The best and worst garden trends of all time have been revealed by leading tool firm Draper Tools – with bird feeders and vegetable patches among the good, and gnomes and fake grass among the bad. The study of 2,000 UK adults with gardens also found that over a third of people say improving their garden is a priority right now, with almost 2 in 5 people planning to spend more on their garden this year than ever before.
Water features, summer houses and decking are viewed favourably among green-fingered Brits – as are herb gardens, living walls and outdoors kitchens. However, the nation is less enamoured with hot tubs, trampolines and wind chimes – and they’re also not keen on fences painted with orange wood stain, or conifers. Sustainability in the garden is increasingly popular too, with trends including composting and wildflowers or wild meadows making the top 30 list. Added to this, over half of the nation said the best thing about having a garden was attracting birds and wildlife to it. And a further third of people said the best thing was growing their own good.
Commissioned to support the wide range of gardening essentials available from Draper Tools, the study found 83% of the population believe they have impeccable taste when it comes to their garden. Although 4 in 10 admit they regret some decisions they’ve made in relation to their outside space.
There was encouraging news for garden retailers, with 70% of people agreeing that spending money on the garden is a worthwhile investment and almost the same number saying it’s worth investing in quality garden tools too. The research also found Britain’s interest in their outside space is intensifying with more than 2 in 5 people admitting they’ve become more passionate about gardening in recent weeks. It was found that garden retailers play a key role in enthusing Britain’s gardeners with 3 in 10 people say they get most of their inspiration from visiting garden centres. Gardening TV programmes were also cited as also a popular source (26%) – as were family members (21%). Around a quarter of gardeners revealed they make a concerted effort to keep up to date with the latest trends in the world of gardening.
Top 30 Gardening Trends
Bird feeders, Vegetable gardens, Water features, Lanterns/outdoor lights, Summer houses, Hanging baskets, Bird bath, Herb garden, Solar lighting, Green houses, Raised garden beds, Decking, Hedgehog homes, Ponds, Wild meadow area/growing of wildflowers, Fire pits, Composting, Built in BBQ/Outdoor kitchen, Planters, Garden pathways/stepping stones, Bumblebee nest boxes, Rose gardens, Tree houses, Rock gardens, Terracotta plant pots, Patio heaters, Garden bar/pub in a shed, Living walls, Repurposing household items to grow plants in – such as bathtubs, sinks, old bikes, Bird/animal box cameras
Worst 30 garden trends
Gnomes, Fake grass, Plastic ornaments, Fake animal/bird statues e.g. Flamingos, Artificial topiary balls, Buddha statues, Trampolines, Hot tubs, Recycled old tires as plant containers, Pub in a shed, Ivy, Fences painted with orange wood stain, Wind chimes, Shoe planter (a planter that looks like a shoe), Fairy gardens (tiny mini gardens for fairies), Pretend bicycle planters, Metal bird/animal/butterfly wall ornaments, Garden tiki bar, Repurposing household items to grow plants in – such as bathtubs, sinks, old bikes, Outdoors beanbags, Crazy paving, Sonic animal repellers, Conifers, Decking, Patio heaters, Gas powered barbecues, Fire pits, Topiary (trimming hedges into shapes), Chimeneas, Decorative crates
