Unlike the world of fashion, in the land of gardening things do not change virtually overnight like haute couture. In horticulture and garden design new trends evolve much slower, and if it’s something that resonates with most gardeners; like a good seed that is planted, takes root, and matures to produce seed for the next generation, a sound new concept will stay for a long time, maturing as it grows within the community.
The garden of abundance is a natural follow up to other trends like the “Food Forest”; “Pollinator Gardens”; “No-till Gardening”, “Regenerative Gardening, and “Rewilding”. However, these popular concepts are all getting an upgrade as home owners and landscapers look for ways to create an eco-friendly garden without sacrificing the style they want for their outdoor spaces. Let’s face it, a grassland or meadow garden is not practical in a very small garden and although a naturalistic-style of planting can work for a townhouse garden, if it is well designed, it does not always work with a person’s lifestyle.
Living water tankThe “Garden of Abundance” honours all the previous trends, melding them together to create an environmentally healthy garden without affecting the functional design of the space. Creating a wild garden or even trying to recreate a native environment is just one approach, and there are many others which also work very well, so it’s important that all these various approaches and design aesthetics are encouraged.
A huge surge of new gardeners of all ages emerged during the pandemic, many of them very young and tech savvy, and I believe the internet played a vital role in keeping them interested in gardening. Since 2020 this remarkable uptake in gardening worldwide continues to grow, with a preference for home-grown produce, be it chillies or cut flowers. And with the increase of small gardens in our cities and suburbs, and the belief that sustainability and well-being should be an integral part of both our indoor and outdoor spaces, indicates that these trends are here to stay.
Young people were the driving force behind this new way of thinking about their garden spaces, and by 2022 what we call “The Garden of Abundance” started to trend. It is the concept that people can have a garden landscape that isn’t just beautiful but also productive, and since the pandemic, more people have become interested in growing edibles such as berries, fruit trees, citrus, and other unusual crops beyond traditional vegetable gardens, mixing beautiful edible shrubs and trees in the landscape, not just for their fruit, but also for their beauty. The soaring prices of hard landscaping materials like fencing, trellising etc. also saw more people turning to plants to add screening or structure to their gardens.
Consumer demand continues to grow for edibles, and garden centres now have a wonderful opportunity to keep those new gardeners interested, by understanding their wants and needs, which may be a far cry from what the older generation wanted. Edible crops are often top of the list for beginner gardeners, and especially nowadays, and I look forward to seeing what the younger generation of gardeners will achieve with their enthusiasm, energy, and tech.
These landscaping trends were borne out of the many hardships of lockdowns, with people having to spend a lot of time at home, looking at both their indoor and outdoor living spaces with new eyes, and realising how badly they needed more functional liveable spaces for daily activities, and especially in their outdoor spaces. They've had a long time to understand their own style and aesthetics and now they're craving landscapes that aren't just the latest trend, but rather a garden that showcases their personal style, too – so refreshing!
For South Africans the pressure is still on with continual load shedding, and when we have power most of us rush around getting everything done that requires electricity, and when the power is off, many of us, just like during lockdowns, still find solace and joy in our gardens. Our gardens, be they large with a dining space, pool and fire-pit to enjoy, the smaller townhouse kind, or simply a neatly-kept balcony with just enough space for a table and chairs, a hanging basket and a pot or two, we will all be spending more time in these ‘outdoor rooms’ and wanting them to fulfil our personal needs and tastes, not anyone else’s idea of what our space should look like.
Image byCarola68 Die Welt ist buntfrom PixabayGardening is good for your mental health, and studies have shown that homeowners do indeed feel that gardening helps to keep them positive and hopeful, and just spending time in an outdoor space that you have created, relieves stress and makes one feel more positive. For this reason, garden rooms are definitely here to stay as they provide a tranquil place to sit, or simply relax, and with more people working from home, garden rooms enable us to work surrounded by nature and inspired by our surroundings.
The current ‘Garden of Abundance’ trend carries the concept of rewilding forward, and is all about making your garden a bit wilder, more productive, and connected to the earth – whatever that means for you personally. It does not however confine itself to a certain style only, but rather incorporates these concepts into modern and contemporary garden design by using trees and shrubs to attract wildlife. It’s all about nurturing nature, and bee, bird and butterfly gardens are an integral part of a garden of abundance, and it should provide a suitable habitat for them, and that’s where the ‘wild’ bit comes in. Your garden does not have to look like a forest to attract wildlife, all it needs is some wild indigenous plants to attract them.
Although wild and un-kept parts of the garden are a sanctuary for many little creatures, wildlife and insects don’t need gardens and landscapes to have a particular design aesthetic, and they really don’t care whether a garden looks "wild" or "formal" – what matters is habitat, food sources and shelter. By simply adding bird feeders, ponds, plants for pollinators and shrubs with berries for hungry birds will attract more wildlife to your garden, while still looking stylish.
An abundant garden incorporates the usefulness of pollinator plants and companion planting, using herbs, trees and shrubs, and weaving things together to create a beautiful space. It also encompasses using organic products, and being mindful of soil health. For example, with peat-based bagged compost set to be banned in the UK in 2024 for environmental reasons, more gardeners will be seeking out environmentally friendly, wood-based compost alternatives, and even if you are not in the UK, generally gardeners are seeking out seaweed and similar products, or turning to DIY composting methods, including the likes of bokashi and worm composting to help households to reduce waste. Green manures like comfrey or winter beans are grown to suppress weeds and when they are dug over into the soil they add nitrogen to the soil, helping to improve soil quality, while also providing habitat and food for wildlife. No-till gardening and mulching also have their roles to play in good soil health, and many innovative forms of mulch can be used such as fruit pits, nut shells or bark.
Insect Hotel Image by Jenny Johansson from PixabayA garden of abundance embraces all these wonderful ideas, and the ornamental beauty of edible plants is celebrated, with gardeners not only restricting them to pots and raised beds, but just having fun in the garden by combining them with other trees and shrubs in the landscape. This trend is surging, and is especially popular with younger gardeners. I feel like bursting out with the Hallelujah chorus!
Online searches and sales of herbs are skyrocketing as their prices soar in the supermarkets. Fresh, home-grown herbs are an absolute must for any kitchen gardener, and they are so easy to grow year round in our wonderful climate. More gardeners are also learning about their medicinal values and how to use them at home. Herbs are so healthy, and a cheap and easy way for people to add extra flavour to meals. Most are very easy to grow from seed, providing another cost saving, and many are hardy perennials and even economical if you purchase them in small nursery pots because they will grow and provide a good harvest for many years to come.
The garden of abundance trend has naturally led to the resurgence and much-welcomed return to the old cottage garden style, only it has been remodelled for our modern age, where function, technology, and aesthetics work as one, and where sustainability isn’t a choice. A cottage garden is where seasonality and change are embraced rather than masked – a working garden.
Cottage gardens can be abundant in all ways, providing food for humans with the changing seasons, while still being wildlife friendly. And whatever abundance means for you personally, a cottage style garden can supply it. If you dream of a cottage garden brimming over with seasonal cut flowers, and roses, bulbs and perennials you can do it, and if you want to include edibles in the landscape they can also blend in effortlessly. And, because cottage gardens do have that slightly wild look and feel, they can be reasonably low maintenance while still looking great.
What I love about these trends is that they are not limited to any specific ‘style’ of garden and you can do whatever works for you and looks good in your eyes, be it modern or cottage, it can be practical and sustainable. The most inspiring aspect of these trends is that the focus on creating more sustainable backyards is here to stay.
