While 2021 was the period of experimental gardening, some of the biggest garden trends to emerge in 2022 will include a return to bolder, colourful planting choices, natural wildlife gardens, mini growhouses, boutique hotel-style features and the concept of all-weather gardening, all of which ties into two common themes this year – wellbeing and sustainability.
'Home horticulture will never be the same again,' says Guy Barter, RHS Chief Horticulturist – and he's right. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, our gardens have truly become our sanctuaries. Wellbeing benefits provide comfort in uncertain times and the extra time spent at home has enabled us to tend to our plants like never before, grow vegetables, fill plots with pollinator-friendly plants, and design outdoor living rooms that provide a place to retreat.
An overarching theme in 2022 will be a renewed emphasis on planet-friendly gardening, as gardeners seek to adopt new habits that can impact the planet positively, from an increased demand for pollinator-friendly plants to demand for peat-free compost. The UK's gardeners will draw on quick fixes where necessary but work to 'ensure their plots are planet-friendly and an inspiring place to work and play', says Guy.
1. Jewel-colored Gardens
Experimenting with color is one of the most exciting things about creating a planting palette for a new garden, and daring, bold colors of reds, oranges and purples with crocosmia, salvia and canna are set to prove popular in 2022, the RHS predicts. This color trend is also reflected in new releases from growers such as everlasting flower 'Granvia Gold' and echinacea 'SunMagic' series.
2. Rewilding
The immersive, natural, wildlife garden will be big in 2022 but it hasn't always been viewed as a must-have design element. 'Upcycling and rewilding can be misleading in terms of aesthetics and for most clients a garden's aesthetic is a priority,' notes Andrew Duff.
Ann-Marie Powell says her studio is receiving lots more enquiries from clients wanting natural, loose gardens, predicting that 'nature-scaping' and 'curated wildling' will be the buzz words of 2022. 'People want gardens that look like they are "of nature" rather than the more obviously designed spaces,' she explains.
3. Spotlight on aster
One plant that is flying off the shelves is aster,' says Shannen Godwin. 'The bright, mood-boosting flowers have been popular for wellbeing-focused gardens, but they also offer air-purifying benefits and provide bio-indication when there are pollutants around.'
Other plants with air-purifying benefits set to be big in 2022 include ivy and lady's mantle.
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