Those of us lucky enough to have gardens with our homes find these spaces to be our outdoor refuges. Our literal outdoor homes. They can be utilitarian, recreational, multipurpose, and even medicinal whether or not they follow garden trends. However, you choose to use your garden it is another home space that can do with updating every now and then. Luckily, most of the popular trends in gardening seem to span multiple years, so your space is never full out of style. Here is what garden trends are popular now!
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Garden Trends in Color: Purple
Every year Pantone selects a trendy “Color of the Year” and it influences everything from clothing and hair color to home décor and garden spaces. This year is no exception with the bold and creative Ultra-Violet 18-3838.
A bold but not overly bright shade of purple is perfect for your garden this year. It also pairs well with last year’s bright green called Greenery. For flowers, go for petunias like the Supertunia Bordeaux, this year’s “flower of the year.” Creeping Phlox is a pinkish purple groundcover that can take up space you don’t want to fill with grass. Clematis vines offer some privacy when grown along the fence and can offer bright purple flowers. From Gladiolus’ to Lilacs, there are innumerable purple flowers to choose from. You can even add purple to your edible garden with cabbage, purple asparagus, basil, and more! Don’t overlook your outdoor living spaces as well. Furniture, containers, and décor can all be updated with the pleasant purple hue.
Lilacs
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Outdoor Living
With temperatures on the rise worldwide it’s better than ever to spend time outside. Why not make it as comfortable as possible? People are taking the time to plan out thoughtful and comfortable outdoor living spaces in their gardens. Size doesn’t matter, so long as you enjoy your space. Dining al fresco is extremely popular right now with nice dining areas under natural or man-made verandas for shade.
The whole idea is to enjoy your time and space outside. Another big component is solar lighting. Individual lights can add gorgeous touched to your entire garden and strings of light ensure you can enjoy your area, day or night. Fire pits or tables are very common now and add another nighttime element for your enjoyment.
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Thoughtful Healing
Building on the concept of enjoying your garden is the idea of your outdoor space being an area of meditation and healing. This approach is multi-fold incorporating the Japanese ideas of Wabi-sabi, shinrin-yoku, and Buddhist mindfulness and meditation. Wabi-sabi is the balance of nature and nurture. It’s allowing your garden to flow through its natural cycles without interference. Forget the pruning, and westernized “perfect” of a garden. Embrace the elegance of your garden, as-is, throughout the year.
Shinrin-yoku is better known as “forest bathing” and is simply practices by walking through nature. Create even a small path through your garden surrounded by trees, plants, and shrubs and make it a daily habit to walk through it, enjoying your very own piece of nature. Many people are also setting up a small space in their garden for meditation. This space can be whatever you want it to be. A simple clearing, a bench next to a tree, the edge of a pond. Water features are popular as flowing water can be very relaxing and provide a point of focus. Some enjoying planting medicinal plants in this area, such as lavender, to provide a wonderful ambiance and scent. Plus those plants can be used in place of some things in your medicine cabinet! Using wildflowers, prairie grasses, and upcycled décor and containers add an easy to care for a rustic ambiance.
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Bring the Outdoors In
Container gardening and fulling the house with plants are still big garden trends and very beneficial as well. Containers bring plants to where they normally cannot grow, so you can keep plants anywhere you fancy. Indoor hanging plants are popular, look great, and add a splash of color inside. Bring low-light, high-humidity plants into the bathroom for a natural and somewhat tropical vibe. People are turning their shower caddies into planters that hang right on your shower curtain or shower head. Plus they are much more pleasing to the eye than shampoo bottles. People love bringing in plants that help purify the air inside the house. Consider Peace Lilies, Chinese Evergreens, and an indoor herb garden. Aloe Vera plants are great for the kitchen. Check out the best Succulents, and also check that your plants are pet-safe HERE.
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Gardening with Purpose
More and more people want their garden trends to be useful and easy to care for. Planting-local is popular as it uses the plants native to the area you live in. Xeriscaping with native plants means that they are better adapted to your ecosystem and will require less care overall. This saves you water and work! Rainscaping means planting a garden to make the best use out of your natural rainfall. Combined with the Wabi-sabi concept, and your garden is practically maintenance-free. This also means finding plants that do well with mother nature’s extremes. Xeriscape your garden with a rock garden border to help during wildfire season. A rock garden “moat” around the house can be beneficial if you live in an area prone to flooding.
Gardening with purpose can also mean using your plants to their full potential. Creepers can be planted and enjoyed while they also provide privacy. Ground covers and mosses fill in space with less care needed than a lawn and offer benefits for wildlife. Butterfly gardens are useful for helping out butterflies and bumblebees. You can also grow your own foods! Think twice before pulling up those dandelions. They are a first seasonal food for bees, who need our help more than ever, and the greens are healthy and delicious in salads. Many herbs and some veggies can be planted and harvested right from their containers. They also cost much less then buying at the supermarket.
If space is an issue, use containers and boxes, or grow runners like beans! Many salad greens do very well in window boxes. Think about using your plants “root-to-stem” so you get the most out of each one. Did you know that watermelon rinds can be pickled and eaten? Also, consider adding a composting area to create your own natural fertilizer. One more popular garden trend is finding people growing their own dye gardens. Plants that can be used to naturally dye clothes, hair, and more!
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Final Thoughts
Gardens are a source of joy for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Why not make it your own personalized and appealing space. The great thing about garden trends is they are almost always left wide open for your own personal style. The overall themes, however, are all about enjoying a peaceful, restorative, and useful garden.
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Debra says
Dreaming of my garden looking like the last picture, picket fence and all.
Andrea says
Debra…I dream of the same Garden : ) Sending hugs and wishes for a wonderful day!