural terracotta, populate lawns, terraces and windowsills. As an alternative there are pairs of cats, moles or birds in stylised, natural shapes made of clay or china in muted colours. Matching these are flower baskets, hanging baskets and figures such as amusing little scarecrows made of straw and raffia.
Big spheres of granite or terracotta glazed in blue, green or rust to provide that special accent on lawns or in flowerbeds are available for gardens that tend towards the modern. There will surely also be takers for hanging flower baskets made of silver-coloured wire mesh and matching cone-shaped candlesticks or lanterns as decoration for the terrace or balcony.
Terracotta sculptures and planters create a mediterranean atmosphere.
Trend towards theme gardens
What began as a sales offensive in garden centres has developed into a particular trend in demand: the theme garden. It is in keeping with the consumer’s desire for self-realisation, providing the creative and imaginative stimulus for designing a garden, terrace or balcony. The mediterranean garden brings a holiday atmosphere to everyday life with its terracotta planters for lemon trees, oleander and privet, “antique” pillars and sculptures. The exotic garden with tropical plants or the Japanese garden with bamboo, water lily pond, bridges and Chinese lanterns bring memories of far-off worlds. English gardens, Scandinavian gardens, rock gardens, water gardens – the palette of theme gardens is extremely varied.
Decorative elements can also be presented on a small area.
Naturally coloured planters
Natural colours, natural materials and simple shapes characterise the trends in planters for outdoors. For the terrace or balcony come tubs, boxes and pots of high-quality, frost-resistant terracotta, sometimes also made of stone or wood, which are intended to draw attention to the plants and so appear without any ornamentation at all, or with very little. Terracotta in pale shades of red and salt-glazed clay are predominant, along with white, blue and, increasingly, brown or grey pottery. Large-scale, thick-walled planters in the shape of spheres, cubes or cylinders and tall, slim stelae provide accents for the ever more popular mediterranean garden. Trendy alongside these natural materials are high-quality plastic receptacles in the natural look – lots of terracotta and dark brown – most of them fitted with integrated self-watering systems and rollers for ease of transport.