Rewilding and Other Gardening Trends

It’s not surprising after the last year or being home, that sustainability and a more “home grown” approach has taken hold of the UK. As a result, gardening trends have taken on a more eco-friendly and sustainable feel. Here are some of the top trends for the amateur gardener this year and our resident garden experts at Notcutts Garden Centre are here to help you bring some of these new trends to your garden. 

“Rewilding” - You may have noticed a lot of wild flower gardens sprouting up and being publicised in glossy magazines. You may think your neighbour has simply decided to give mowing a miss this year… Not so, rewilding it the current trend and it’s all about allowing plants to lose their manicured neatness and give nature a bit of free rein. 

What to plant? Basically meadow flowers like daisies, buttercups, dandelions, grasses - anything that’s naturally meant to be in that space. The idea is to make gardens more natural, which is hugely beneficial to your garden's soil and eco-system, and will encourage insects and animals back into your space. This has been employed in larger open spaces and parks for a while, but its principles are now being applied to smaller residential spaces, too. 

Vegetable Patches and Potted Veg  - Yes we’re going kitchen gardening and back to the good old days when anyone with a small patch of outdoor space grew their own vegetables. If you don’t have a patch of earth, no matter, grow your veg in pots, boxes or up a wall, urban style.  Pinterest reported a 600% increase in searches for homemade garden boxes, as well as a 600% increase in searches for 'DIY small garden ideas vegetables'. 

Vertical gardens - Very popular as are balcony gardens, veg and herb window boxes and the use of crates as vegetable patches.  The great thing about these is if you pop some castors on the bottom, you can move them around when you need to make space or follow the sunlight!

Fruit trees - There are so many fruits we can grow in our gardens in the UK. Some that might seem rather exotic, like figs and citrus can be grown successfully in England as well. And as we know, Kent is the garden of England and known for its fruit trees, so let’s get them back into our gardens. 

Medicinal plants  - There’s a lot of interest in health for obvious reasons and an increased fascination with medicinal plants and more natural remedies… Here are some of the top medicinal plants grown widely in the UK. Our friends at Notcutts Garden Centre can help you pick out the plants best suited to your individual space. 

• English Marigold - a familiar plant in the UL, but it has a few more benefits than just looking pretty, including as a remedy for insect bites or stings to help reduce the pain and swelling.
• Lady’s Mantle - a member of the Rosaceae family , it grows abundantly in wild meadows and its astringent properties allow it to treat a range of conditions from muscle spasms to cuts and wounds.
• Elder - Elder flowers have both anti-septic and anti-inflammatory effects, used for centuries. A mix of elderflower and water can be used to alleviate symptoms of anything from the common cold to some forms of arthritis. 
• Stinging Nettle - most people overlook the health benefits of the Nettle, but used as natural anti-histamine nettles are useful in combatting allergies. Easily consumed in nettle tea. 
• Evening Primrose - the oil derived from the leaves of this plant contains the pain-relieving compound phenylalanine which gives it remarkable healing properties.
• Feverfew - Part of the daisy family known for its preventative treatment of migraines and also good for hay fever.  

Edible flowers  - If you’ve been at home watching cooking shows or have studied restaurant trends,  then you will have seen edible flowers increasingly on the menu… Typical edible flowers that we can all grow are violets, pansies, nasturtiums, rose, lavender, chrysanthemum, daisy and allium to name a few... Excellent on salads and as decoration for cakes, tarts and cocktails! 

For advice on how to make the most of your garden, including vegetables, edible and medicinal plants, herbs, fruit trees and urban gardening ideas, just ask the friendly experts at Notcutts Garden Centre who are always on hand to help you with your plant choices.