Gardening Trends for 2024
With the New Year nearly upon us, a new gardening year is also on the horizon and with it a whole host of fresh trends. From adapting to a changing world to the re-emergence of a vintage favourite, read on for our take on the biggest gardening trends for 2024.
Growing Edimentals
Edimentals are “plants that are both ornamental and edible. They can be annuals, perennials, shrubs or trees”. (Gardens Illustrated, 2023). Coined by writer Stephen Barstow of Norway, edimentals have a dual purpose in the garden in that they look striking and taste great! They tend to be both drought tolerant and low maintenance so are ideal for beginners too. Examples include chicory, dahlia, fennel, magnolia, nasturtium, rainbow chard, salvia and of course herbs to name just a few.
Quintessential English Cottage Style Gardens
Cottage style gardening has long been popular with its distinctive informal, romantic design but has been slightly out of favour in previous years due to the minimalist trends that we have seen in recent years. Happily, cottage style gardening is seeing a resurgence due to the nature it attracts, the move towards more edimental planting and a more casual style of garden design. The beauty of cottage style gardening are that there are no rules! Plantings are dense and a colourful mixture of traditional English shrubs, small trees, annuals, roses and climbing plants to create a range of textures and layers.
Adapting to a Changing Climate and Economy
As economic, climate and environmental issues continue to dominate the headlines, we are again seeing their influence in gardening for 2024.
Not only has the concept of sustainability by using green products, upcycling and minimising waste been pushed to the forefront, but many gardeners are now starting to find ways to adapt to a changing climate.
With hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters predicted, we see a move towards drought tolerant planting and ways of saving on water bills by improving drainage.
Examples include using raised beds to improve drainage, mulching to lock in moisture and collecting rain water in water butts for use during periods of drought.
Growing Your Own
Related to edimentals, growing your own fruits and vegetables is still a major trend for 2024 and one that will probably remain popular for some time due to the growing interest in healthy eating, waste reduction and the cost of living crisis. Growing your own is relatively accessible to everyone, whether you have a balcony, small garden, large garden or allotment as all you really need is some pots, compost, seeds and a sunny spot (or why not try one of our propagator kits?) The added benefit of growing your own is that besides saving yourself some money in the long run and getting access to fresh food, you know exactly what you are putting on your crops an know they aren’t genetically modified or full of harmful chemicals.
Hanging Out
With many people living in urban areas and looking at ways to get into gardening with very little space or balconies, container gardening has become a real trend. Also popular with renters who want to be able to take their plants with them when they move, container gardening has seen a 200% increase since 2022. There are many ways to garden in a small space, from containers to hanging baskets and vertical gardening. Take a look out our handy guide here for ideas.
The Rise of the House Plant
House plant popularity has really taken off in recent years and the upward trend will continue in 2024. Mainly driven by millennials who are keen to have some greenery in their home but may not necessarily have the space in a garden.
House plants are a great alternative with seven out of ten millennials owning at least one. Incredibly versatile, house plants are an excellent way to support human health indoors by boosting mood, lowering stress levels and may help to purify the air slightly (though more research needs to be done to fully prove just how much plants help).
They also require care such as watering, feeding, cleaning, pruning and repotting which many people find comforting and relaxing in an otherwise chaotic and unsettled world and help to provide a break from staring at a screen.
As we approach 2024, there are many exciting gardening trends for the upcoming year that align with the changing world around us and how we as humans adapt to the change.
Why not embrace one or more of the trends and create an environment you can enjoy for years to come?
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