The first signs of spring heralds one thing – getting out in the garden. As our world shifts with climate change, we must adapt and look at how we can live more sustainably. Sustainability is key theme across all the garden trends for 2023, from growing your own (be it a full veg patch or potted herbs on a windowsill), xeriscaping to save water, and connecting with nature and welcoming wildlife. Plus, vertical gardens are on the up. Our materials are changing too and warmth is key, think rich, rust coloured metals and terracotta in pots and on walls.

1. Heavy metal

In 2023, we’re looking to switch up our muted colour palettes in our garden accessories and bring in some heavy metals. These metallics run the gamut, from bronze to copper to brass and Good Homes has fallen in love with Stark & Greensmith‘s decorative metal. 100% recyclable and made from solid metal, they do everything from fencing and gates, to decorative panels and planters. The metal is fully weatherproof, so doesn’t require any maintenance, unlike wood, and will give an architectural edge to your garden.

2. Vertical gardening 

Whether space is at a premium or not, vertical gardening is big for 2023, and all you need is a wall. These brilliant slatted wall planters from Forest Garden (from £104.99) start with a one or two shelf option, and are modular, so you can build your plant wall up slowly. They look stylish, but are also super useful, as you can grow anything from herbs to cutting flowers.

3. Grow your own

‘In the light of the current cost-of-living crisis, gardeners are putting more emphasis on homegrown produce to save some money on their food shop bills. Besides the popular tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes, we also recommend growing strawberries, raspberries, fruit pillar trees and herbs as they’re low-maintenance and don’t require much space, which means they’re also suitable for flats and small gardens.’ Say the expert team at Gardening Express.

Try this Clever Pots Triangular Cane Support Planter (from £40), you can buy them everywhere from Amazon to B&Q. Clever by name and clever by nature, the pots have a built in water reservoir which reduces the amount of watering and also stops the over watering.

4. Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping, is increasing in not just popularity but necessity. But what is it? Essentially, it’s landscaping and planting using minimal water. With the regularity of hose pipe bans, and our need to conserve water for the environment, and not to mention sky rocketing utility bills, it’s a way of letting your garden thrive without needing to water it.

You might think of desert landscapes, but it’s not just cacti that are great for xeriscaping, there’s a whole of host of plants, shrubs, herbs and spices you can choose from. Try ornamental grasses, rock roses, and butterfly loving lavender. Oregano, thyme and rosemary are hardy herbs that with weather well with little water. Take your garden entirely off-grid by investing in a water butt to collect rainwater. Another Forest Garden favourite, these Caledonian raised beds (from £212) are great for growing.

5. Glam greenhouse

While the cottage garden aesthetic and rewilding, where gardens are left to mother nature to do their own thing, are taking all the google search, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Cue, the glam greenhouse. And if anyone knows a thing or two about a glam greenhouse, it’s luxury glasshouse and greenhouse maker Hartley Botanic. And they have a few tips for how to turn your greenhouse into a luxurious haven:

1. Create a lifestyle area: Hartley Botanic suggest using your greenhouse as a ‘multi-functional space’ and even ‘introduce an eco-wood burner, as a way to warm up spring and autumn evenings for alfresco dining and provide an additional heat source for tender plants.’
2. Invest in organisational accessories: ‘Use internal partitions to separate growing areas from spaces you can use for relaxing’. ‘Create different growing zones, shelving, a potting bench and compost store and display your greenhouse plants on staging’.
3. Fill your glasshouse with scent: Our gardens are filled with scent, so why shouldn’t your greenhouse be? Hartley Botanic suggest ‘many fragrant herbs can be easily grown in a greenhouse, to add a special sensory dimension. Lavender to help you relax and sleep. Camomile for anti-anxiety or Echinacea, to boost the immune system.’

6. Alfresco lighting

The cardinal rule of interiors, is lighting is key, and that should extend to your exteriors as well. Given that the garden is now being dubbed as a ‘fifth room’ – lighting means you can make the most of your outside space on those sultry summer evenings, long after the sun has set. Layers of outdoor lighting can bring atmosphere and warmth to your garden, and backlight plants and borders. Don’t forget to light a way back up the path to your back door, these sweet mushroom lights from Lights4fun work a treat. Solar powered lighting and festoon lighting is also a great way to illuminate your garden.

7. Connect with nature

While this may look like a cool garden sculpture, it’s actually so much more. The Beepost (from £650) from Green&Blue is actually a bee tower, which has been developed as a nesting site for solitary bees. Solitary bees, as their name suggests don’t live in colonies like many other bees and they ‘don’t have a queen, hive or honey to protect they are non-aggressive, meaning they are safe to encourage around children and pets’ say Green & Blue. They also make a brilliant, more affordable bee brick (from £32).

It’s not just bees you can encourage in the garden, bird feeders, butterfly boxes, and leaving bowls of water out for hedgehogs in hot weather, can all give wildlife a haven to flourish.

8. A touch of terracotta

Terracotta can get a bad rap, and conjure up images of cheap, boring plant pots, but this gloriously rich, earthy tone can help you envoke a sun baked Moroccan feel in your garden. Terracotta walls in the garden can feel warm and energising, or you could create a relaxed area in the garden strewn with terracotta cushions, hemp bolsters and warm lighting.

9. A reading nook

If you work from home, then creating a space, that enables you to totally switch off and relax is so important. Why not make the most of the warmer weather and create a reading nook in the garden? You can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. All you need is a comfy chair (or a hammock), a couple of blankets and cushions and a good book. Leave it set up all the time, so it will encourage you to get out and read with the sound of birdsong in the background.

10. Coastal Calm

A Coastal Calm garden riffs on the natural, rustic materials we’ve been seeing everywhere of late. This garden trend offers a laid-back Ibizan vibe with wicker lanterns and oversized hanging pendants: ‘Channelling a boho Mediterranean vibe, the space is finished with lush palms and olive trees that bring a touch of the White Isle to your back garden’, says the Good Homes styling team, who will be creating this look in the Show Gardens section at Ideal Home Show 2023, in collaboration with renowned TV garden designer David Domoney. Find out more here.

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MORE GARDEN INSPIRATION FOR 2023

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• Garden makeover: it feels like a continuation of the house

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