Inspiration for transforming outdoor spaces is being offered across the two days of FutureScape in the Outdoor Living & Nurture Theatre. 

Be it product innovations, design tips and tricks, or considerations for creating more resilient spaces, the variety of specialist speakers will be sharing their thoughts and advice. 

On the first day, a panel will be exploring how water can enhance a space, whether that’s a naturalistic wildlife pond, a contemporary water feature, or a luxury pool. Experts including Pond Plants UK’s Kayleigh Reynolds, EVi Pools’ Alex Kemsley, Gartenart Swimming Ponds’ Melinda La Mantia and Brit Ponds’ Sarah Windley will be covering everything from design considerations and installation best practices to sustainability, maintenance and the latest technologies shaping the future of waterscapes. 

Step Change Design’s director Debbie Carroll will then be using her award-winning study to share advice on how to ensure the efforts that go into creating care home gardens result in them being actively used long after the designer and contractor have left. This will be followed by the Association of Professional Landscapers revealing the shortlist for its 2027 awards that will be held next March. 

Visitors can then discover the alternative growing mediums that are being used along with the learning curves through a panel including Beth Chatto Garden’s Julia Boulton, before Landscapeplus’ Paul Willavoys hosts a panel focused on garden lighting. Panellists including Artisan Landscapes’ Will Cooke, JJH Landscapes’ Justin Himpson, Tisserand English Gardens’ Els Tisserand and Avery Landscapes’ Jon Avery will be discussing why they back low-voltage outdoor lighting. 

Opening up the second day in the theatre will be a discussion around planting for the future, with panellists exploring the challenges and opportunities affecting plant choices and the decisions designers need to be considering to ensure landscapes thrive for years to come. Plant Healthy’s Malcolm Catlin and Provender Nurseries’ Richard McKenna will be joined by garden designers Matthew Wilson, Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Cecilia Sandrini to talk about how designers can prepare for an increasingly unpredictable future. 

Continuing the future outlook, the Stone Federation’s Matt Robb will be hosting a panel with Kebur’s Cliff Mosey, Allgreen’s Harry Norman, The Garden Company’s James Scott, Tuffbau’s David Burton, and landscaping consultant Gareth Wilson to consider what is shaping the use of stone in today’s projects and how this might change in the future. 

Landscapeplus’ Sam Cox will be taking to the stage alongside aquatic specialists including colleague Chris Reynolds, DU Waterscapes’ Dan Upsher, Shade Water Gardens’ Joe Pemberton and Olive Tree Landscaping’s Paul Jones to talk about Aquascape’s systems and how these could change your approach to incorporating water into a project. 

From iron to Corten steel, metalsmith Marc Begg will explain how different metals behave in outdoor environments and how factors like form, fixings, fabrication, and weathering should guide design decisions in his talk Built to Last. 

Closing two days in the Outdoor Living & Nurture Theatre will be a panel hosted by the Decking Network’s Karl Harrison. Joined by Timberbase’s Peter O’Loughlin, Millboard’s Freddie Smith, Fairdeck’s Jake Fairweather and garden designer Lucy Bravington, Harrison – who was voted Pro Landscaper’s Most Influential Decking Leader of the Year – will lead a fast-paced discussion tackling the biggest questions shaping modern decking, from specification to innovation.  

View the full seminar programme. 

In its fifteenth year, FutureScape will be taking place at a new venue, Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, on 13-14 October 2026. Register for your free ticket now.