Does the Scandinavian style have a place in the garden?

If you’re any kind of social media user, chances are you’ve tripped over the word ‘hygge’ more than once in the last few years. With the simple goal of achieving simple cosiness in the home, it is no wonder that it resonates with so many — after all, who doesn’t want to feel cosy at home? The hygge way of life wants people to feel comfortable, cosy, and enjoy the simple things. It’s minimalist, and it’s about enjoying what you have to its fullest.

 Doesn’t that sound like something else that’s been hitting the headlines recently? Again, if you’re a social media user or a Netflix subscriber, the chances are you’ve at least heard of Marie Kondo and her now-famous KonMari method. KonMari is the latest trend buzzing around the internet, and it’s a sparklingly wholesome one. The purpose of the KonMari method is to give your house a good tidying up, going through items one-by-one and only keeping those which ‘spark joy’.

 By the end of a long session of KonMari-ing, you will have no doubt picked up items you haven’t seen in years, eBayed a huge portion of clutter, and discovered a suddenly much more minimalist look to the home. Which, in turn, makes it a lot less daunting to tidy up in the future.

 So, once our homes are suitably minimalist, clean, tranquil, tidy, hygge’d and KonMari’d, what’s left for these de-cluttering trends? Well, we reckon these useful concepts certainly have a place in the gardens of 2019, and now is the perfect time to get planning!

2019 garden trends

The low-maintenance, calm culture of hygge is resonating with 2019 garden trend predictions. In fact, Garden Design is touting low-maintenance gardens with cosy retreat-spots nestled within as the top trend for 2019 — it has Scandinavian style written all over it!

 But before we create this perfectly snuggly garden space, we’re going to need a clean canvas. It’s time to embrace the internet-and-Netflix sensation and KonMari your garden.

Adapting KonMari for your garden

First, for those who haven’t heard of it, KonMari is essentially tidying by category rather than by room. The aim is to look through all your things, consider if it ‘sparks joy’, and if it doesn’t, discard it. Whatever is left is truly needed, and you can tidy it away. The method runs through five categories: clothing, books, papers, komono, and sentimental items.

 As we are heading out into the garden, we’re sitting in the komono category really, and that’s described as miscellaneous items. So, gather up all your garden items from the shed, around the lawn, wherever your store it, pile it up and give it all a good tidy! Keep what sparks joy, and discard what doesn’t. You’ll be left with the minimum you need, and your garden with be thoroughly decluttered. Take this opportunity to tidy up the lawn itself and any pathways too.

 With this canvas to work on, let’s set about planning out a Scandinavian, hygge-worthy garden for 2019!

Building ‘hygge’ into the outdoors

Another predicted trend for this year’s outdoor spaces is private, secluded retreats within the garden. This can take the form of the much-touted ‘she-sheds’, a mini staycation-inspired spot, a small seating area around a fire pit in the corner of the garden, or a combination of them.

 In-keeping with the idea of low-maintenance, take a look at quality-timber garden sheds when looking to invest in a retreat spot for your garden. Ideally, you’ll only need to apply a little timber treatment every now and again to keep your shed looking pristine — very little other maintenance is required for a good build.

 Now, resist those temptations to use the shed as storage! Remember all your hard work tidying up the garden? Hopefully, that means you won’t need to fill your shed with all your gardening equipment — alternatively, you could invest in a small shed to tidily store these items! But for your focal-point structure, you’ll want to embrace the sense of hygge with a spot of minimalist furniture and some cosy-snug faux-fur throws and rugs. For an aesthetic inspiration, think ‘hot chocolate, fireplace, snowing outside’ — that’s the sensation you are looking to capture within your garden-retreat shed. This should be the case whether it’s going to be a retreat for all the family to use, a chic she-shed, or just a snug little reading nook at the bottom of the garden. Keep digital items for in the house and reserve your garden retreat as a digital-detox zone.

Bringing a little Scandi style to the garden

A big trend for gardens in 2019 is low-maintenance. Think perennial plants, easy-to-care-for blooms that won’t throw a tantrum at the first sign of you neglecting to water them once or twice! Also, if you have a larger garden with pathways, consider stones that won’t need repairing or replacing constantly. Sleek, clean lines are very Scandinavian-style, and the neutral tone of stone is an added benefit.

 If you have a patio area, another hot trend for 2019 is patio fruits. The idea of growing your own really took off last year, and it’s set to continue this year with an emphasis on the fruity! Don’t shy away from it; there are many fruits that are so easy to grow and take up hardly any space. Try your hand at growing strawberries, raspberries, or goji berries.

Furnishings

As mentioned, we don’t want or need to fill out gardens with furnishings. Be selective, and make sure it has a purpose. If you have furniture in the house that you’re thinking of getting rid of, why not repurpose it for the garden? It’s amazing what a spot of wax or a lick of paint can do to create rustic chairs for your retreat-spot; or, get creative and turn an old wooden ladder into a wall-leaning shelf by the shed or a stand for a scattering of potted plants, for example.

 With your garden de-cluttered and an enviable, minimalist retreat created, your outdoor space should be a beautifully low-maintenance, Scandinavian-inspired dream! Perfect for matching your hygge-life in the home.