As we make our way into 2022, many of the garden design trends that have been with us since the start of 2020 continue. People who took up growing their own food during the pandemic continue with their efforts. Interest in small space gardening, growing indoors and out, taking a DIY approach, and wildlife-friendly gardening continues to grow.
But for 2022, moving beyond these basics means that we will see an increase in innovation and creativity, as more and more people realize just how much their garden spaces can provide. They recognize, too, how their gardening efforts can help them to enjoy a more sustainable, balanced, and harmonious way of life, helping to solve the many challenges we face.
Work-Life Balance in a Garden
A LinkedIn survey revealed that, in 2021, two-thirds of people either left their jobs for a passion project or are considering it. While not everyone will continue to work from home, the number of home-grown and home-managed businesses will likely continue to proliferate.
Garden buildings can accommodate a range of home-grown small businesses, and the gardens themselves can provide a range of options for generating an income. Gardeners will increasingly turn their gardens into places of business, making money from the things that they create or grow.
At the same time, the lessons people have learned during the pandemic also mean that people are valuing their gardens for relaxation and recreation, fun and entertainment, more than ever before.
A number of trends for this year involve solutions which help gardeners find work-life balance in their outside spaces. Transitional spaces between home and garden, with multifunctional elements, are key in helping gardeners make the most of their space.
Intentional Design
People are increasingly realizing the links between their own gardening efforts and the wider problems we face. There is greater interest in holistic garden design, which looks beyond the needs of the immediate household and seeks to counter common problems in the wider community and the world.
Interest in climate-conscious gardening and gardening for climate change mitigation and adaptation is on the rise. More people are gardening not only with an eye to creating wildlife-friendly spaces, but to halting biodiversity losses in the broader environment.
Desire to incorporate features like rain gardens, wildlife corridors, mixed native hedgerows, etc. is on the rise.
Dense and Layered Planting
A more holistic view of gardens and gardening, and the desire to create family-friendly spaces for work and play, is driving a trend away from minimalism and toward dense and layered planting schemes.
These types of schemes lend privacy and shade to entertainment spaces and make gardens into sanctuary spaces. Trees, shrubs, and plenty of perennials help people and wildlife work together and create green spaces for good mental health and well-being.
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Shopping Small and Shopping Local
Another key trend for garden design in 2022 stems from the altruistic desire to see other local businesses thrive and to strengthen local community. There is a growing awareness that, to rebuild and strengthen our society and live in a more sustainable way, we must shop small and shop local.
Gardeners are increasingly turning to small local businesses for the things they require for their gardens, as well as taking a DIY approach and doing as much as possible with their own hands.
Localism and responsible consumption are switching a whole new generation of gardens on to the benefits of using native plants and to creating planting plans specific to their own precise locations.
Fabulous Front Yards
In 2022, one part of a property is set to be more important than any other. Gardeners who may already have taken on the project of their backyards are turning their attention to the front zones of their properties.
Interest in curb appeal has been growing for a while, but in the coming year, it seems likely that gardeners will increasingly make full use of their front yards and front porches. With container gardening or permanent planting, gardeners are making sure that their properties make a great first impression and that their front yards really enhance their neighborhoods.
These are just a few of the garden design trends set to shape many gardens in 2022.
