New leaf

As the 2020s begin, we’ve come up with five predictions about how our gardens will change over the next few years

Carol Bucknell

As we embark on a new decade one thing is certain: life will be full of changes and the environment will be a key concern for all of us. In the gardening world, a greener awareness has been growing for many years and we predict this will continue as we head towards 2030. Other likely trends to watch out for include a growth in naturalistic gardens, weird and wonderful edibles grown from seed, designs to attract wildlife, gardens as art galleries, and mindful planting.

1 Getting greener

Sustainability will be the watchword this decade, for professionals and home gardeners alike. We’ll be doing more to reduce our use of environmentally unfriendly products such as concrete, peat-based plant mixes and plastic pots, as well as eliminating harmful chemical sprays for pest and weed control. The way we garden will change, too. We’ll water more sparingly and at the right time (early morning) to avoid wastage, and traditional soil cultivation will be replaced with no-dig gardening so that beneficial soil organisms are not disturbed (see how to make a no-dig garden bed at yates. co.nz/vegetables). We may even dispense with gardening gloves as research reveals getting your hands in the soil benefits the immune system.

2 Back to nature