Now that spring has arrived, it’s a busy time for gardeners getting their plots ready for the months ahead. If you want your outside space to enjoy stylish status this year, here are some of the key trends you should be incorporating into your garden.

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Edible Gardening

Growing your own fruit and vegetables has enjoyed a huge revival in recent times, and according to the Telegraph the growing trend for edible gardening should take an even greater hold in 2016. There will be emphasis on growing in small spaces, so whether you pot up some veggie plants on the patio, window box or living wall, creative use of limited space makes edible gardening an option for all this year.

Lighting Schemes

As the technology advances for outdoor lighting, the options are increasing, with lighting schemes big on the agenda for garden design this year. According to Garden Design Magazine new lighting schemes can be controlled via a smart phone, with brightness, dimming and activation control, affording you great flexibility in the garden.

Purposeful Gardening

The trend for garden design this year will be focused on establishing gardens that have a purpose. Rather than just planting flowers to look pretty, gardens will have a more purposeful meaning to the individual. Whether it’s choosing plants that attract wildlife or for eating, or to create spaces for keeping chickens or making compost, gardens in 2016 will be as functional as they are eye-pleasing.

Outdoor Living Spaces

The trend to viewing a garden as an extension of a living space will grow this year, with more emphasis on personalising seating, outdoor furniture, grilling areas and even creating zones to retreat to. The garden shed is also earning a status as more than just a storage area, with bespoke and fashionable spaces like shepherds huts, such as those available from http://www.cotswoldshepherdshuts.co.uk/, proving their worth as places to spend time, whether for work or play.

Colourful Structures

Bringing colour to a garden is normally done through its planting schemes, but this year, there will be an emerging trend to add further colour through structures, such as fences, buildings and furnishings. Whilst many people stick to traditional colours, such as brown, for fences, in 2016, there’ll be a rise in structures, such as fences, being painted dark green or deep blue, for example.