I recently read a New Year's article about fashion trends that are out of style ( NO to parachute pants, YES to bell bottom-HA- at my age, I remember both of them in their time!) So what about the garden? I think there are some things we need to kick to the curb and refresh. Here's my take on outdated garden trends for 2024. Do you have others you can think of?
Over Pruned and Uptight
Step away from the pruners, and oh, mercy me- leave the power tools in the shed. I like a landscape that allows shrubs and trees to grow to their natural beauty. Plant the right plant in place and the right variety for the space.
Perfect Bark-
Ugh, can I say how much I dislike bark? That reddish-shredded bark hurts my eyes and makes plants look like they are in an unnatural setting. I do get the use of bark- but can we embrace leaf mulch and arborist chips as topdressing on garden beds? Pretty please?
High Maintenance Perennials
With so many perennial choices that growers offer, you can give up on the divas and grow perennials that bloom longer and behave in the garden. Join me for my Paint-By-Number Perennials talk at the Northwest Flower and Garden show in Seattle for some of my favorite divas to swap for better-behaved ones.
Artificial turf- Just say No.
I remember writing an article for Garden Design magazine years ago about the hot trend of using artificial turf- many clients were requesting it at the time. I cringe at the thought of it, and no, I was not promoting the use of it- it was just such a buzzword. But like many things fake in our world- the dreadfulness of it rears its ugly head. And in case you think it doesn't affect you – read this.
Whiskey barrel planters –
Sorry, but this is so 1980s (parachute pants, anyone?). It's time to get rid of them and upgrade (I don't care if they are not rotted out yet; the plastic ones are even worse!) Container gardening is trendy, and there are many ways to upgrade the style of the garden. Check out my container garden book; I have a chapter on choosing pottery to stylize your potted gardens. Also, I wrote an article for Fine Gardening ( years ago) on how to find unique containers at salvage stores.
Cluttered Borders
No more one-sie- two-sie plant buying- do a Marie Kondo thing in the garden and declutter planting beds with too many plants that don't make sense. What makes sense? - think of a color palette of plants that harmonize in color or repeat plants for masses of color. And just so you know, I love maximalism- in the garden- but it is a thoughtful approach to adding a wow factor to a space without looking like a hot mess.