There are some interesting display categories and design themes showcased at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which runs this week until Saturday 25th May and here we review those with particular relevance to the Outdoor by Minoli Collection of exterior-use porcelain paving.
In recent years, in a number of the featured gardens, porcelain paving and cladding has been used in various ways and today we look at the four themes from the show that that have caught our eye:
1. Environmental Innovation
As one would imagine, one of the overarching and ongoing themes is climate change and dealing with its effects, and there’s been even further focus this year on reducing the environmental footprint of gardens, with the sustainability of materials used and the waste produced being examined as part of a new Green Audit programme for this year’s entrants.
Just last week we ran a feature article about the eco-friendly and sustainable qualities of the Outdoor By Minoli Collection. From an environmental perspective, porcelain paving is manufactured according to energy and water-efficiency criteria and is an environmentally friendly choice due to its long-lasting and recyclable characteristics. Furthermore, its production is considered ‘zero waste’, based on the use of natural and always reusable materials, and porcelain pavers do not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, PVC, plastics or petroleum derivatives.
2. Water Saving and Management
When used outside, to help deliver more sustainable landscapes, porcelain paving can be installed in a way that promotes efficient water runoff and drainage, helping to prevent erosion, while conserving water resources. Porcelain pavers are inherently durable and can be installed using traditional adhesive, laid to earth, gravel or sand, or installed on new pedestal systems that provide ease of access to drainage, cabling or pipework.
Depending on the fixing method chosen, porcelain surface solutions can be used to channel rainwater away from areas vulnerable to saturation or to storage, they can be cut with specialist tooling to create bespoke drainage pieces or laid over porous substrates to allow for soak-away.
3. Sanctuaries and Wellbeing
Events of recent years have made many of us reassess our living environments as we’ve spent more leisure time and often working hours in the home. Despite the UK’s infamously unpredictable weather, this focus on the home has also extended to our outside spaces, to create our own personal sanctuaries, no matter the size or shape, back garden or front, patio or terrace.
Porcelain paving is ideal for helping us all make better use of our outside spaces and breathe new life into patio and outdoor living areas, meaning we can spend more time enjoying life outdoors, so contributing positively to our health and wellbeing. With new flexible fixing options, grippy slip-resistant surfaces and frost-proof properties, porcelain pavers are straightforward to install and are easy to maintain, without the need for sealant or chemical treatments.
4. Balcony Gardens
For urban and city garden design, be they balconies, patios or courtyards, the qualities of porcelain paving and cladding offer versatility and variety with which to realise your desired vision. In smaller spaces, the little details are closer and more visible, and this is where the uniformity of porcelain, with crisp, rectified edges, allows for highly technical and precise installations.
However, with designs including natural stone, wood and even marble-effect finishes, and greater diversity in pattern frequency, these man-made alternatives are now almost indistinguishable from their organic counterparts, but with many aesthetic and material advantages. What’s more, many of the ranges in the Outdoor By Minoli Collection are available with complementary indoor versions to match. Through bi-fold or traditional patio doors and picture windows, a near seamless indoor-outdoor transition can be achieved.
The Outdoor By Minoli Collection features 11 distinct ranges, comprising over 116 individual product lines, 38 of which we hold in plentiful UK stock, ready for prompt delivery normally within 2-5 working days. Beyond this extensive UK stockholding in our centrally located Oxford warehouse, such is the traction of this trend for optimising outdoor spaces, a further 80+ product lines are available for order from Minoli’s production partners in Italy.
As are often required to complete projects in outside settings, special pieces can also be ordered, such as edging, drainage, step treads and corner trims, and we can also arrange for the material to be delivered to a third-party finisher if required.
With our own fleet of trucks and drivers, we’re ready to deliver to clients throughout the Home Counties, London, Southern England and South Midlands, or nationally through our partner carrier.
If you would like to see any of our extensive Outdoor ranges in person, discuss design requirements or request samples, please don’t hesitate to contact our showroom teams:
– Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
– Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
– Outdoor Specific Product Enquiries – 01865 778225 / outdoor@minoli.co.uk
– Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager directly / developers@minoli.co.uk