The Chelsea Flower show turns 100 this year. By accepting the very innovative designs by Fernando Gonzalez, the show proves it is  embracing innovation and audacity in style.

For the 2013 edition of  The Chelsea Flower show  he designed ‘The Sound Of Silence’ sponsored by Viking River Cruises
‘The garden is designed to be viewed as a koan, an insoluble riddle used in
Zen practice as a meditational exercise along the road to enlightenment.

A tree and mountains are clues in the search for the garden’s deeper
significance.

The garden is inspired by Zen Japanese gardens . They were designed to be
viewed as enigmatic representations of the course of human life and provided
an image of Nature in its most condensed form.

The garden is a serene place for contemplation and meditation. It provides a
calming escape from the stresses and desires of life.’

MORE DESIGNS BY FERNANDO:

We hope to meet you live at The Landscape Show on Sept.24th/1 PM. Our innovations and trends seminar will focus on defining the new green, an introduction to collaborative consumption,  best designs and innovations 2013 and resources to keep informed and inspired.

Register online at http://landscapeshow.co.uk

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Site:

http://www.blive.pt/index.php/en/blive-en

The celebrated D4 is now available for outdoor use.

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http://www.tecta.de/produkte/index.html

Presented at the recent Verona Fire fair.

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Site:

http://www.diemmebi.com/community_it/urbantime/zeroquindici-015.html

The Prestigious Chelsea Flower show is opening soon (between the 21^st and the 25^th of May 2013 to be exact) and with it comes the usual spectacular and unusual array of garden and flower design from a great variety of garden and design pioneers. The highlights this year (the centenary of the show first opening) are the show gardens which will incorporate a mixture of historical favourites and new designs, as well as a special display looking at the evolution of the gardens.

For ordinary gardeners however, 2013 garden design is more about fragrant flowers, variegated foliage, mini homesteading, permeable and modern pavements and a chic country look. So keeping your garden looking and feeling up to date, whilst still remaining slick and tidy, is key for this year’s bloom. The modern paving and chic country landscape architecture will be a top feature taking you into next year so here are a few simple ideas to help you transform your garden.

Simple garden design ideas to get you back on trend:

1.       Make the most of your patio – fragrant flowers are all the rage in the home and garden world for 2013 so make the most of your patio area and add some stylish garden furniture to wow your guests. Transform your garden into a stylish and interactive space with a range of floral smells to tantalize the senses.

2.       Focus on your flowers – one hot trend is having less grass and more flowers so spend time looking after your plant pots and flower beds and don’t forget that fragrant plants are a big hit this year.

3.       Modern paving – this goes hand in hand with the last trend; if you want less grass and more flowers, a great way of achieving that look is investing in some stylish paving. This is a quick and easy way of modernizing your garden and giving your outdoor space a much needed contemporary revival.

4.       Keep your space tidy – gardening is a very rewarding hobby especially when you see your efforts coming together but maintenance needs to be frequent so having the right tools for the job is important. To keep your garden looking tidy, invest in a stylish garden shed to keep everything in one place. (Visit asgardsss.co.uk for a range of metal sheds).  You could always plan the shed placement to be part of a centrepiece, as well. Plenty of sheds get hidden away, but one that has good proportions and angles, and looks smart, can be utilised as part of an overall planning strategy as opposed to just being an outbuilding.

5.       Variegated foliage – the great thing about variegated foliage is that it lasts all season long so you can enjoy beautiful colours in your garden all year round. A popular feature is to combine beautiful flowers with foliage to create a stunning container-plant look for your garden.

6.       Garden furniture – if you want a quick and simple way of instantly transforming your garden, garden furniture can help you create this year’s favourite ‘country chic’ look. You can also create a nice space for family members and guests to sit down in. Try to work with your existing colours, garden ornaments and ground décor if you can, as the wrong kind of furniture draws the eye very easily and can potentially ruin an otherwise well-planned outdoors design.

Long gone are the days when conservatories were built to adhere to a very narrow, traditional design aesthetic. Modern conservatories are lighter, more spacious and more innovative than they’ve ever been before. Not only that but conservatories, as with most design these days, are now showing signs of distinctive trends, which are driven by technological advancements, just as much as they are by creative innovation.

Hot off the Press

Recent trends have shown a gravitation towards conservatories which blend more naturally into their surroundings, and which flow seamlessly out of the house to which they are attached. In fact, some modern conservatories are now being specifically designed to structurally mimic the main house, featuring window arches, apexes, varnished wood exteriors and  other elements which help to make the conservatory look like a part of the house itself, rather than a mere extension.

Also hot right now are half-and-half conservatories, which incorporate a glazed roof and partial walls alongside the traditional ceiling to floor glass. Half-and-half conservatories are a great way to extend the space within a home, without going for a full on extension. They can also be readily adapted for multiple purposes, such as incorporating a kitchen.

Using a conservatory as a more functional living space is also a hot trend, and one which can be extremely beneficial to the owner. In addition, if the conservatory is opened up to the rest of the house it will help to fill the house with natural light, thereby making it feel more spacious.

Interior Design for Conservatories

If the structural design of conservatories has come on a long way, then so has interior design for conservatories. No longer content to make do with the traditional wicker chairs and overstuffed cushions, conservatory owners are now turning to a simpler, more clean looking aesthetic for their conservatory furniture.

Simple and clean looking don’t necessarily mean a complete break with tradition, however. Just as the modern structural design of conservatories still incorporated traditional elements, so too does modern conservatory furniture design. For example, at The Garden Furniture Centre Ltd you can find a full range of contemporary rattan conservatory furniture which blends both new and old elements, with stunning results. Sturdy but lightweight, contemporary yet timeless, it’s the kind of furniture that would be at home in any living space, which makes it perfect for the modern, multi-functional conservatory.

Polyvore.com is a site to consider to be inspired as well as inspire. The site allows you to create boards and share item references.

Polyvore allows viewers to upload to their sites directly.

More:

http://www.polyvore.com/outdoor_living/set?id=54792264

More:

Website: http://www.lucanichetto.com/ita/Projects/Furniture/Deck

However, most efforts seem to be directed to mainstream social media such as Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook.

We encourage you to venture out into more ‘expertise specific’ communities as it is worth exploring more targetted sites.

We recommend exploring Houzz and Polyvore.

Houzz have a very pro-active approach to help you on your journey and offer great advice on building your brand through community interaction.

In their words;

It’s true: the most powerful way to build your brand on Houzz is to interact with the community. While your portfolio images definitely make the first impression, homeowners who are serious about finding someone to hire are evaluating your interactions with others on the site. Read what homeowners and professionals say about community engagement: “When I was interviewing designers in my area, I picked some from Houzz and a top criteria I used was how they responded to questions on their photos/projects.” “My new client loves my work – that’s how they found me on Houzz. But ultimately they hired me because of how I responded to questions from others. They said they already feel comfortable working with me.” Here are some tips to help you succeed: •Answer questions about your work promptly. •Understand that while the person asking the question may not be planning to hire anyone, your answer may be reaching many more who are serious. Your answers are displayed as part of your profile. •Stay in your comfort zone. If a question doesn’t fall into your area of expertise it’s perfectly ok to say so. •If you don’t get many questions about your own images, you can always build your brand and your exposure by answering questions posted to our Design Dilemmas forum. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@houzz.com, we are always happy to answer questions and do whatever we can to make you successful on Houzz. The Houzz Team