The Hot Garden Trends For Spring
What are the latest gardening trends? And how can you incorporate them into your own garden? Gardening expert Harry Bodell is hand hand to tell us…
PriceYourJob’s gardening expert Harry Bodell reveals the most popular gardening trends set to dominate this spring and summer.
Here he shows how to incorporate the latest ideas into your outdoor space.
Make sure your garden is sustainable
Go peat-free. Pic: Shutterstock
Searches for “sustainable garden” are up by over 200% in recent years
Just because you are gardening and utilising your outdoor space, does not automatically mean you are being more sustainable than otherwise, Harry says. Many local councils charge a fee for garden recycling, which is a deterrent for many to properly dispose of their waste.
So how can we ensure our gardens are truly sustainable and not adding to our carbon footprint?
“For planting, opt for peat-free compost and fertilisers – or better still, make your own compost to help fertilise your plants and reduce garden waste at the same time,” Harry advises. “Peatlands provide ecosystems for plants and animals and help reduce flood risks. So when peat is removed, the ecosystem is compromised, carbon is released, and habitats are damaged. Make sure you check the label and ensure your compost and fertilisers are peat-free.”
Other things to consider include switching from chemicals to natural pest control, replacing fences with hedges, and allowing moss to grow in lawns – it helps drought resistance as well as biodiversity.
Wild and free gardens
Pic: Pixabay
“Wildlife gardens” are so popular just now
The interior trend, cluttercore, aka an encouragement and embracing of organised chaos, and this maximalist trend is seeping into our gardens.
“Outdoor cluttercore allows our gardens to grow naturally to create a cottage-like atmosphere,” Harry explains.
“As many of us are spending less time at home, especially with many of us returning to the office, we are not able to spend as much time on our gardens, therefore the cluttercore look is low-maintenance, yet high impact.
“Overgrown wildflowers not only look beautiful and picturesque, but they help to encourage wildlife which helps boost our ecosystem. Wildflowers attract pollinators, such as bees, as well as a wide diversity of birds and butterflies.”
Entertaining space
Pic: Shutterstock
Searches for firepits, outdoor sofas and garden playgrounds continues to be strong
As we head into better weather, now is the time to embrace spending as much time as possible outdoors.
“Searches for fire pits, outdoor sofas and garden playgrounds for children have all seen huge increases in the last few months, reflecting how we want our gardens to be a social area,” Harry explains.
Grow your own… more than ever
A windowsill propagator will get seedlings off to a good start. They can be transferred to bigger pots or, for herbs and salad leaves, simply harvested
Join in the fun with “grow your own”
The rising cost of living is inescapable, so growing our own fruit and veg is a first step to becoming self-sufficient and saving money on goods. It’s a garden trend that’s showing no signs of waning.
Around 60% of Brits have said they would like to try growing their own produce where they can. Yet 40% of those surveyed also said they thought it wouldn’t be possible, due to the size of their garden and property.
However Harry advises that size is irrelevant when growing your own produce. “You don’t need a huge space to grow your own food. All you need is a bright, sunny windowsill to get started.”
Atmospheric lighting
Pic: Shutterstock
Don’t overlook lighting when considering a garden scheme
With more time being spent outside, especially now the weather is warming up and spring has officially begun, lighting is a key but often overlooked part of any garden.
“We’ve all been in the position where we do makeshift lighting methods while outside in the evening, whether it’s turning a light on in the house to help illuminate the garden, to even just turning on the torch on our phones,” Harry admits. “However, good lighting in the garden helps create ambience and is a necessity if you intend on spending evenings outdoors.
“There are many ways to light your garden, with numerous methods cheap to buy and can be free to run.”
He continues, “Invest in solar lighting, which is purely powered by the sun and can last for hours on a full charge. Solar lighting can be in the form of fairy lights, mini lanterns or lamps which can be placed around the garden for atmospheric lighting.”
Picture: Susie White
Look out for great gardening tips and recommendations every week in My Weekly, from our expert Susie White.
Her passions for wildlife and sustainability are right on trend!
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