Every Garden Should Have a 'Patio Island' — The Overlooked Trend Landscape Designers Use to Make Your View So Much More Layered With Planting

One of the best modern garden planting ideas we've seen lately is the patio island. You may already be familiar with the concept of adding planting pockets to hard landscaping areas to soften the look. Island planting beds are an extension of this idea, scaling up the size into an island planting bed that becomes a sculptural feature in itself.

Additionally patio islands filled with plants help to bring the garden closer to the house. They are a great linking device, especially if you repeat plants that are elsewhere in the garden for a more cohesive look and feel. Patio islands also enhance the eco-credentials of your patio, providing permeable islands amongst the pavers that absorb water and cool the air, as well as providing a source of food for pollinators.

The patio island trend is big news this year in modern garden ideas, and with this in mind we asked three leading landscape designers to share some of their latest projects to feature this concept. The good news is this design idea works whatever the size of your patio, as long as you scale it up or down accordingly.

1. Use A Patio Island To Create A Green View From The House

As well as adding an aesthetically pleasing detail a patio planting island can serve a practical purpose too. It can be a useful addition to soften the view from indoors, and if the right plants are chosen will offer year-round interest.

"This large modern patio garden with entertainment area has a planting island to create a 'green view' when looking outside from the living area," says garden designer Marlene Lento. "The planting island was strategically placed between the house and the bespoke bar, with its stunning illuminated 3D front serving as a visual centerpiece in the large outdoor kitchen, as well as framing the planting island."

The dream combination for a patio planting island is a changing color palette, a mix of textures, and some structure. Ideally there should be interest throughout the year too. "The shapely Acer Sango-kaku (available from Crocus) has red bark in winter and lime green foliage. The Euphorbia martinii (also available from Crocus) provides evergreen foliage and flowers that start early in spring and change colour in the summer," explains Marlene. "The finer texture of the evergreen ornamental grass Carex provides a constant back foil."

The material used for the raised planting island is black fluted cladding that is carried through from the house and repeated in other garden features such as large planters.

2. Include Patio Islands To Help Zone Outdoor Spaces

Why have one patio planting island when you can have several? If you have the space, divide up your patio with planting islands to separate areas for dining, relaxing, yoga, and so on. More plants are always a good idea and never more so than when you can get up close to them, such as on a patio.

"From large, expansive spaces to smaller courtyard gardens, creating destination points gives purpose, functionality, and maximises the interesting lines of sight," says garden designer Karen McClure. "An island patio guides you, working as an ‘anchor’. Regardless of how big your garden or budget is, you can still create rooms."

The planting does the heavy lifting, such as the stunning 'Limelight' hydrangeas used here and available from Sarah Raven, as a screen as well as a feature: breaking an expansive patio into smaller islands, each with its own purpose yet still very much connected and feeling intimate within a larger garden space.

"We’re now seeing the trend for outdoor kitchens become mainstream, an everyday area in many gardens, yet not everyone likes an ‘open plan room’," says Karen. "Breaking up and zoning your space with planting islands helps to create a journey that will give the illusion of a space feeling bigger than its footprint."

3. Soften Stretches of Hardscaping With A Patio Island

Patios and terraces with too much hard landscaping can feel harsh and unwelcoming. Instead the idea of introducing a planting island is a clever way to balance the space. It will help soften the edges so the design doesn't feel too rigid and formal.

“We conceived the planting island as a sculptural focal point, centred around a mature olive tree that frames the view from the house and creates an immediate connection with the landscape beyond," says landscape architect Sophie Bertrand, head of design at Rosebank Landscaping. "Just as importantly, it breaks up what could otherwise have been a large expanse of hard landscaping, introducing a generous green heart to the terrace."

Layered with evergreen structure, ornamental grasses and seasonal perennials, the planting in this design softens the contemporary architecture with texture, movement and year-round interest, creating a space that feels calm, immersive and effortlessly elegant.

Consider adding an olive tree as the focal point of any patio island planting design. The textured, gnarled trunks offer a timeless structural focal point that works particularly well paired with ornamental grasses and low-growing clipped evergreens.

Now find out how to make a patio look expensive and the things people with beautiful patios always have to elevate the look of your patio even more.

And for more inspiration for your garden, why not sign up to the Livingetc newsletter?