Garden Design Trends for 2024
In a world of climate change, predicting what the weather’s going to do far enough in advance to plan your year’s planting and landscaping is becoming increasingly difficult.
2023 was not only one of the warmest years on record in the UK – at an average of 9.97ºC, it was only just below the record 10.03º of 2022 – but also one of the wettest. In fact, it was the 11th wettest since 1836. And yet, we also know that at any time we could be faced with drought conditions.
Despite the ongoing climatic uncertainty, as we start another new year, certain trends are already becoming apparent. So for our first blog of the year, we’re looking at some of the main trends we think are going to be dominating the world of garden design, landscaping and planting in 2024.
Edimentals
When you first find out what edimentals are, you might think that they almost sound too good to be true and make you wonder why they haven’t been at the top of your list for years. Of course, you may already have been growing them without knowing that’s what you were doing! Either way, edimentals are definitely going to be one of 2024’s major planting trends.
Edimentals are plants that are both ornamental and edible – in other words, they look fantastic in your garden when in bloom but you can also eat them, so you could be saving money on grocery bills while you’re at it. Examples include fennel, asparagus and artichoke, alongside herbs such as rosemary, lemon thyme and sage, as well as plants like nasturtiums and chicory.
Greening Urban Gardens
Urban gardens have long been regarded as places for low-maintenance solutions involving concrete and gravel. But people are becoming increasingly interested in discovering what they can grow in these often small spaces, even when you have no more than a small paved yard or even just a window sill.
It probably started with lockdown during the pandemic, with the lessons learned at that time now being used to devise ever more creative ways of boosting urban biodiversity and making our town and city centres greener and more pleasant places to be.
There are many ways you can make the most of small, urban gardens, and we took a look at a few things you can do in this earlier blog.
Incentivise Your Insects
We touched on this last year when extolling the virtues of letting parts of your garden go a bit wild. When planning what plants and flowers you’re going to concentrate on, opting for those that will attract pollinators is always a good idea, but one that will be gaining even more ground in 2024.
But it’s not just bees and butterflies you want to see in your garden, there are lots of bugs that can be of benefit, including ladybirds, beetles, dragonflies, moths and even snails and slugs. The more insects you have, the more other birds and other wildlife you’ll attract!
Plant lavender and buddleia for butterflies, chives and marigolds for ladybirds and any number of plants and flowers for the bees. And if you have the space, even just a small pond can bring in a wider range of insects along with the birds and other creatures that like to eat them.
Goth Gardening
It feels like grey has been dominating design – both indoors and outdoors – for years. Well, in the garden at least, it seems that the time has come to move on from cold colours and embrace darker, moodier tones. This trend has already earned the title of ‘Goth gardening’ because of the use of plants and flowers with colours such as purple, burgundy and black.
Plants that can be used to achieve this look include Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, ‘Black Barlow’ columbine and ‘Black and Blue’ sage. And if you’re into growing your own vegetables, you don’t have to feel left out, because there are suitable varieties of lots of popular vegetables, including red cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli, French beans, carrots and tomatoes.
Stumps
A wild and rustic aesthetic is always popular in garden design, and the use of tree stumps as a design feature dates back to Victorian times. Whether you have had to have trees cut down or you’re in a position to take advantage of trees brought down by the recent storms, 2024 is the perfect year for building your garden around ‘stumpery’.
Even better, these stumps are also popular wintering holes for hedgehogs and different kinds of insects – especially beetles – so not only will you be making your garden look great, but you’ll also be boosting the numbers of pollinators in your garden at the same time.
Whatever you’re planning on doing with your garden in 2024, Urban Landscapes Design & Construction can help you achieve more. Our team of skilled landscape gardeners and designers has been helping to transform outdoor urban spaces across London, including in and around Ascot, Esher, and Cobham, since 2015.
Find out more about what we do and how we can help you by getting in touch with us today.