Every year the Garden Media Group predicts the year’s garden trends.

These are the trends which Jardin noticed were buzzing in 2013 and look to become mainstream in 2014.

1. From Grow Your Own to Groothies.  The desire to grow ones own food has been trending for some time.The growth of Community Gardens means city dwellers can also enjoy the “good life” ; even the smallest balcony can provide lettuces and herbs. For those who haven’t taken the plunge, there is lots of guidance out there – online courses and advice, groups you can join such as Grow It Yourself (GIY).   Growing unusual vegetables is on the up, as are “Groothies” or “green smoothies” using home-grown raw ingredients.                                                                                     Watch out too for smart ornamental vegetable gardens or “potagers”  as a must-have component in garden design.
2. Green.  The zeitgeist is all things “green” ,”sustainable”, “organic” . An interest in composting is no longer the domain of “serious gardeners”, with requests for designated areas for composting in designs as well as “wilder” nature-friendly areas. Birdbaths and insect hotels are “in”.
   

   Insect hotel

   Interest is growing too in green roofs and living walls, particularly amongst city dwellers – the desire to be surrounded by nature, even in a city courtyard. The buzz words in 2014 : “Balanced living”.

3. The Room Outside Increasingly, the division between the home and the landscape is blurred, with help being sought in designing the garden in tune with the interior. More money is being spent on comfortable seating and dining facilities outdoors and a growing trend to incorporate art works and sculpture into the design.
   

   Incorporating sculpture in the garden

4. A limited palette  Single species planting for maximum impact is seen increasingly in designs. Now, if handled incorrectly, this can end up looking like supermarket flowerbeds or corporate planting, very dull and safe. But mass planting of grasses and New Wave perennial planting is something the Dutch and Belgians excel at. More later on this.                                                                                                                                                       A limited colour palette is also on the cards with more tonal planting rather than contrasts. The colour “orchid”, a sort of pinky-purple, has been chosen as the Colour of the Year by global colour experts Pantone. We feel the colour blue, with shades of lavender and mauve and purple,marches on. Some observers see the return of the shrub and all-green gardens.
   

   Geranium ‘Rozanne’

5. Bee-friendly gardening  One would have to be a recluse not to have noticed the discussions surrounding the decline of the bee population. More here.  To answer the need for nectar-rich plants, better labelling by growers/garden centres is growing, spearheaded by the RHS downloadable plant list for pollinators. A desire to live more in tune with nature has become mainstream; let’s see what progress we make.
   

   Bee on Verbena bonariensis

Jardin in 2014

Our gardening blog will take on a new look for 2014 with regular posts on the following :

• From the Garden to the Plate – weekly recipes based on seasonal fruit, veg and herbs
• Eco/Science – a regular look at the latest news
• Wordless Wednesday – no talk, just a nice photo
• Plant focus
• Garden visit/ book review/ garden related art and culture
• How to…  – tips, advice and ideas.

As always, many thanks for the support and feedback .. we love the Likes and Comments/Suggestions.

Best wishes to you all for 2014.

Lorna