How to give your garden that holiday feel

Every time I leave my home in the far reaches of west Cornwall, I am constantly looking into other people’s gardens, over their fences, peeking through gateways and pinching ideas. It’s human nature to be observant, curious about the world around us, and from birth we are naturally inquisitive about what other people do. 

We can take inspiration for our own outdoor spaces from nature, parks, woodland, grand estates, country cottages and ancient landscapes, at home and abroad, adapting them to suit our gardens and keeping that holiday spirit alive. However, there are grand ideas that will work, and some that will not. 

A sense of place 

The plants used in the Exotic Garden at RHS Rosemoor create a lush, tropical feel

Drought tolerant plants suit their location at Denmans Garden, an RHS Partner Garden

Pick your theme

Holidays (generally) make us happy. We have spent hours researching where to go, which attractions to visit, the right hotel, the things we can do there, then made wonderful memories, either alone, with family or with new friends. Bringing a little of that sense of happiness home encourages us to make the most of our gardens.  

© Natalie Ashbee

Take inspiration from plants and materials you see on holiday, condensing grand ideas into feasible choices. Olive trees seen on a Greek hillside can be grown in large pots quite happily

Choose your plants wisely 

The key thing with picking plants is that they may well grow happily in a holiday location but may not do so well where you live. This doesn’t mean you can’t get the same feel, you just need to pick alternatives that give the same look but suit your soil and geographical location. Do this by sticking to the same shape, leaf or flower colour, in a plant suited to the UK climate. Check growing conditions using the online RHS Plants pages.

Picking your plants can be a lot of fun. Visit RHS Gardens for planting inspiration that suits the UK climate

Colour is key 

Just as it feels wrong to wear wintry colours in the heat of summer, choosing colours for your theme that do not suit your landscape can also jar. This is especially true with the tones used for hard landscaping – walls, paving, gravel etc. Look at what you already have and at neighbouring buildings. Try out ideas on paper, putting fence or wall colours next to the colour of your, or your neighbour’s, houses. Do they clash or complement each other?  

Colour can make or break a garden. Test out colours to see what feels right. The colour of these walls sing in Beneath a Mexican Sky, RHS Chelsea 2017, designed by Manoj Malde

Get the materials right  

Materials are key to creating the specific feel of your holiday destination. Gravel is often seen in warmer countries, where decking or

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

mulch

Pale stone walling and matching gravel fits the theme of L’Occitane Garden, designed by James and Helen Basson, RHS Chelsea 2016

How to get the look 

Here are a few ideas to get you started and the creative juices flowing, from the balmy Med to the stylish Nordic lands, to the Tropics. 

Mediterranean magic 

Artificially speeding up a plant’s growth, flowering or fruiting, usually by manipulation of temperature and light. Rhubarb and chicory can be forced in late winter by covering with a forcing jar or bucket, or by placing potted plants in the dark, to produce earlier, paler, sweeter growth. Hyacinths and other spring bulbs are often forced, so they flower earlier indoors.

forcing

Silvery leaved plants and sun lovers such as cistus suit the Mediterranean style

• Shop for the Mediterranean look

Create the perfect spot out of the sun with a metal table and chairs, surrounded with scented planting and spots of colour

Scandi style  

Recent years have seen a huge interest in the laid-back, Scandinavian way of living, with hygge (cosiness) and lagom (just the right amount) becoming part of everyday language in the UK. Their innate sense of style seems to come from deep within, an ancient one-ness with their surroundings, of dappled woodland and serene lakes, warm fires, lanterns and cosy blankets.  

Simple lines, pretty planting and cosy blankets bring a Nordic feel to your garden. (The Viking Cruises Lagom Garden, designed by Will Williams, RHS Hampton 2019)

• Shop for Scandinavian style

Tropical paradise 

Exotic-looking plants can be hardier than you think, with lots of options available that will take you right through the year

• Shop for exotics online at RHS Plants

Be inspired

Whether you holiday at home or abroad, there is inspiration out there for every size and style of garden. The only question now, is where are you going next? 

© Natalie Ashbee

Materials and plants that suit their location are what give a garden that comfortable feeling - the theory of ‘right plant, right place’ just makes sense