I love looking at my garden in winter, I can see the overall structure, all the bare bones of it and think about what’s missing or not working. While the evenings are still dark and the weather is often grey and uninspiring it’s the perfect time to start planning any changes, to look at what else I want to squeeze in and grow. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start with any changes, what will compliment what is already in the garden or even with a blank canvas. Pinterest is a great place to put together your own mood board or look at what’s trending at the moment and according to them in 2020 ‘Finding Balance’ is set to be a key trend. This is a way of reducing stress in everyday life and what better way than to spend time in the garden, using your garden as a retreat, a space to relax in and switch off in after work. Whether this is an existing space, turning a tiny corner into a seating area or even a bench or chair just to be able to surround yourself with favourite plants.

Bench surrounded by Camassias

Every garden, where possible should have more than one seating area whether to be able to follow the sun throughout the day or to have a dining space and a chill-out area, a space just for you to sit and watch the grasses waving in the breeze or to inhale the scent. Whether being able to brush against a border edged with lavender or sit surrounded by climbing roses or honeysuckle (Lonicera pericylmenum‘Heaven Scent’ says it all really). Even in winter there are some amazing scented plants that will fill the garden, the winter flowering honeysuckle Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ or Lonicera fragrantissima with their deliciously sweet scent give the most when planted near a path (or trained against a wall if space is tight).

Seating area on Flemings Nursery Chelsea Show Garden

Creating a seating space can be as simple as sitting on a step, one of my favourite places to sit in my own garden is on the bottom step leading down to the lawn, here I’m level with the plants and feel completely immersed and surrounded by greenery. Green as well as being the colour of nature and life is relaxing and calming so is the perfect place to spend ten minutes with a mug of coffee and yes I can’t help having a quick check to see if there are any gaps or whether something isn’t working (has one species taken over or is something looking unhappy in its environment).

Climbing roses, ideal around a seating area

After all a garden shouldn’t just be a place to work or potter in but somewhere to relax. Whether enjoying a start to the day with a coffee, a leisurely lunch at the weekends, somewhere to read a book or enjoy a chilled out drink on a warm summer evening or even just sit and be.

Lavender