Looking to make the most of your outdoor space this year? A new garden feature or structure might be just the ticket.

Once the weather warms up and becomes a bit more accommodating for outdoor activity, attention naturally turns to our gardens. From outdoor lighting to oak pergolas, there are many ways to make your space stand out – whatever your budget or the size of your space.

Sunlit backyard patio with a wicker sectional and colorful cushions on the left, a central wooden dining table with chairs, and a hanging chair on the right.

Lighting

Not only does lighting unlock year-round, round-the-clock use for your garden, but it’s also probably the easiest, cheapest and most effortless way to add some atmosphere.

Simple solar lights in a range of styles can be picked up from any home improvement store – stake lights can be used to frame your walkways and paths.

Nighttime walkway beside a neatly trimmed hedge, with small garden lights illuminating the green leaves along the path.

Nighttime scene of a brick-paved sidewalk, with warm-glowing garden lamps along a leafy shrub border.

Evening garden with a winding stone path, a tree ringed by a pebble circle, rock borders, and warm lights along the hedges.

Night garden with two illuminated brick paths leading toward a central circular gravel bed with a bench and small trees, and a bright lamp in the background.

Solar festoon lights can also be draped along the fences and walls or above your focal points. String lights could also be wound around a garden tree – check out globe lights, too.

String of warm incandescent bulbs hung from a wooden frame above, with tree branches in the background, at night, creating a cozy glow.

Cozy outdoor lounge on a deck with a woven rattan sectional, striped pillow, string lights overhead, a wicker coffee table, and candles for warm ambiance.

Night garden scene with a large, multi-trunk tree and glowing hanging lanterns, casting light on the lush lawn.

Night garden with warm string lights between birch trees, a black metal bench with lattice back in the foreground, and potted plants nearby.

Night garden with rock and gravel ground, small shrubs and trees, illuminated by glowing spherical lamps beside a wooden lattice fence.

Modern two-story house at dusk with large glass doors, outdoor seating around a fire pit, an umbrella, and a flower-filled garden along the patio.

Up-and-down wall lighting is another on-trend style for a stylish, atmospheric look.

A dark cylindrical outdoor wall light mounted on wooden siding, casting warm yellow light downward.

Black cylindrical outdoor spotlight glows warm white, nestled among purple lavender and green grasses in a stone-edged garden bed.

Of course, there are many other more elaborate to alight your outdoor space – it can be incorporated into fencing posts, along your walkways, decorated on your gazebo or even installed into your decking.

Backyard of a beige stucco house with a long raised wooden deck. Glass doors on left and right, gravel strip and lawn in front, warm deck lighting.

Night view of a wooden deck attached to a house, with an orange umbrella, warm step lights, potted plants, and a railing; illuminated stairs and lawn.

Modern outdoor deck with grey wicker sectional cushions, warm amber edge lighting, and lush greenery; multi-level platforms frame the seating.

Internal boundaries and themed areas

Is there an area of your garden that holds promise, but currently holds no use? You might want to segment it and turn it into its own dedicated space for relaxation, kids’ games or family fun.

Slatted fencing is one popular method of breaking up your space and creating an internal boundary. Gaps between the slats allow air and light to continue flowing, so it’s not a solid partition. This is particularly suitable for gardens where space is at a premium — it can sit flush to existing perimeters, with the horizontal slats adding the illusion of size.

Expansive light-wood deck in a tidy backyard with a gravel bed and a spherical stone fountain, bordered by green lawn, colorful flowers, shrubs, and a wooden fence.

Backyard featuring a tall wooden privacy screen, green shrubs, yellow grasses, gray pebbles, a paved patio with wicker seating, and a round stone fountain.

Outdoor lounge with five round woven rattan chairs with light cushions on a wooden deck, in front of a slatted wood wall and small wicker tables.

Decking is another popular zoning method, perhaps in conjunction with outdoor seating, decking, decorative stones and/or cobbles.

Wooden garden deck with woven lounge chairs and a circular hanging chair, surrounded by green hedges and trees on a sunny lawn.

To theme your space with the ultimate natural aesthetic, you can also let plants, rambling roses and shrubs do the talking in the form of a living wall.

Vertical garden wall with grid planters of green plants, a wooden slat backdrop, and a trimmed hedge in a black planter on a stone-tiled courtyard.

Cozy outdoor wooden deck with L-shaped bench, blue cushions and patterned pillows, a fire pit table, a white barrel stool, string lights, and greenery.

‘Upcycling’ is another way to theme your garden, whilst adding a rustic touch and burnishing its eco-friendly credentials. Rather than adding to landfill, consider repurposing older furniture, plant pots, wooden pallets, barrels and fencing panels as part of a themed area!

Rustic outdoor wooden stage with a vertical plank backdrop, string lights, barrels and stumps, and potted flowers on the left amid greenery.

Bee and wildlife-friendly zones

Sadly, bees are vanishing at an astonishing rate. Happily, there’s something simple that we can all do to help arrest the decline in numbers – plant more flowers for them to feed on.

Not only will your efforts benefit the bees, but your garden will get more colour and character. Head down to your local garden centre and grab some quality compost and pro-pollinator plants. The British Beekeepers Association has published advice on the best plants when gardening for bees – think hellebores, salvias and echinacea.

To be less scientific, those bright yellows, oranges and these deep, moody blues are fantastic for attracting bees into your garden.

A wooden bee hotel or house – with holes and tubes that provide shelter for solitary bees – and are a smart garden feature that can be affixed to walls, fence posts or other structures.

Weathered wooden insect hotel mounted on a post among purple lilac blossoms and green leaves, with numerous hollow tube chambers and a nearby bee.

A close-up of a fuzzy bee with black eyes and antennae inside a dark circular hollow of a textured brown tube, among stacked tubes.

A bird feeder or a bird bath is another simple structure that can encourage more wildlife into your garden.

Rustic wooden birdhouse of sticks hangs from a branch; two small birds perch at the entrance against a blurred green garden backdrop.

‘Nature scaping’ or ‘rewilding’ – a garden design trend itself – can benefit all manner of other endangered critters, including hedgehogs.

Wildlife-friendly flower beds, Mediterranean-style plants and vibrant plants like Anchusa azurea, Verbascums, Hardy geraniums and Agapanthus ‘Silver Baby’ can help to avoid your space being seen as overly meticulously manicured. After all, imperfect is the new perfect.

Plants can soften your space, as well as add structure.

Sunny backyard patio with a wooden table and chairs, potted plants, raised garden beds, and a small shed along a wooden fence.

Great in particular balconies and other ‘tiny gardens’, dense planting schemes turn your space – however small – into a plant-friendly, densely-packed green space.

Sunlit balcony seating area with a wooden chair, blue throw, yellow-patterned cushion, and a small round table with an open book; potted flowers line the railing and floor.

Cozy balcony table with striped cloth, flowers in metal bucket, a croissant and coffee; wooden chair, potted plants, and lush greenery beyond railing.

Wooden gazebo with an orange-tiled roof covers a table and black chairs in a backyard; a curved grey shed with purple trim and a wooden fence sit in the background.

Wooden deck garden with curved stairs, raised planters, purple and white flowers, tall hedges, and a shaded seating area with a blue art panel.

Cluster of yellow Black-eyed Susan flowers with dark centers in a garden bed beside a light gray wooden deck, with a few purple blooms nearby.

Garden rooms

Whilst this isn’t something you’ll be able to knock together on a whim, an outbuilding might actually be the perfect, added-value addition to your space.

When fully clad, the results are as beautiful as they are functional. A place for relaxation, a games room, a home office, a home gym – or maybe all of these, if you have enough space.

Wood-clad garden room with large glass doors and dark frames, on a wooden deck; two potted topiary trees flank the entrance, green lawn beyond.

Wood-clad garden studio with open glass doors, two wicker chairs inside, a privacy screen, and a lush foreground of shrubs and a stone path.

Modern wooden garden room with vertical timber cladding, black-framed glass doors and windows, a flat dark roof, and a small concrete patio on a green lawn.

Wooden garden shed with large glass double doors and black frames, built on a wide wooden deck, fenced on both sides with a green lawn behind.

Wooden cabin with horizontal planks and large glass sliding doors opening onto a wooden deck; recessed lights under the overhang amid trees.

Wood-clad single-storey rear extension with large glass sliding doors, attached to a brick house, on a concrete patio with a bare yard.

Gazebos and pergolas

We all want to maximise our space, and a garden shelter is one method to create a year-round, round-the-clock focal point.

Oak-framed garden structures don’t necessarily come cheap – a one-bay oak gazebo in solid French oak will set you back approximately £2,400, excluding VAT – but they surely repay themselves by combining natural beauty, functionality and durability.

If you choose a pergola, you can even channel your inner Ancient Egyptian growing shrubs along the sides and the roof — again, this is about allowing nature to do its thing, creating a wildlife-rich garden.

Covered patio with wicker sofa, cushions, red-striped pillows, glass coffee table, string lights, brick columns, and potted flowers beside a house.

Patio under a dark wooden pergola with a white shade; maroon Adirondack chairs around a table and a hanging swing, on a stone patio with green lawn beyond.

A wooden pergola with curved braces over a hedge-lined garden, featuring flowering bushes and trees beyond under a cloudy sky.

Wooden garden pergola with a folding chair and small table beneath, in a lush yard with hedges and a stone house in the background.

Backyard garden with a wooden gazebo and white outdoor seating on a concrete pad, surrounded by pink flowers, a green lawn, and trees.

Wooden pergola patio with string lights, metal chairs around a table, a long bar with stacked firewood, and a garden yard at dusk.

Wooden garden gazebo with tiled roof, sturdy posts, and exposed beams on a paved patio, surrounded by hedges and shrubs.

Open wooden gazebo with thick timber posts and curved braces on a stone-paved patio, surrounded by a green garden with shrubs and trees.

Decking

As well as maximising its utility, decking helps to frame your space, even if it’s on the smaller side. In a quality timber species – like European Oak, Thermo-Oak, Siberian Larch, or Iroko – you’ll have a beautiful, luxurious and high-performance product that assimilates seamlessly into your surroundings.

Interior space with black-framed sliding doors opening to a wooden deck courtyard, featuring a green wall and shrubs.

Cozy outdoor lounge on a deck with a woven rattan sofa, neutral cushions, a matching coffee table with cups and pastries, and wicker baskets nearby.

Wooden deck attached to a beige house with white doors, built over gravel; stone-walled extension on one side and countryside fields in background.

Sunset-lit wooden deck of a modern white house with outdoor dining table and chairs, string lights, large glass doors, and potted plants.

A reddish wooden deck extends from a modern home, with glass doors, white wicker chairs around a table, and a rock border under a blue sky.

Brown wooden deck with visible planks and a raised edge, over a green lawn; dark-framed glass doors and wooden wall visible in the background.

Sunny outdoor patio on a wooden deck with a wicker sofa set, striped cushions, potted plants, a hanging chair, and a woven coffee table with drinks.

Backyard with a green lawn, wooden fence, and raised deck with a covered grill; potted plants along the deck and a small tree, brick houses beyond.

Wooden deck with two wicker chairs and cushions, a small white table with orange juice glasses, and potted plants beside a green lawn.

Low-maintenance composite options are also particularly popular, especially in on-trend grey colours. If you’d like to learn more, check out our comparison of composite and wood decking.

Outdoor wooden deck with pale rattan sofa and chairs, white cushions, beige patterned pillows, and potted plants near a leafy hedge.

Wooden cabin with open glass doors and interior shelving; a raised deck with glass railing and wooden steps leads to a gravel path and green lawn.

Outdoor deck with a square planter inset containing a palm tree trunk in soil, surrounded by gray wooden planks and some green plants.

‘Grow your own’ zone

Considering the importance of reducing plastic packaging and your food’s air miles, ‘grow your own’ is much more than just a trend — it’s a movement. It also ties closely into the ‘rewilding’ theme – just letting your garden do its natural thing.

If you’ve got a larger garden to work with, not only does it connect you with the outdoors, but if you’ve got little ones, it can be an exciting, educational project. This trend also gives you the opportunity to ‘rewild’ your space, adding undeniable charm and character.

Plus you’ll have the spoils to enjoy afterwards. Whether that’s potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus or carrots!

To take it a step further, how about chickens – and a continuous supply of freshly-laid eggs? You don’t need planning permission to have chickens in your garden – just a coop and an enclosed run (and possibly the consent of your neighbours).

Modern garden terrace with a gray stone platform and brown cushioned wooden sofa, surrounded by lush plants, flowers, and a shallow pebble pond.

Sunlit backyard with raised wooden beds of tomato plants and herbs; several potted plants sit on the edges, wooden fence and ivy-covered wall in the background.

Backyard garden with a black mesh row tunnel protecting young plants in a long bed; grassy path to the side and colorful flowers in the background.

Creating a special outdoor space?

To enjoy your garden like never before, a new feature might be just what you need.

At Duffield Timber, we stock a range of quality timber decking, fencing, cladding and oak-framed garden structures — all ideal for keeping your outdoor space totally on-trend.

Simply drop a message and tell us a little more about your project.