Medicinal herbs deserve a mention as well. As for landscaping styles, curves will be substituting minimal, sharp edged designs while pink combined with natural colors will dominate.
Here are our predictions on what will be hot in gardening in 2017.
Foodscaping
via vancouversun.com
Call it foodscaping, edible landscaping or front yard farming, this type of landscaping is becoming more and more popular and will definitely mark 2017 as one of the hottest gardening trends. In fact, we can freely say that it has become a movement more than a trend. A hybrid between farming and landscaping, foodscaping means using major areas of a lawn on private property in order to grow food. We recommend a less invasive way to implement foodscaping into your garden – incorporate edible varieties into traditional landscapes. For example, replace native bushes with blueberry bushes.
Mini Meadows
No garden is too small for a mini meadow filled with native wildflowers and perennials! You can create a mini meadow from scratch, use pots, containers or garden beds or even create a mini meadow in your lawn. With wildflower meadows being lost all around the world you will be creating habitats for birds, butterflies, and bees. A trend definitely worth following this year!
Sedums and succulents
via european-web.org
You have to love sedums and succulents – they are drought resistant, low care and so easy to care for. All you need is to be creative enough and you can use them in border areas of flower beds, stone wall beds, or container gardens. We believe that this is just the start of the era of sedums and succulents – with the climate changes and busy lifestyle gardener will turn more and more to low-care, drought-tough plants.
Tropical-looking plants
via palmtalk.org
The interest in tropical-looking plants is expected to take a firm hold this year. Although tropical plants thrive in hot climates, you can still turn your garden into a tropical paradise – even if you live where the winters are cold. You can do this by using native plants that look like the tropical ones, which means exotic forms, large leaves and colorful blooms. Actually, the thing with tropical or tropical-looking plants is to choose the right plant for your climate. Another trick for getting a tropical garden is densely planting. Some of the plants that will fit perfectly in a tropical garden are: Sichuan Hardy Banana, Crinum Lily, Elephant’s Ear, Mexican Winged Crown-Beard, Prairie Rosinweed, Canna, Yellow Angels’ Trumpet, Taro, Red and Green Caladium and many more.
50 Shades of Pink
via pinkous.com
If you wondered which color will be big in 2017 when gardening is in questions, we have the answer! It is Pink. The Garden Media Group report predicts that pink in various shades will be the most popular color this year. From dusty pink, bubble gum to blush pink, pink blooms will dominate the gardens and balconies. Pair the pink blooms with with rustic, natural colors for a vintage, homey look.
Portable Gardening
via remodelista.com
Nowadays some people prefer the flexibility of renting while others simply can’t afford buying so gardening in apartments with no in-ground option is very common. It is a challenge to grow plants in window boxes, on rooftops, balconies and patios, but gardeners are adapting and becoming more inventive and creative. The usage of containers is the most simple way to grow annuals and even edibles even when you don’t have the luxury of a garden. Even garden centers are responding to this trend by offering more already planted flower pots, miniature vegetable varieties in pots and portable containers in general.
Rain Gardens
via lsruc.net
Don’t you hate the “lake” that forms in your garden every time it rains? If so, you will love this trend which includes using of rain barrels and creating so called rain gardens. Rain gardens hold rainwater and rely on specialized native plants to wick water into the soil and offer many environmental benefits like minimizing the pollutants that flow into storm drains. No wonder rain gardens will be such a hit this year. And if you use native plants in your rain garden you are also creating habitats for butterflies, bees and other insects! Yes, rain gardens are both beautiful and beneficial. Make sure you design your rain garden properly as it might attract mosquitos as well. You can learn how to create one here.
Covered Pergolas
Covered pergolas are more popular than ever. This is due to the fact that people want to spend as much as possible outside and pergolas extend the outdoor season. They also create shade which is much needed during hot summers. Think about it as an extension of your living room , a sort of an open outdoor room where you can spend pleasant hours in your garden while still protected from the hot sun or stubborn rain.
Medicinal and culinary herbs
Herbs have such a great healing potential and people are learning more and more about the great health benefits from consuming them. It is like growing your own remedies. This is why medicinal herbs and herbs for making your own tea are becoming more and more popular nowadays. Peppermint is great for an upset stomach, calendula lotion for cuts, arnica for injures etc.
Curves
via diynetwork.com
Forget minimalism, forget straight lines and opt for softer, gentler shapes in your garden as curves are totally in this year. There are many ways to implement curves in your garden, like creating a wavy path between flower beds. Just try to avoid sharp corners in your garden and you will easily follow this trend.
