The rustic garden. Usually embracing warm, natural, earthy colours, it is warm and inviting, promising comfort and calm. Even better – over time a rustic garden takes on your personality, creating an outdoor space that is uniquely yours and a joy to be in. But how do you begin this process?
If you’re wanting to create a unique outdoor space, we have a few rustic garden ideas that will bring colour, charm, and character to your garden.
Rustic garden ideas
When thinking about ‘rustic garden ideas’, the aesthetic is natural, neutral, organic and weathered. It’s important to have a creative vision to work towards and this can guide yours.
Your planting, preparations and placement of soft and hardscapes will provide the framework, so to speak, for your rustic garden to evolve over time. It’s not an aesthetic you instantly create. Rather one that you guide your garden towards.
That’s part of the fun and freedom of rustic garden ideas. They’re ideal for someone with a great vision for how they’d like their outdoor space to look and feel, but have an easy-going approach to getting there over time.
Plants
When first thinking about rustic garden ideas, you’ll want to start with the plants. These could include creeping ground cover, pots overflowing with flowers and trailing foliage, beds of blooming perennials and borders (or nooks) of herbs.
For a more cohesive, calm look to your outdoor space, plant flowers in in a complementary colour scheme. You’ll want to choose maybe one or two colours to ‘pop’ against green lawns and foliage. Or go for ‘controlled chaos’ with blooms in the full spectrum of colour.
A gorgeous way to contain your herbs and blooms is to use a mix of RedCor steel tiered planters and garden rings. No matter the size of your outdoor space, you can use planters to add height and interest, creating a beautiful focal point. The steel planters and garden rings are durable in all weather extremes, and the eye-catching red steel will form a stable oxide layer over time, enhancing its rustic impact and personality.
Borders and edging
Garden edging provides a visual and practical border between your garden beds, lawns and pathways. When chosen and placed well, garden edging guides the eye – and feet! – around your outdoor space. And it gives you an opportunity to create a rustic space as well.
Metal garden edging is very versatile, appearing contemporary or rustic depending on the overall aesthetic of your outdoor space. FormBoss RedCor garden edging is a particularly good choice, cleanly delineating your spaces, keeping weeds at bay and available in a range of different sizes. Its brilliant scarlet steel forms a stable oxide layer over time creating a beautiful (and rustic) patina.
A natural, textural option for rustic garden edging are bricks. We have a range of shapes, colours, and textures available to create garden edging to complement your rustic outdoor space. Hardwearing and durable, bricks are easy to lay in a range of configurations and can add a natural symmetry to your outdoor space.
Borders and edging can also celebrate the natural beauty of timber. Pine garden edging can add textural practicality and personality to your outdoor space. It’s important to note that timber edging is not as durable as metal or bricks, and may need to be replaced in time.
Garden beds, pathways, paved areas and water features
When it comes to rustic garden ideas, don’t skip the other aesthetic features of your garden. This could include garden bed ground cover, pathways, paved areas and water features. Depending on how they’re placed and created, they can bring charm to your outdoor space.
One way to do this is through natural stone accents. They are a lovely way to add charm, warmth and personality to your rustic garden. Our range of stones come in different textures, shapes and sizes. This means you can find just the right option to suit your build and your style.
Outdoor seating area
A final rustic garden idea is to create an outdoor seating area, where you can relax, enjoy and entertain. It’s also lovely to sit and watch your garden change over time, as all your natural elements grow and settle in to each other.
To stick with the rustic theme, choose furniture and soft furnishings in a neutral colour scheme to complement your foliage and blooms. A birdhouse or birdbath could be a lovely addition, as could be a firepit.
An outdoor seating area is your chance to bring your personality to your space. So think about how you’d like to live in and enjoy the space. Then you can make it perfect for you and your family.
We’re here to help with all your rustic garden ideas!
If you need a little help mastering your rustic garden ideas and vision, we’re here for you and all your garden needs. Our expert team at Rock’n’Soil can point you in the direction of all the materials you will need to create the foundations of a rustic garden. For more ideas, check out our how to page and product info page.