Like many aspects of modern life, gardening is prone to trends. Some may be contrived by marketeers on behalf of big corporations seeking to sell stuff, while others may arise organically, in a collective, often subconscious response to changing attitudes and aesthetics.
Unbridled leylandii hedges, fake grass and gnomes are just some of the past fashions that are best confined to horticultural history.
The 1990s is recalled as the decade of the garden makeover – an era when TV viewers were lulled into taking an interest in something they’d previously saw as unsexy by bra-less ‘eye candy’. But enough about Tommy Walsh and Alan Titchmarsh.
These priorities were very often reflected in the quality of the garden that had been made over, which more often than not had all the class and sustained appeal of an episode of The Masked Singer.
DIY-centre sourced decking, cheap trellis and precast concrete ornaments were among the less desirable outdoor additions that the likes of Ground Force encouraged.
Don’t write off the decade entirely though, as the early 1990s was when organic gardening methods had their second wind, with Gardeners’ World presenter Geoff Hamilton helping popularise gardening that was in tune with nature, alongside promoting the use of peat-free products.
He died aged 59 in the late summer of 1996 but his legacy is evident today in the prevalence of chemical-free gardening that’s sympathetic to all wildlife, including insects that would have once been regarded as the enemy.
Since the mid-noughties the desire for more naturalised gardens with fewer synthetic props and hard-edged surfaces has increased. In many ways, this has been a reaction to the bling and ostentation that preceded it but also a response to growing concerns about climate change and biodiversity decline.
Today’s clued-in gardener thinks less about funky coloured lights and hot tubs and more about accommodating hedgehogs and songbirds.
To mark the turn of the year, the RHS has published its gardening predictions for 2025.
It suggests gardeners will be tearing up traditional planting choices with front gardens and urban areas “reimagined for a greener future”.
“Gardens never stand still and 2025 is likely to see not only new, exciting planting choices but new ways of designing, growing and maintaining spaces,” said RHS chief horticulturist Guy Barter.
“The EV (electric vehicle) revolution could usher in significant changes to what front gardens look like while city centres could be punctuated by many more growing spaces that serve the dual purpose of providing refuge for people and wildlife but also all important flood proofing capabilities.”
Among the things firing gardeners’ imaginations over the next 12 months will be a growing number of edible perennials, with fruit trees and shrubs, as well as perennial vegetables, offering not only an annual bounty but also a low maintenance option that provides shape, structure and habitat for wildlife.
Honeyberries, a new crop bred from the blueberry, that is oval in shape, is forecast to take off across private gardens and community growing spaces.
The RHS also predicts the continuation of the much-welcomed shift away from traditional bedding plants towards more enduring, less thirsty and robust varieties.
It says salvias, heather and dahlias are proving particularly popular alternatives, requiring little maintenance but providing the same sought-after colour and pollinator appeal.
Also watch out for more water butts and ‘sponge’ areas that help guard against flash flooding, with soft permeable surfaces and plants helping to slow the flow of rainwater.
