Mario Bautista
As we settle into the 2024 gardening year, experts across the horticultural world consider what we can expect from trending garden habits, news, and innovations. It’s the year when gardening is set to move on from the era of pristine, perfect plots to a gentler, more informal style, where we can co-exist happily with passing wildlife and learn to adapt to whatever extremes the changing climate brings, blending new technology with an appreciation for methods used in centuries past.
A trend that is definitely here to stay, 2024 will see the official ban of peat-based garden compost in the UK. The harvesting of peat for gardening has a devastating impact on peatlands, their unique wildlife, and their ability to act as carbon sinks to protect our planet, so it’s long overdue. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends trying one of the many alternatives that offer great results as well as home composting as another rich source of growing matter.
The idea of wellness gardens will surge as we appreciate the benefits of finding peace in nature and nurturing whatever green sanctuaries we have access to. Landscape Architect, Oliver Bond, reports designing more ‘slow life zones orientated towards mental wellness and mindfulness – for meditation, yoga, Pilates, reading a book or just a space to slow down and escape the bustle of your day’. Oliver says this ultimately maximises your connection with nature and minimises external influences. He continues: ‘From this we can create gardens which allow the user to slow down and be present in the space, enabling them to engage more and enjoy the moment. We are calling these slow gardens.’
Look out for the Ula Maria-designed Forest Bathing Garden for Muscular Dystrophy UK at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 for more slow gardening ideas.
The blurring of the lines between our interior and exterior living spaces will become even more hazy as we continue to dress our interiors with houseplants in a revival that shows no sign of abating, while multifunctional greenhouses will be used as outdoor relaxation and entertaining spaces, as reported by Hartley Botanic. And, as well as versatile outdoor sofas to adapt to your needs, we’ll be hanging chandeliers on pergolas for a lounging space that feels just as cosy outdoors. Look out for new ideas at the first RHS Urban Show (18-21 April 2024) at the Mayfield Depot venue in Manchester.
This is a new buzzword for urban Gen Z gardeners bringing digital and eco-conscious approaches to growing plants in whatever space is available. This new generation of gardeners that emerged from the pandemic is showing no signs of getting bored either. These passionate growers might be houseplant obsessives, trying terarriums, hanging planters as screening, no-water succulents or grow-your-own enthusiasts (including the rise in grow your own mushroom kits). The horti-futurists might only have a doorstep, balcony, rooftop or be part of a community garden, but the trend of optimising green spaces within city limits continues to be on the upswing.
This approach looks set to embed itself into our gardening psyche in 2024. The RHS says that enquiries about how to attract more wildlife into our gardens increased by 28 per cent over the last year, from mowing less, to growing plants to provide food and shelter for birds and insects, making bug hotels, timber stacks and how to include water to benefit wildlife.
Sarah Raven comments: ‘I’ve always been a big advocate for encouraging biodiversity in the garden, and I think it will have an even larger role to play this year. I expect to see more wild gardens that allow things to be a bit more relaxed, and hopefully this will allow more wildlife to thrive.’
This is increasingly becoming a necessity in our unpredictable climate. Whether it’s understanding how to manage our gardens in periods of excess rain, or minimise water use in periods of drought, we need to consider using less water overall. Gardeners’ World presenter, Mark Lane, says it will influence our planting choices too: ‘Water-wise plants will play a big part in 2024. Grass lawns will be replaced with either larger flower beds or dry gardens covered with a mulch, such as gravel.’ Meanwhile, Sarah Raven predicts: ‘Summer droughts are likely, so I’ll be going for a Mediterranean theme that can cope with the long dry spells, using plants such as Linaria purpurea ‘Canon Went’. I’d suggest finding suitable ways to store water. I also plan to use lots of hardy annuals such as Salvia viridis ‘Blue’ and Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Cat’. These plants are very adaptable and should be able to deal with whatever weather is thrown at us.’
Try mulching to retain moisture, creating raised beds or collecting and storing rainwater, and watch out at RHS Chelsea 2024 for the Water Aid Garden by Tom Massey and Je Ahn, that will showcase lots of good water-wise ideas to try at home. Also take a look at the Flood Re: The Flood Resilient Garden designed by Naomi Slade & Ed Barsley for tips on getting through periods of heavy rainfall.
Rewilding has divided the gardening community and will continue to be a hot topic as we figure out what it really means for home gardeners. As Mark Lane explains: ‘With the growing interest in sustainability, there will be a focus on “anti-gardening”, which embraces principles that run counter to the conventional idea of a well-manicured, orderly garden.’
It doesn’t mean no gardening, but it can mean a less invasive, more nature-led, wildlife-positive style. Penelope Walker of Llevelo Garden Design adds: ‘Rewilding has been the buzzword at the RHS flower shows and this has been married with design details where more organic layouts are pursued. This has been an important trend and has educated both designers and the general public about how to be more thoughtful towards wildlife. We feel that the impact of the rewilding trend will continue to ripple but more so in terms of an overall thought process about how to be more sustainable.’
Designer Marlene Lento also weighs in on the trend: ‘There is a definite counter trend to the contemporary, “controlled” garden. Wildflower meadows with a simple, mown patch for a basic outdoor fire pit are a return to nature that is cost effective and low maintenance.’ As seen at the RHS shows in 2023, weeds like dandelions and herb robert will continue to be embraced for their ecological value.
The RHS is predicting an increasing interest in seed saving and local supply after the temporary hiccup to the vegetable supply chain last spring, stating: ‘Some gardeners now favour growing with more independence, including where they source their seeds. Localism is playing a stronger role with some gardening gurus promoting the benefits of seed strains adapted to local climates.’
Try saving seeds from this year’s crops and even shop-bought vegetables and find a local seed swap community to share out your extras.
Health and wellbeing is going to be a key theme in both public and private gardens. Oliver Bond says his clients are asking for outdoor gyms, sport zones, saunas, spa hot tubs, outdoor baths, plunge pools and ice baths. At RHS Chelsea 2024, look out for Tom Bannister’s container Ecotherapy Garden, which incorporates a plunge pool.
Gardening technology has come a long way and it’s in line with planet-friendly aspirations too. Smart irrigation systems are just one area where technology can support gardeners to be more time and energy efficient. While smart lighting controlled remotely by phones or voice commands is now finding its way into outdoor spaces. Brian Davenport, co-founder of The Solar Centre, says: ‘High electricity costs and concerns about environmental impact have resulted in increased interest in energy-efficient, sustainable lighting solutions. Solar lighting is perfect for cutting outdoor electricity usage, as lights can charge during the day with sunlight and turn on automatically in the evening to illuminate your outdoor spaces.’
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Camilla Phelps is a freelance writer, gardener and horticultural therapist and lives in West Sussex. Coming from a background in art and music, she discovered horticulture as a second career, and retrained in garden design and planting at Capel Manor College, London. She went on to work on BBC gardening shows and websites, alongside designing gardens large and small in and around London. Since becoming a mother to twin boys she has focused on writing and developing community gardening projects for health and wellbeing.
