2023 gardening predictions: what trends will we see?

In 2022, we predicted the rise of red-fleshed apples, which benefited from this year’s extreme heat making them sweeter and even richer in colour. The summer’s RHS Flower Shows celebrated this with a riot of reds, purples and yellows included in confident plantings.

Next year we expect to garden with nature and the environment in mind more than ever, a trend that has been swelling year-on-year and is set to become the main concern of Britain’s gardeners.

Thriving houseplants

Close-up of woman misting flowering Calathea crocata AGM houseplant

Peat-free gardening

With peat-based bagged

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

To grow well, plants need a wide range of nutrients in various amounts, depending on the individual plant and its stage of growth. The three key plant nutrients usually derived from soil are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, while carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are absorbed from the air. Other vital soil nutrients include magnesium, calcium and sulphur. Gardeners can add nutrients by applying fertilisers (either artificial or naturally derived) to boost plant growth and improve flowering and fruiting.

nutrients

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

mulch

Gardening goes tech

Visitor taking photographs on a mobile phone

Apps and social media are becoming more important as gardeners share what’s happening on their patch, participate in courses and workshops digitally and help with planning and provide timely prompts throughout the year for gardening jobs. This sharing of information online will also give the added benefits of mapping plant health problems and shaping research projects. The RHS will be expanding the range of digital services offered in 2023 to meet demand and to build on the popularity of the RHS The Garden app.

Grow your own herbs

Herbs are a cheap and easy way for people to add extra flavour to meals, and searches for herbs were up almost 600% this winter, compared with 2021. The most sought after varieties were classics such as mint and coriander, with the addition of more unusual varieties including edible flowers and lemon balm. Most herbs are easy to grow from seed, providing another cost saving, and can be sown indoors from March to April and outside from April to August. Many culinary herbs are hardy and

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Innovative climate-resilient gardens

Example of a gravel path in the Glasshouse Borders at RHS Garden Wisley

Following the heat and drought of summer, gardeners will be looking for ways to future-proof their spaces for a more extreme climate. Gravel gardens and xeriscaping (gardens designed to minimise future watering) will be popular, but a changing climate doesn’t have to mean a totally different look for gardens. There are a few swaps gardeners could make to retain the same feel, including fragrant choisya for hydrangeas and Phygelius for fuchsia.

Changing lawns

Gardeners will be saving time by giving up parts of their lawn to pollinators and other garden wildlife, letting borders grow long or looking into lawns that require less water and maintenance. This includes tapestry lawns made up of low-lying, intertwining flowering plants such as yarrow and selfheal and mini wildflower meadows with native plants like yellow rattle and cornflower. Plants previously thought of as weeds, including dandelions, are also embraced for their ability to blend into their green surrounds. Many breeders are focusing on drought-tolerant varieties, including tall fescue grass and microclovers, which mean these lawns stay green without watering even in very dry areas.

Green landscaping

A Taxus baccata AGM (common yew hedge) at RHS Garden Wisley

Example of a green wall installation at Watermatic Ltd, Radlett

Dried flowers

Dried and pressed flowers are very much back in fashion, making a charming addition to rooms in posies, wreaths or garlands. This is the latest in the rise in all kinds of traditions skills and crafts including natural dyes, scything and foraging. Be sure to explore our range of RHS courses and workshops.

Embracing nature’s unloved

Tramp slugs can help recycle decaying material