The present-day gardening trends can be summarized up in two words: creative and resilient. Both of these adjectives are correct. Not only are gardeners necessary to cultivate resilience in order to work with the unpredictability of climate change (and everything that is associated with it!), but plants also need to demonstrate resilience.
In addition, resilience is strongly linked to creativity for gardeners, whether it is through the acceptance of novel ideas, the ability to think creatively, or the ability to adjust to a new “normal.”
Edible Garden Enhancements
Edimentals are somewhat plants that can be used as edible and decorative, and as a result, they serve more than one purpose in the garden. This phrase was coined by the Norwegian writer Stephen Barstow during his time in the garden. In general, ornamental plants are plants that have a lifespan of more than one year.
These plants can be perennials, shrubs, or even trees to name a few. Within a conventional vegetable garden, the utilization of edimentals is an excellent method for incorporating design aspects such as texture, color, and form.
- Lower Upkeep. Because they produce their fruits at different times during the year instead of all at once, ornamental plants are typically less difficult to care for than standard annual vegetables.
- Plants with Greater Resilience. Because edimentals are generally shrubs, perennials, or trees, they have deeper roots than annuals, which makes them far more resistant to drought and better equipped to deal with the odd infestation of pests.
- Children Adore Them! Edimentals are a terrific way to bring children out of their homes and out to the garden, and at the same time, they encourage them to scavenge while they are wandering around. This is because they are spread out across the entire garden, as opposed to being planted in a specific vegetable bed.
New Perennials and Naturalistic Planting
The New Perennial Movement, which began in the Netherlands during the ’80s, is at long last making its way into popular design. Beautiful examples of what is sometimes called New Wave Planting as well as Naturalistic Planting may be seen in any gardening magazine.
It’s more of a bohemian, carefree style that mimics nature rather than manicuring or neglecting it. Drifts of native plants and grasses populate the garden, giving the impression that they have self-seeded but were actually meticulously arranged.
The goal is not to display neatly organized plant collections, but rather a diverse array of plants that complement the environment and attract beneficial insects and other species.
Sustainable Rain Gardens Preserve Every Drop
Many areas experience droughts on a regular basis, therefore many people are turning to rain gardens as a way to collect and reuse rainfall and irrigation runoff instead of sending it down the drain.
A rain garden has many uses, one of which is to collect runoff. As plants gradually filter water through their roots, they also reduce contaminants from rain runoff that can damage roofs and driveways.
Several native plants, sedges, and grasses with long, deep roots are ideal for rain gardens because they can withstand either abundant or scarce water.
A Newfound Adoration for Bugs
Even if “love” is too strong a word, more and more gardeners are learning to tolerate pests and abandoning the unrealistic belief that leaves must always be perfectly preserved. This may be easier to say than do for certain issues.
Slugs and snails were recently de-classified as pests by the Royal Horticultural Society, which makes sense given the crisis-level insect biodiversity and the increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things. I assure you, that is correct!
Invasive jumping worms, lantern flies, and pine bark beetles are just a few examples of bugs that will always be considered bad. However, our perception of most bugs, including the ones that make us uncomfortable, has changed significantly.