Top designers from the Society of Garden Designers have recently shared their predicted garden design trends for 2022, and it makes for very interesting reading.
No prizes for guessing that a continued drive for sustainability is the overriding theme. We’ve summarised some of the key predictions for you below and we hope you enjoy delving into the hot topics and cool designs that are expected to make waves this year.
Wild Gardens
“The trend for (this year) will be the immersive and natural wildlife garden,” says Ann-Marie Powell MSGD. Ann-Marie predicts that ’nature-scaping’ and ‘curated wildling’ will be the buzzwords of 2022. This theory is echoed by Ana Sanchez-Martin MSGD of The Garden Company who says, “I am hoping that more and more people will jump on the ‘Rewilding wagon’! One of the positive effects of the pandemic is that people now understand the therapeutic effects of gardening.”
Wabi-sabi Garden
“I think we will see many gardens designed to follow a wabi-sabi philosophy, meaning that people will be embracing a less perfect aesthetic,” says Filippo Dester MSGD of Garden Club London. Filippo believes that, in the context of the garden, this will lead to a greater focus on natural materials that are rich in texture and neutral in colour. “I think we’ll see the deeper meaning to wabi-sabi in the approach to garden design”, he says. “We will begin to accept the beauty of the ‘imperfect’ and the ever-changing nature of materials such as stone and wood and plants themselves. We will veer away from the sleek, immaculate look that often characterises urban gardens.”
Low Carbon Gardens
“I feel there is a big movement towards good environmental schemes, supporting wildlife and reducing our carbon footprint,” says Jilayne Rickards of Jilayne Rickards Contemporary Garden Design.
Landscaping
Ben Chandler believes the rising cost of imported goods and an increased awareness of our carbon footprint means there will be an emphasis on locally sourced materials, plants and products. “I hope this also means more support for smaller specialist plant nurseries and brings opportunities to local makers and craftspeople,” he adds.
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Planting
For Ann-Marie Powell, using more plants to lock carbon into the soil is a top priority. “It negates the requirement for extra imported hard landscaping, looks beautiful and attracts beneficial insects too, so it’s a win-win” she says. “I would love to find more suppliers who grow their plants peat-free too.”
(In line with public concern about the damage peat extraction does to our natural environment, Wildflower Turf Limited is committed to an annual reduction in our use of peat as a growing medium. We are already continuing to reduce the peat content of our turf and our Meadowscape Pro™ product is already 100% peat-free!)
Other predictions include that of the inclusion of luxuries, such as natural swimming pools, into home gardens, and tapestry lawns and patchwork paths. Re-using, recycling and repurposing materials is also set to be a key trend along with vibrant jewel colours as we all look for a colour lift, and planting schemes that support pollinators.
Which of these trends will you be embracing this year?
