Spades down in 2020, as gardeners focus on mud pies and wildlife

‘There’s a rising tide of concern… from catastrophic decline in insects to climate change and flooding’

GARDENERS will stop digging this year and encourage their children to make mud pies, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has predicted, as it forecast the likely trends for 2020.

Experts are expecting a renewed interest in keeping soils healthy, with a “no dig” philosophy to limit damage to soil structure and wildlife.

And there is likely to be a return to allowing mud pies to tempt youngsters into the garden, as new research shows the benefits of soil bacteria Mycobacterium vaccea on the immune system.

The RHS said householders were increasingly aware of declines in wildlife, and would be looking for ways to support nature, such as not being too tidy and leaving seed heads as food for wild visitors. Bee hotels, wildlife ponds, log piles and plants for pollinators are all likely to continue to increase in popularity, while neatly clipped box and manicured lawns may fall out of fashion as gardeners shun pesticides to deal with problem areas and creatures such as box tree caterpillars.

Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturalist, said: “There’s a rising tide of concern about the environment, from catastrophic decline in insects to climate change and flooding. In the garden at least we can have some control of it, which is a small but important step in the right direction.” He added: “I think some years ago wildlife gardening was still thought about as a separate thing. Now we are all wildlife gardeners, it’s central to everything we do – we do things to help songbirds, helping beetles and woodlice.” He said there was a growing acceptance that gardens needed the “mini-creatures” in order to attract bigger wildlife such as birds.

That connection with the natural world extends inside as well with the continuing return of the houseplant, which are becoming bigger and more of a centrepiece in the home as people seek to tend and nurture living things.

Another prediction from the RHS is a return to the 1980s, with favourites from that decade, including nemesia and diascias, making a resurgence, thanks to their flexibility, compact size, long flowering period and sweet scent that attracts bees and butterflies.