Eco-garden trends

Weather-wise, last year was a bit of a mixed bag: scorching heat for some, fires and floods for others. Climate change is front and centre of our consciousness like never before with more of us considering our impact on the planet. The scale of the challenge is vast but we can each contribute to the greater good by better use of our micro-environment, namely our gardens. The environment is the biggest gardening trend with the emphasis on recycling, or upcycling, materials as much as possible; reducing areas of hard landscaping; conserving water; and opting for locally produced landscaping materials with a lower carbon footprint wherever possible. That said, we are keen to personalise our backyards while finding easy ways to do our bit for the planet. So what can we do to make our gardens more eco-friendly?

With the stresses and strains of modern living, the garden has become a go-to sanctuary with a range of items to make spending time outside as comfortable as possible (think firepits, sofas, outdoor rugs etc) so there's no reason not to get outside and top up your vitamin D levels. How about adding to the sensory experience by planting lots of insect- and bee-friendly perennials and shrubs with uplifting fragrance such as lavanders or roses? Beating the cost of living crisis by growing your own places edible gardens high on many garden design wish-lists. Everyone can make space to grow a few herbs and vegetables in borders, window boxes or patio pots but, if space allows, how about installing a greenhouse and creating a dedicated vegetable garden?

Low- to no-maintenance planting schemes used to be a regular request but this is starting to change with more of us appreciating the mindfulness benefits of gardening. You don't have to be a full-on plantaholic. Spending just a few hours pottering in the garden and getting to know your plants is a great way to relax, and garden, all in one. We expect to see more nectar-rich and drought-tolerant plants feature in our mixed borders making them more wildlife-friendly. Less eco-friendly, however, is artificial lawn and its popularity is waning as it's now generally accepted to be bad for the environment and damaging to wildlife. Why not opt for a wildflower lawn instead and have the best of both worlds? Hand in hand with plants and lawns goes water. Water conservation is a growing consideration in our gardens, from the humble water butt to more sophisticated below-ground rainwater harvesting tanks growing in demand. Last but not least, the adaptation to peat-free gardening is something we should all be striving for and there are a growing number of great alternatives on the market to help us reduce any further damage to our vital peat resources.