Garden trends, like many design movements, come and go – but one look has continued to gain momentum over recent years, and all for a good reason. Rewilding, known as the process of conservation (and allowing nature to take care of itself) is perhaps the most eco-friendly thing we can do for our gardens – but its benefits are more than sustainable, as Barbra Streisand reminds us.
The singer's second home (which she labels her B&B) is a picture-perfect spring postcard, with free-growing wildflowers and uncut grass leading up to the white-painted property. The combination of purple, white, and yellow flowers among the green clovers brings vibrancy to the otherwise neutral exterior space and elevates Streisand's curb appeal – the way that nature intended.
'We had to move out of our main house because of a leak into the dining room so we had to move into our B&B. How beautiful to see the spring groundcover leading up to it. With [a] great appreciation for nature,' Streisand says.
With a front yard as expansive as Streisand's, creating a wildlife garden is simple. However, it's just as possible to tap into the 'trend' in more compact spaces (including in urban homes), just as it's also possible to experiment with the benefits without changing our entire garden in the process.
'The importance of ensuring our gardens are beneficial for wildlife is becoming increasingly obvious, but many of us have invested a lot of money into our gardens and it may be impractical not to have a space for children and pets to play or for adults to relax. This means it's sadly not realistic for everyone to transition to an entirely wild garden. Setting aside a small portion of your garden space to focus on becoming more wildlife and bee-friendly can bring a huge benefit to wildlife without causing too much disruption,' explains Chris McIlroy, an expert from The Grass People.
As an alternative, McIlroy recommends we leave our lawn to grow long and discover what wildflowers cultivate naturally'. This can often mean we're blessed with clovers, dandelions, and daisies, among others.
'To achieve this, leave your lawn to grow wild (up to 10cm), and mow in paths, or cordon off an area (to leave wild) and continue mowing the rest of the lawn,' McIlroy says. 'Strim at the end of summer to encourage more natural cultivation.'
Boosting our home's curb appeal (naturally) is a slow but simple and beneficial process, and the result will look different for everyone. We might not see the exact same flowers as those in Streisand's home, but the uniqueness is what makes this movement all the more beautiful. For more advice, we're looking to this guide, written by HGTV's John Gidding below.
