Hedges, homegrown herbs and swimming PONDS will be chic, experts say

2022-12-15

Will the trendiest gardens really be full of dandelions? Hedges, homegrown herbs and swimming PONDS will be all the rage for green-fingered Britons next year, experts say

Royal Horticultural Society experts reveal the hottest gardening trends for 2023
Swimming ponds, homegrown herbs and myrtle hedges will be most popular
They suggest gardeners now embrace plants previously thought of as weeds
Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturist, wants people to garden ‘with nature’ in mind

Going for a dip alongside frogs and goldfish in a pond may not sound appealing – unless, it seems, you’re especially green-fingered.

Next year swimming ponds, homegrown herbs and myrtle hedges in gardens will be all the rage. These gardening trends, with gravel flowerbeds and dandelions are to be the most popular in 2023, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says.

People are also turning towards ‘planet friendly gardening’, the RHS said in its predictions based on input from gardeners, experts and growers.

Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturist, said: ‘Next year we expect gardeners to garden more than ever with nature and the environment in mind, a trend that has been swelling year on year and is set to become the main concern of Britain’s gardeners.’

The Royal Horticultural Society said swimming ponds, homegrown herbs and myrtle hedges in gardens will be all the rage as people move towards ‘planet friendly gardening’ in 2023

Here are some of the RHS’s forecasts of fashions for next year:

OUT WITH THE PEAT…

Peat-based compost will be banned in 2024 – so more people will be seeking wood-based alternatives.

The RHS suggests seaweed and biochar feeds, while the old gardener’s trick – popular with Daily Mail gardening columnist Monty Don – of creating ‘green manures’ such as comfrey can be used to fix nutrients in soil.

…IN WITH THE GRAVEL

Gravel gardens and xeriscaping (gardening designed to minimise future watering) will be popular. By planting in gravel, it is harder for weeds to grow and plants develop longer roots that help survive hotter summers.

The RHS recommends Mediterranean plants such as lavender and replacing water-hungry hydrangeas with choisyas, and fuchsias with phygelius houseplants.

SWIMMING PONDS

Swimming ponds are similar to swimming pools – but do not use chemicals, are low-maintenance and friendly for wildlife such as frogs and fish.

The RHS suggests gardeners keep certain plants in cooler areas of the home to fully enjoy their wellbeing benefits

HOUSEPLANTS

The dry air of centrally heated homes isn’t good for most plants. Unusual ones such as Cymbidium and Dendrobium orchids will perform better in a cooler home, giving houseplant lovers the chance to try new varieties and enjoy wellbeing benefits.

MYRTLE HEDGES

As hard landscapes such as paving slabs soar in cost, gardeners will look at ‘green landscaping’. Searches for Myrtle, a Mediterranean plant used for hedges, on the RHS website were up over 500 per cent this autumn.

HERBS

Growing fresh herbs helps beat the cost of living crunch and avoid plastic-wrapped supermarket offerings. Searches for growing herbs rose 600 per cent this autumn, the RHS said.

Leaders were classics such as mint and coriander, with more unusual varieties including edible flowers and lemon balm. Most are easy to grow, providing another cost saving, and can be sown indoors March to April and outside April to August.

GET APPY

Apps and social media will become more important to share what’s growing and take part in workshops.

LET THE DANDELIONS GROW

Gardeners can save time by moving from lawns of just grass.

RHS tips include tapestry lawns ‘of low-lying, intertwining flowering plants such as yarrow and selfheal and mini wildflower meadows’.

It adds ‘plants previously thought of as weeds, like dandelions, below, are also embraced for their ability to blend into their green surrounds.’

Dried flowers have made a huge comeback in fashion ready for 2023, and the RHS said they can make a delightful addition to households

DRIED FLOWERS

Dried and pressed flowers are back in fashion, making a charming addition to rooms in posies or wreaths. This is the latest in the rise in crafts such as natural dyes, scything and foraging.

LET NATURE CONTROL PESTS

Welcome wildlife – some of which have been labelled pariahs in the past – to your garden to fend off troublesome species. Wasps will predate on caterpillars and slugs can help recycle decaying material.

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