PREDICTIONS FOR 2020 Garden trends
CONCERN for the environment will consolidate in 2020, the eco-friendly mood reflected at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where gardens will showcase lots of green ideas to combat climate change on a domestic scale.
Green charity Garden Organic will launch a peat-free gardening campaign in April, and several new composts will be launched by forward-thinking companies such as Westland and Bord na Mona.
There’ll be renewed interest in Buying British following Brexit, with UK-grown plants being promoted in a bid to avoid border delays and improve biosecurity. Some Dutch companies have already established subsidiaries in the UK. There will also be a crackdown on selling Xylella-risk plants online via Amazon, eBay and Gumtree.
Many manufacturers will be looking for ways to introduce more environmentally-friendly packaging. David Austin Roses is already using a biodegradable potato-starch alternative to plastics when shipping out its bareroot roses. Japanese gardening tools, with their reputation for durability and sharpness, continue to rise in popularity among professional gardeners and, as prices come down, they’ll become more affordable for the home gardener. Growing your own fruit and veg will continue to gain popularity with the rise of vegetarianism and veganism, the concern over food miles, pesticide residues and the impact of livestock farming on climate change. Houseplants will continue to sell well, especially among young urbanites looking to refresh their interior spaces.