As consumers turn their attention to sprucing up gardens ready to host friends and family once the sun makes an appearance, GIMA members showcase the latest innovations in outdoor living – from grilling to gazebos, and much more.
The outdoor room
“Consumers are increasingly looking to maximise their outdoor spaces, with the garden and patio now firmly seen as an extension of the home,” says Naomi Bentley, Director at Charles Bentley. “As household budgets remain under pressure and eating out becomes more of an occasional treat, shoppers are investing in their gardens to create inviting spaces for relaxing and entertaining at home. This has driven demand for well-styled alfresco setups, comfortable garden furniture and sensory additions, such as water features, ambient lighting and firepits that help create a more immersive experience.
“Garden centres can tap into this trend by stocking versatile, lifestyle-led ranges that help shoppers recreate that at-home experience outdoors – from statement furniture and hero pieces to space-saving accessories suited to everything from large gardens to compact patios and balconies.”
Meanwhile, Regencycore continues to influence outdoor living in 2026, inspired by the elegance and romance popularised by the famous Bridgerton series. This trend celebrates refined structures, Victorian architectural lines and spaces designed for stylish entertaining.
Cerland products, including its arches, pergolas and gazebo, embody this aesthetic, blending timeless design with modern outdoor functionality. “These statement structures create inviting settings for dining, celebrations and relaxation, and are available via our UK retail partners, offering garden centres strong opportunities to tap into this enduring, aspirational trend,” says the company.
Crafted with care and creativity, Luxe Living is an artisan-inspired range of natural and sustainable rugs and cushions by Greenkey Garden & Home. Perfect for eco-minded homeowners, Luxe Living offers a fully sustainable décor solution with the Recycled Collection.
Made from recycled polyethylene (PET), combining sustainability with durability, this range features rugs – in three sizes – and matching cushions, available in two formats, in Navy Honeycomb, Speckled Pebble, and Terracotta. “These are ideal for cosy summer nights when the living room moves into the garden,” explains Greenkey’s Alexandra Mangan. “Designed to elevate both indoor and outdoor spaces, Luxe Living offers garden centre buyers a stylish, eco-conscious solution for contemporary living.”
As outdoor spaces increasingly become extensions of the home, consumers are looking for practical, attractive solutions that keep gardens organised and ready for entertaining. New to GIMA, Trimetals’ latest launches include a contemporary Wheelie Bin Store designed to discreetly hide unsightly council bins, and a Raised Planter with integrated storage that supports the growing ‘Grow Your Own’ trend. These sit alongside Trimetals’ established ranges of metal sheds, bicycle storage, patio boxes, and garden stores. All products are supplied flat-packed and have courier-optimised packaging giving the flexibility to drop-ship directly to customers or for in-store sales.
Outdoor storage specialist supplier, Biohort believes gardeners and homeowners are seeking solutions that feel intuitive, pieces that blend innovation with comfort, and design with genuine ease of use. Equally important is the desire for products that grow with people’s needs, offering thoughtful enhancements rather than constant replacement.
“In this spirit, our latest introductions – ranging from a refined greenhouse concept to expanded outdoor structures and compact storage solutions – aim to meet these shifting expectations,” says the company. This is reflected in the Florentina Greenhouse, the extended Pergola range, and the Julia Patio Locker.
Grilling in style
Timber garden furniture and outdoor leisure specialist, Zest is enjoying great success with the latest additions to its modular Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Range. Launched at Solex 2025, the expanded range enables consumers to customise their al fresco cooking areas. With options to suit all lifestyles and available space, the range appeals to a younger audience as well as traditional admirers.
Top-performing new products are the Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Island Set and the Zest Terraza Egg BBQ range of kitchen units. With brushed stainless-steel countertops and adaptable shelving, the range includes single units, double units with open storage, serving extensions, and elegant bar configurations with matching high chairs.
Homefire tells retailers that forward planning is essential when it comes to seasonal trends and spikes in demand. “Easter is often when customers first fire up the barbecue, with May marking National BBQ Month and the start of peak demand. Early stocking enables garden centres to maximise footfall, impulse purchases, and repeat sales. Homefire Charcoal Briquettes deliver reliable, long-lasting heat with minimal ash for everyday barbecues, while Homefire Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal appeals to higher value customers seeking performance and flavour, supporting strong spring and early summer growth.”
Meanwhile, Outtrade brings comfort, design and versatility together through its strong brand portfolio of Sunred, RedFire and Wooh. Sunred is known for high performance heaters that deliver excellent warmth across a wide range of stylish models, including standing, hanging, wall mounted and table heaters. RedFire strengthens the category with distinctive fire pits such as the Volcano pellet collection, combining atmosphere with innovation. The newest brand Wooh introduces premium design items including pizzaovens, barbecues, smart heaters and pellet and bio-ethanol fire pits, offering retailers a complete and inspiring outdoor assortment.
Outdoor living is increasingly centred around lifestyle-led garden spaces designed for entertaining at home. GRDN living is a British outdoor living brand, offering a carefully considered range designed specifically for UK gardens, climate and lifestyles. The collection includes hard-top gazebos, louvred pergolas, BBQ shelters, garden bars and fire pits, giving customers practical, all-season solutions for hosting outdoors. With durable materials, clean architectural styling and retailer friendly formats, GRDN living enables garden centres to tap into higher value outdoor living categories, while meeting a growing demand for structured, design-led garden environments.
Do not disturb
Once you’ve helped customers create the outdoor living set-up of their dreams, don’t let uninvited guests ruin the al fresco experience. Angharad James, Brand Manager at SBM Life Science, distributor of Thermacell in the UK, highlights how mosquito control is shaping outdoor living choices for 2026. She says: “As the warmer months approach, consumers are beginning to ready their gardens, patios and balconies for more time spent outdoors. While mosquitoes and midges typically become more troublesome later in the season, warmer spring conditions like those we had last year, can lead to earlier population increases, encouraging shoppers to plan ahead by seeking reliable, discreet alternatives to traditional sprays and lotions.
“Thermacell Zone Mosquito & Midge Protection II meets this need by creating an invisible 20m sq zone of protection that mosquitoes and midges instinctively avoid. Fast-acting and scent-free, it delivers quiet, dependable protection without smoke or residue. Designed for tabletop use, the Mini Halo offers garden centres a spring-ready product that supports relaxed, uninterrupted time outdoors.”
The finishing touches
Whether catering to those customers who are keen to enhance their outdoor space but unable to splurge on big-ticket items this season or driving impulse buys for shoppers in search of the perfect finishing touches, planters and outdoor decorative accessories create opportunities in store.
“Having the right container ranges on shelf early will be key to capturing demand as soon as the season starts,” says Elho’s David Nicholson. “Consumers continue to favour stylish, durable planters that work across both indoor and outdoor spaces and offer functional features with trend-led designs. Florus’ new innovations, for example, bring broad appeal and variety to the shelf, helping retailers expand their offering and create impactful displays. The Jive range, including the new Square High and Terrace designs, comes in both smooth and stripe finishes to appeal to a variety of tastes, and offers clever features like an integrated water reservoir and plug for both indoor and outdoor use.”
L V Bespoke – GIMA Sustainability Champions within category – is seeing strong demand for durable, design-led metalwork that elevates garden spaces while standing the test of time. “Our latest launches include decorative garden orbs and clustered metal features, designed to create visual impact both indoors and out,” says Victoria Osborne. “Manufactured in the UK, these products align with the growing trend for quality, longevity and considered materials, offering retailers versatile, eye-catching pieces that appeal to lifestyle-led consumers seeking distinctive garden décor.”
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