Garden Design Trends for 2024

As we move closer to the New Year, what does 2024 hold in store for design ideas for our gardens?

Sustainability was very much at the forefront as a 2023 garden design trend and this is set to continue for at least another year. This will focus on eco-friendly practices and water conservation. Selecting materials for hard landscaping which are sustainable will be key – such as recycled stone or timber. As it has already become apparent, out climate is changing and weather patterns increasingly showing signs of dryer summers and wetter winters. Rain gardens will come into their own, designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff, as they can hold up to 30 percent more water than a lawn.

During Covid everyone was awakened to the fact that gardens are just an extension of the home, reflecting personal styles and aspirations. They have become a tranquil haven in amongst the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and we’re spending more and more time in them. Outdoor kitchens, dining areas and lounging areas are set to continue featuring as our inside and outside living spaces merge.

Edible gardens are becoming increasingly popular as we notice more and more where our food comes from. Kitchen gardens, fruit trees and dedicated herb beds, although still used in many gardens, are falling behind the trendy and less labour-intensive form of growing, edimentals. Edimentals are perennial, so on average living for three years or longer; edible and have the advantage of being decorative. They tend to be planted as part of a mixed border, rather than a dedicated food growing area. Allium babingtonii, a perennial leek, is one such example.

Lime is sure to be popular too. No not the fruit, the colour! 2022 saw Very Peri, a dynamic periwinkle blue, 2023 has been Viva Magenta and for 2024 Cyber Lime is set to creep from the catwalks into the borders. Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’, Santolina rosmarinifolia 'Lemon Fizz', Alchemilla mollis and Cornus alba 'Spaethii' will bring a touch of light to our borders and bring them bang up to date.