Inspirational gardening trends for the New Year
With the winter solstice now behind us and the days gradually getting longer, thoughts are starting to turn towards the rejuvenating essence of Spring.
While the new year has only just begun, it’s never too early to start planning your garden for the rest of the year. 2022 will see an array of styles and trends blooming over the next twelve months, adopted from various sources – from agricultural influencers to last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
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Focusing on sustainability
With the growing pressures of climate change and environmental concerns, 2022 will see a definite shift towards sustainability and greener living. Anything from composting to growing your own fruit and vegetables is heavily encouraged, no matter how big or small your outdoor space. Even if your only source of greenery is an indoor one, you can still create mini herb gardens right on your windowsill.
Successional planting is an effective way of ensuring you have a good and consistent source of food through the seasons. Rather than planting everything all at once and lots of it, sow little and often and plant on a rotation in the optimal conditions (i.e. under a cloche or in a greenhouse). It presents a more viable way to live off the land without the waste.
By living more sustainably, you not only benefit from saving more money. The planet benefits enormously from the reduction in plastic wastage from shopping at supermarkets.
As well as the financial and ethical gains, growing your own food promotes cleaner eating. Without the use of harsh chemicals, and pesticides spread over your crops, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing exactly what goes onto your plate.
Maximising small spaces
If space is an issue for your green fingers, this trend has got you covered. You will be surprised by what you can grow even in the most cramped living conditions.
Containers are widely encouraged. “Vertical container gardens” are a colourful way to utilise smaller areas of the garden or balcony, or even an indoor plant display if there is no outdoor space available. This simple yet clever way of gardening upwards lets you think outside the box when it comes to containers.
Our 100% natural coir Coco Boost is perfect for containers, including window boxes for balconies and pots for indoor foliage. It gives your plants the nutrients they need, feeding them for up to six months.
Organic gardening
Complimentary to sustainable gardening, organic gardening places emphasis on a more natural approach. It places emphasis on encouraging biodiversity within your garden, through planting wildflowers to attract welcome garden visitors such as bees and butterflies.
Sowing areas of your garden with wildflower will intersperse it with a burst of colour that looks naturally attractive with very little effort. With this year’s floral colours being predominantly pastels mixed with pops of fiery reds and oranges, creating miniature meadows like this ensures a varied and interesting palette to brighten up your displays.
In terms of a helping hand, our coir compost Coco Grow naturally encourages strong root development, making it an ideal element to add to your garden to give your displays the best possible start.
Also, in line with maximising small areas of the garden, creating natural screens for privacy by using climbing plants and hedging, as opposed to artificial ones, is not only effective and attractive, but helps establish more optional habitats for your garden’s wildlife.
Naturalistic landscaping
Contrasting hard textures with soft naturalistic displays is a big trend for this year, in terms of landscaping. Creating natural pathways where possible, using natural bark, creates a perfect balance whilst helping maintain a natural flow throughout the garden.
As well as being an attractive finish for your garden, it also helps to deter less welcome visitors to the garden, such as slugs and snails.
Coco Chip is 100% natural coir mulch bark – ideal for cultivating a woodland walkway. It also helps prevent weed growth by up to 90%. Coco Chip is also perfect for the popular “no-dig” method of gardening, where mulch is added to the ground to feed micro-organisms without disturbing the soil. This ultimately helps preserve its micro-nutritional value.
Planting colourful shrubs and grasses between paving is also on trend, in terms of naturalistic planting. This can include the use of gravel and stones to help encourage water drainage, whilst creating a unique aesthetic to compliment your outdoor space.
Creating a garden sanctuary
Since the onset of the pandemic, more of us have begun the process of transitioning our lifestyles and work lives towards being more centred around the home. It’s no surprise then that our gardens are beginning to reflect this new mode.
One of the main gardening trends this year is the need to extend the indoors ‘outdoors’, creating a more relaxing environment that is both comfortable and functional.
Utilising more space to enjoy outdoor elements of your home will be a factor. The greatest emphasis will be on creating a sanctuary in which to relax and unwind, forming a clear distinction between workspace and recreation. Ambient lighting, naturalistic seating and sensory gardens are just some of the examples we can expect to see this year.
Whatever trend you decide to adopt, don’t be afraid to get creative and enjoy the experience. Once you’re done, sit back, relax and watch your garden
