Getting Prepped for 2025: Your Garden Planning Guide
We might not be in the garden much at this time of year, but it’s the perfect time to start planning garden projects for 2025. Have a read below about the trends we’re seeing for the year ahead, and what’s new at Corker.
What’s New for 2025?
Designing gardens for more extreme weather conditions:
How we use our gardens is changing. After recent extreme weather events like Storm Bert, weather-resistant gardens are becoming essential. This shift doesn’t just impact plant selection – it fundamentally changes the way we need to structure our outdoor spaces, to cope with drought and deluge.
Clever hard landscaping is essential when designing a climate-resilient garden. Permeable paving solutions are becoming increasingly popular, whether that’s traditional gravel or innovative paving materials. These porous options don’t just look good, they have a significant impact on managing rainfall, by allowing water to seep into the ground slowly rather than overwhelming drainage systems. For sloped gardens, stepped landscaping with integrated drainage can help control water flow during heavy storms.
Gravel paths are highly permeable, allowing water to easily pass through
Rain gardens are gaining popularity as a practical, and beautiful, option. These take the form of a sunken area filled with water-loving plants. And when you combine that with water butts, you create a fantastic water management system which will help your garden thrive no matter the weather.
The materials we’re using are evolving too. Traditional paving is being replaced with options that work with nature, rather than against it. For example, a reinforced lawn area allows for parking, while also ensuring the area is permeable. Alternatively, some new types of resin-bound gravel provide solid surfaces that still allow rainwater to drain away naturally.
Smart gardens:
No longer just for the inside, smart technology is now being integrated fully into gardens. From app-controlled irrigation systems, to fully integrated lights and speakers around the garden. In fact, in August last year, we partnered with New Wave AV and now have speakers around the Show Gardens at Corker, and we cannot believe the difference having integrated speakers makes to the atmosphere.
New Wave sound system at the Corker Show Gardens
Outdoor kitchens:
Another trend that is continuing into 2025 is in outdoor cooking. Outdoor kitchens are no longer a basic BBQ setup, we’re now seeing fully integrated outdoor kitchens, with built-in pizza ovens and BBQs, storage, prep space and even sinks.
A Show Garden at Corker
Sustainable materials
We’re thrilled to introduce some innovative eco-friendly materials suitable for both trade and retail customers:
Our eco mulch range is perfect for any garden size. Made from recycled materials and enhanced with organic matter, it’s ideal whether you’re mulching a single flower bed or a complete landscape project.
Corker Eco Mulch
For those looking to improve their soil, our recycled compost offers professional-grade quality in quantities suitable for both trade and retail customers. It’s perfect for everything from potting up a few plants to preparing entire garden beds.
We’re also proud to announce we’ve found a new partner for our ethically sourced Indian sandstone. Following an eye-opening trip to Cairo, our new partner better aligns to us in terms of quality consistency, and conditions for their workers. Keep an eye out for updates on the new range.
Planning your 2025 projects
The Corker Show Gardens are a fantastic source of inspiration for anyone planning a garden project. With 15 show gardens ranging from compact urban spaces to grand designs, there’s something for everyone. For our trade partners, we will be running our Garden Talks again this year offering fantastic networking opportunities, while home gardeners can visit any time to gather ideas and discover potential designers and landscapers.
Our team is here to help everyone create their perfect outdoor space in 2025. We’ve built our business on building communities and supporting both trade and retail customers. So whatever you’ve got planned for 2025, we’re here to help!