Let’s talk about garden trends!
The design and fashion industries are known for celebrating ever-changing trends, but they aren’t the only ones who do this. Gardening enthusiasts also like to stay up-to-date on the fun, new, and fresh.
Unlike fashion, garden trends likely won’t fizzle out in a couple of years. That’s because these trends are all about gardening smarter, not harder. In 2024, many of us are looking for ways to make outdoor areas more sustainable, more vibrant, and more healthy.
We want to create leafy spaces where we can get a break from the stress of day-to-day life and nourish our well-being. We’re also seeking ways to have fun in our little slice of the outdoors by embracing a trend toward deep, dark plants in a backward vibe of moody Victorian gothic.
Those of us who aren’t interested in getting inspiration from the 19th century are looking to the future, incorporating a sci-fi look into gardens through plants with neon-tinged foliage, night gardens, and terrariums.
Garden trends are so cool! Here’s what industry experts highlight as 2024’s garden trends!
1. Colorful houseplants
Houseplant fever shows no signs of fizzling out as biophilic design drives demand for indoor plants.
We’re talking here about one of the growing garden trends that incorporates elements like plants, natural light, and earthy colors in homes and offices to create a connection between the house and nature. When done properly, biophilic design makes you feel healthier, calmer, and more productive, experts explain.
The easiest way to bring this design into your house is with indoor plants, especially tropical plants that thrive in low light. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that already popular pothos, philodendrons, ZZ plants, and monstera will continue to be hot, hot, hot in 2024.
2. Fewer but better plants
In reaction to the volatile economy, gardeners are looking for high-performing plants with a big presence. As one of the most popular garden trends of this year, this one focuses on choosing a single plant that can anchor a container or a large area of a planting bed.
So instead of filling a container with multiple individual annuals, look for fewer but better plants. These will make a bolder statement at less than half the cost of a mixed planting.
For instance, many of the new begonias grow quickly to fill a large pot and bloom constantly with very little care. What gardeners are particularly excited about for 2024 is the Hula begonia. It blooms continuously throughout the season and will grow in sun or shade.
3. Embrace native plants
From unprecedented droughts to extreme cold to hurricanes, gardeners across the country are facing increasingly challenging weather conditions. Since garden trends are also about adjusting to the environment, native plants are growing popular in 2024.
Why? To put it simply, natives can often withstand what nature throws their way and emerge robust on the other side while supporting the local ecosystem.
Choose plants that are native to your region (Midwest, Northeast, Southwest, etc.) and pair them with the specific growing conditions in your landscape. For instance, look for natives that thrive in wet shade if you have a boggy garden with dappled light.
For more ideas, you can reach out to local botanic gardens, native plant organizations, or your state Extension service. They know lots of things about garden trends, and they can help you with your plant choices.
4. Gardening for wellness
When your lovely plants bring you joy, you feel better. Gardening can easily be called a sort of outdoor therapy. According to experts, this activity has become one that lets us tune out the noise of the world, and they see more of this happening in 2024.
As one of the most popular garden trends at the moment, you can embrace it too and create a sitting nook or meditation area so you can sit amid your plants and just relax. Enhance the effect with fragrant plants, which can make us feel calmer and happier every time we take a deep breath near them.
Examples of plants that have sweetly scented flowers include gardenia, Swan Lake mock orange, Eau de Parfum rose, and Arabian jasmine.
Read on to discover other garden trends!
5. Growing for abundance
Plants with ornamental qualities along with sought-after ecological traits are on the leading edge of garden trends in 2024. Take, for instance, oak trees. They serve as shelters for wildlife while being a food source for pollinators and providing shade for a spacious picnic area.
Another great option would be berry bushes, such as the container-friendly Bushel and Berries. These offer eye-catching interest and delicious fruit. Dwarf fig also produces abundant fruit (deep-brown) and grows just 28 inches tall and wide, making it a wonderful food source for small urban gardens. Not to mention, they also look lovely!
Hardworking plants like these come together to create an abundant landscape.
6. Container gardens
In an age of more urban living and smaller yards, container gardening owns the moment because it’s one of the garden trends that allows you to put a lot of plants in a small area.
Since most of us have less outdoor space than earlier generations, container gardening is becoming more and more popular. According to the National Gardening Association, there’s a 200% increase in this new trend right now, and experts predict that the movement will continue.
Hanging containers, which take up no deck, patio, or floor space, are the ultimate space-saving garden. Trailing and climbing plants are also very popular right now. When they cascade down, they add drama and movement to a space.
Examples of plants that work wonderfully in a container garden include wax begonias, coleus, Goldilocks, geranium, sweet potato vine, lantana, and ornamental pepper.
7. Eco-conscious gardens
For the past few years, garden trends have started to be more about contributing to a better planet. For example, pollinator gardens have been popular for a couple of years as a way to make outdoor areas eco-friendly as well as decorative.
Now, people are expanding the idea of making gardens and yards more beneficial by reducing lawns, adding edible plants, and using sustainable gardening practices. According to experts, there’s now a greater interest in soil health, in creating a space that’s like a Garden of Eden, and in doing good for the environment.
This is one of the garden trends that has taken off in the past few years as a new generation becomes first-time homeowners. These people rethink what they plant in their yards, with millennials being more environmentally conscious than past generations.
To make your garden more welcoming for humans and wildlife, fill it with blooms that attract birds, butterflies, and bees. You can also incorporate edibles into your yard. Some popular plant choices include aromatic plants like bee balm, chamomile, mint, bronze fennel, lemon verbena, compact berry bushes, flowering native plants such as coneflowers, and honey-apricot rose.
By the way, if you’re looking for a gardening kit, here’s one that will help you get the job done!
8. Make the most of small spaces
A cooling housing market is encouraging Americans to rethink the space they have, and come up with innovative ideas for making the most of small spaces.
For plant enthusiasts, this means filling every nook and cranny with pots and hanging baskets. Minuscule back patio exposed to all the neighbors? Install a living screen in the form of a petite potted tree. Narrow front entry? Spruce it up with generous containers for a gracious welcome.
9. Nostalgic flowers
Uncertain times have longed for old-fashioned flowers. Experts note that garden trends seem to go toward comfort and nostalgia plants.
We want to be reminded of landscapes that surrounded 100-year-old houses, where the plants are a link to a time when life was probably simpler than the one we live in now.
That’s why roses are still so popular now. Based on the recent resurgence in interest, these flowers lead the pack when it comes to this nostalgic trend. Roses have a reputation for being fussy and difficult, but new varieties have the performance people are seeking and the disease resistance that makes them easier to grow.
Other examples of popular plants with nostalgic value include peonies and hydrangeas.
10. Heat-tolerant plants
The 2023 year was one of the hottest on record for many cities across the country, and 2024 is expected to be no different since the planet faces increasingly extreme climate conditions. Moreover, a new USDA Hardiness Cone map was released in 2023 to reflect this warming trend. Now, about half the country falls under the category of “warmer zones” due to extreme weather becoming the norm.
Because garden trends aren’t just about what’s actually on trend but also about weather conditions, there’s a spike in popularity for plants that can take the heat in stride.
With this trend in mind, mandevilla is a common choice for gardeners. They take the humidity and heat well, and they grow fast and cover a lot of ground quickly, making them great for bedding plants.
Experts also predict a rise in interest in lavender because it can tolerate both drought and heat. Moreover, plant breeders are coming out with more heat-tolerant varieties, so you have a wide range of alternatives to choose from.
If you liked our article on garden trends, you may also want to read 10 Gorgeous Flowers for Your Spring Garden (Easy to Grow).
