If you’re wondering how to create the perfect environment for outdoor hosting, zoning a garden can be a great way to define areas for entertainment.
Whether you’re wondering how to plan a garden or are simply looking for ways to zone an area for socialisation, you’ll want to take a leaf or two out of Odette and Rob Warmley’s book. They’ve just been crowned the winners of B&Q’s Gardener of the Year competition, having already trumped the Best Garden for Entertainment category.
‘At B&Q, we celebrate gardens of all shapes and sizes, and Odette and Rob’s Garden is one-of-a-kind with its innovative and creative use of different entertaining zones,’ says Mairi Devlin, head of outdoor at B&Q. ‘We loved the use of colour throughout the garden and the unique personal touches inspired by their life and travels which all add to the ambience of the space.’
Odette and Rob live in Bournemouth, and they’ve been working on their garden since 2008. What started as a plain, unimaginative space has evolved into a vibrant space for entertainment, and one technique had a massive part to play: zoning.
Two entertainment zones define the garden: an outdoor kitchen area, which Odette and Rob have named the ‘chapel’, and a seating area for guests to spend time in.
We’ve seen how popular alfresco dining has been this year, and there are plenty of outdoor kitchen ideas to browse through if you’re looking for inspiration. More and more homeowners are choosing to see their gardens as an extension of their homes, treating them just like another room in the house.
Odette and Rob have gone to town with the concept of using the garden as an additional room in the home. The outdoor kitchen area is surrounded by a brick wall and features a doorway, acting as a room (or 'chapel') in its own right. It even opens up as a bar area at the side, and with the fantastic use of overhead climbing plants and hooks to hang tankards, we'll be taking notes next time we're looking for garden bar ideas.
What really stood out to judges was how Odette and Rob zoned these areas. Two archways provide entrances to the spaces, and the brick borders are lined with container plants which are bursting with blooms. The spectrum of colours blew the judges (and us!) away.
The judges labelled the garden a ‘place of joy’, and looking at the bold use of colour and personal touches from Odette and Rob's travels around the world, we can see why.
They also loved the way upcycled and repurposed materials were used to create the structures and walls that framed the areas.
'We are so proud to have been crowned 2024 B&Q Gardener of the Year, and for all of our hard work on the garden to have been recognised in such an amazing way,' Odette said. 'We can’t wait to share the news with all our family, neighbours and friends. We envisage many more parties taking place in the near future!'
Odette and Rob's garden is a bright lesson in garden zoning for entertainment, and we'll be looking to their example next time we need some garden layout inspiration.
