Martin and Shirlie Kemp’s pastel flower beds have given their Victorian renovation a romantic look - how you can get the look

Shirlie and Martin Kemp have unveiled their pastel-coloured flower beds on Instagram, and their romantic design should be part of any cottage garden’s inspiration.

Pastel-hued flowers have always been a popular choice for any flower bed idea. They have a soft and gentle look, which can make your garden feel like a more calming space. And with an abundance of beautiful pastel blooms, the Kemp’s have nailed this look.

If curating one of the best cottage gardens is on your to-do list, you really need look no further than Martin and Shirlie Kemp’s gorgeous pastel garden - this is how you too can get the look.

Martin Kemp, former bassist for Spandau Ballet and Shirlie Kemp, known for being part of the pop group Pepsi & Shirlie, frequently share glimpses of their life on social media, including the renovation of their Victorian home. On their home Instagram account @maisonnumber9, Shirlie frequently shares snaps of the couple's beautiful garden, and her recurring pastel colour scheme stuck out to me.

I’m sure you’re already aware, but pastels are everywhere right now. The pastel garden furniture trend, for one, has taken off this spring. Pastel pink flowers, as Shirlie demonstrates, are the timeless take on the pastel trend, and one that isn't going anywhere.

‘I've noticed a significant surge in the popularity of pastel gardens, particularly over the last couple of years. The trend seems to be driven by a desire to create softer, more romantic spaces that offer a gentle escape from our increasingly digital world,’ says Ted Bromley-Hall, managing director of IBRAN Limited.

‘Pastel gardens are popular because they create a sense of tranquility and calm - something we're all craving these days. These subtle colour schemes also photograph beautifully for social media, which has certainly contributed to their rise in popularity. The cottagecore aesthetic, in particular, has gained massive traction on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.’

Get the look

The Kemp’s have opted for a plethora of pink pastel flowers which are framed beautifully by the greenery of their garden. The flowers in question include foxgloves, daisies and violas - all great choices for nailing the pastel look.

‘To get the look I would use sprays of scented climbing roses up arches and fences, and double tulips in pale pink and white in the spring such as the white tulipa mount tacoma - think Lady Di’s wedding dress squashed into the carriage and plates of giant Ottolenghi meringues,’ says Harriet Worsley from Worsley Design & Consultancy.

‘Swathes of tall poppies in pastel colours weaving through beds with puffs of white geraniums and the pretty daisy flowered erigeron karvinskianus would all help to create the look. Nothing should look too neat and tidy, this is about wild country gardens, where plants seed at random and there is an element of the unkempt.’

What do you think about Martin and Shirlie’s pastel garden? Is this a look you can see yourself adopting, too?