Inspiring lawn designs and backyard styling!

Now that Christmas is done and dusted, our thoughts often turn to changes we might make for the coming year. And while some of us might don tracksuits and hit the streets Rocky Bilboa-style, change can come in far more sedate, tranquil guises. Perhaps it’s time to consider some inspiring lawn designs for 2022?

Whether your lawn is the perfect square or rectangle, there’s a lot to gain from considering less conventional configurations for our gardens or backyards. And if you don’t have a lawn at all, there are lots of ways of bringing vegetation into your stony haven.

This article is all about thinking outside of the box and exploring some inspiring lawn designs that could influence how you transform your garden in 2022.

Let’s go!

Garden lighting

Re-imagining your garden or outdoor space doesn’t always require a large infrastructure project. In fact, as we all hear so often, less is more.

So, it’s worth considering how you might transform your garden with lighting.

LED technology has come on a LOT in the past decade. And it’s now possible to light your garden with low-powered LEDs without running up huge electricity bills.

Festoon lighting

Festoon lighting provides a surprising amount of light. So, if there’s a corner of your garden (or yarden) that feels primed for late-night parties or chill-out sessions, add a little twinkle with these weather-proof string lights.

There are festoon lights that suit every budget, from as low as around £20 upwards.

Add a little techie angle to your festoons, and introduce colour-changing bulbs or even remote-controlled lights that work on a timer.

And with a range of bulb types, from your basic filament globe to industrial-looking squirrel cage bulbs, there are plenty of ways to personalise your outdoor space.

Solar-powered LEDs

Mains-powered festoon LEDs require access to power, of course, which could mean drilling a hole in your door frame, or threading cables through windows.

It can get a bit messy. And if you’re looking for a tidier alternative, solar-powered LEDs could be the way ahead.

Solar-powered lights rely on a good 8-hours of fairly direct sunlight to charge the batteries fully each day, so you’ll get less light hours from your bulbs during the winter.

However, you’re less likely to regularly use your garden during winter evenings, so solar-powered lighting might make sense for a greener way to light your back yard.

Traditionally, solar-powered LEDs were a little weedy in terms of light output. And while they’re always going to be less bright than LEDs attached to your main power grid, you can buy some excellent solar-powered festoon lighting that offers lovely ambient light all around your garden.

This model has a USB-C connector, which means you can charge the batteries from the mains if sunlight fails you on an important occasion like a family get-together when you’d like to show off your garden.

Pathways to shape your lawn

This lawn could easily have remained a boring rectangle. But these dual paths offer some organic curvature that creates aesthetic interest. The perfectly kempt grass is framed by these exquisitely laid brick paths, inviting your eye to travel all the way to the raised patio and rockery.

Right angles are rare in nature (let’s not get into crystal formations or basalt columns). Yet we all too often insist on square or rectangular lawns.

Sure, right angles are neat, but if you’re looking to add visual interest to your garden, aiming for more organic curves can be a real winner.

Pathways to preserve your lawn

If you have cats, you’ll probably notice that they take the shortest route from the bottom to the top of your garden every time – and they likely wear a little path into your lawn.

Well, cats are very wise animals, and they’ll often find the shortest path, which – instinctively – we humans also follow.

Avoid the damage of those natural paths by installing paving that follows that same trajectory. Think crazy paving for a fun approach, or something more stylish and neater made from brick or wood, such as:

A well-curated path can bring breathtaking beauty to your garden, enhancing the appearance of your lawn while preserving the integrity of your grass plants.

Garden zoning

Large or long thin gardens can look a little featureless without some careful consideration. So, it’s worth thinking about breaking up your garden into zones.

Divide a long and narrow garden into three distinct spaces, with a patio close to the house, a lawn in the middle, and a raised decking area at the far end. This works especially well for west-facing gardens, as the sunlight creeps along the length of the yard throughout the day.

Zoning in this way provides:

• Some beautiful sunlight in the morning on the patio
• Afternoon sun as you lounge on the lawn
• Early evening sun on the raised decking area

Zoning makes a large garden less overwhelming.

This garden is around an acre in size, but has been divided into sections. Along the bottom end is a secret garden with a log cabin to the left, a patio with a pergola along the middle, and a potting shed to the right. Along the right hand strip of the garden is a little orchard area with a greenhouse, enclosed by a flower bed. The middle section is lawn. The top end of the garden has another patio with a pergola and a large fish pond for coy carp.

Each section is divided by a low wall, hedge, picket fence, or a flower bed, adding interest and texture to the overall look and feel of the garden.

Plants

Finally, a garden that’s “all lawn” can look a little lost. Some people prefer to avoid garden plants because they think they require too much maintenance. Indeed, bedding plants do require decent earth, the right amount of light, and a fairly consistent weeding regime.

Potted plants look great in small gardens or back yards, and can negate the need for high-maintenance flower beds. Pots are often easier to look after than bedding plants, although they’re likely to require more regular watering as pots dry out more quickly than your garden soil.

Adding plants, shrubs, bushes, and trees provide an excellent way to build texture in your garden, providing colour throughout the year. Think about berry-producing shrubs that provide autumnal nourishment for birds, and flowers that attract bees.

Ready to get started?

We hope we’ve given you some inspiring lawn designs and plenty to get you planning your garden renovation. Of course, we love hearing from you, so if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Thanks for reading!