What’s New in Our Woodland-Style Garden (2025 Edition)

Our garden is very much a work in progress, but we are slowly getting there. It’s a mature garden that requires a lot of work and we are tackling each task in order of importance to us. I absolutely adore the woodland-style design and intend to keep it that way. We prune it a little more each year to make maintenance easier, but it was the lush forest-like garden that sold the house to us in the first place, and I’m just so thankful that we can enjoy it every day.

ROBOT LAWNMOWER

Let’s start with the most expensive and life-changing purchase we made this summer — Husqvarna 310E Nera robot lawn mower with GPS! We’ve been dreaming of having a robot lawnmower for ages and we finally took the plunge this year. Our garden is pretty big, so cutting the grass was the most tedious task ever. I also love the look of freshly cut grass and I knew that with a robot lawnmower, it would always look perfect. We opted for the Husqvarna 310E Nera model for convenience and quality. We bought the lawn mower with the kit and installation, but if you’re looking to upgrade, you don’t need these extras. I knew I was going to love the new robot lawn mower, but I had no idea just how much! It’s quiet and cuts a little grass every day, so the lawn is always well manicured. It’s easy to see on the app which part of the garden is being cut next and although it loses its Wi-Fi connection now and then (due to being under a tree), you can easily reset it. It’s the best investment we could have made for this garden!

GARDEN BED EDGING

Our old wooden round tree post was falling apart and needed replacing. Although we received a few expensive quotes from landscapers to redo it, we decided to give it a go ourselves. We ordered the logs from Amazon and then I stained them with a dark wood paint. I’m so happy how it turned out! It was a bit tricky to install due to the uneven ground, but I think my husband did a great job. I can’t comment on the durability yet but I’ll keep you posted.

GARDEN WALL ORNAMENT

It’s funny how the little details always make a difference and the same goes with garden decor. We painted our shed last year but it was looking a little plain, so I added a wall decoration I found on eBay. It blends in quite well and almost looks like it’s part of the shed.

FURNITURE STAINING

I hate having to stain the teak bench every year, but it’s worth it to preserve the furniture’s beauty and condition. For this reason, however, I am quite hesitant to add too much wooden furniture to our selection. Rattan is far more forgiving but I do love the contrast with the teak and the pretty hydrangeas.

SUCCULENT POTS

Succulents and cacti are the perfect summer plants for your garden. Just make sure they don’t get too wet. Although our garden is primarily a woodland  and wildflower garden, I still like to incorporate contemporary furniture and accessories. The contrast between the greenery and shiny finishes like metal and glass actually works really well.

IN BLOOM

 I love this time of year. All the flowers are in bloom and the fruit trees and bushes are starting to produce their annual crops. We have had lots of raspberries this year and the grapes are looking promising. It’s not guaranteed to get grapes each year as the plant sometimes takes a little break, especially after a big harvest. Last year, we gave the Chardonnay plant a thorough pruning and added fertiliser to the soil. Ensuring the leaves don’t block the sun also helps them to grow. I can’t wait to harvest these in September.

It’s amazing how quickly the plants grow during the summer. This border needs tidying up, but seeing all the butterflies and bees flying from one flower to another makes me want to leave it a little longer.

WHAT WE’RE DOING NEXT

As you can see from these photos, our woodland-style garden is rather overgrown at the moment. If you’ve been dreaming of buying a house with a large, mature garden, be warned that maintaining it takes a lot of time and money. We’ve booked a tree surgeon for an annual visit later in the autumn, which is essential. Last time, we only cut back a little but this time we’re going to reduce the size of the plants and trees a lot more. This is mainly because we realised that they grow back incredibly quickly and they are really starting to block the view. Don’t get me wrong; I like my privacy and I enjoy feeling like I’m living in a forest but we live in suburbia and we have to keep things in check. Plus, it will be much more manageable. I quite enjoy trimming the smaller bushes myself — it’s actually quite therapeutic!