While some garden design trends remain perennial and timeless, new and exciting ideas are always evolving to reflect our changing lifestyles, fashions and priorities. So, how will your garden grow this year and how can we help you achieve it? Let's explore the top garden design trends of 2024.

Garden Design Trend #1: Sustainable, Native Plants

Evoking the sights and scents of far-off lands, blooms and grasses from foreign climes have historically been popular in British gardens. But despite the allure of the exotic, garden designers in 2024 are increasingly making the choice to use plants native to their region. 

With awareness of the importance of biodiversity in our local microclimates growing, native plants are one of the most significant garden design trends of 2024. Crucial for the health and resilience of ecosystems, native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, which typically means they require less maintenance in terms of watering, fertilising and pest control. Being adapted to the local environment means that they attract local wildlife, which in turn will enhance the natural ecosystem and promote biodiversity in your garden. There is a wide variety of beautiful native plants that you can choose from if you would like to adopt this trend, including fragrant flowers like bluebells, honeysuckle and lily of the valley.

Garden Design Trend #2: Edimentals

What’s better than an attractive-looking plant, or one that tastes amazing? One that ticks both boxes, of course. “Edimental” is a portmanteau word for a plant that is not only edible, but also looks ornamental in your garden. Popular edimentals are a perfect addition to a sensory garden. The can include nasturtiums, chicory, chives and even lavender, whose fragrant flowers can be used to infuse desserts and drinks. 

Garden Design Trend #3: The Garden as a Workspace

Many of us are now established as hybrid or home workers. It makes sense that, as this becomes a permanent lifestyle choice, there is a growing trend for home office studios in the garden. These stylish outhouses are often a focal point for the garden, with lighting and landscaping designed to support and facilitate al fresco working. 

And because people are spending more time in their gardens during the day, there’s also an increased interest in good-looking gardens that are easy to maintain - sparking a surge in the popularity of low-maintenance garden design. 

Garden Design Trend #4: Climate-Adaptive Design Choices

Every garden needs the right conditions to thrive. But in the face of a changing climate, the plants that flourished in our gardens in the past may no longer be the most suitable for our current environment. Droughts, high winds, heatwaves and excessive rainfall may all affect our gardens in 2024. 

Responding to climate change, garden designers are increasingly adopting practices more suited to extreme weather conditions, such as selecting plants that can survive for longer periods without rainfall, building wind-resistant structures to protect plants, and collecting rainwater to use in periods of drought. Our changing climate is also affecting the bee population: why not try planting a pollinator-friendly garden, packed with wildlife-friendly plants?

Garden Design Trend #5: The Rise of Online Plant Shopping

Although online shopping has been a thing for several decades, the horticultural sector has been slower than most to get on board with it seriously. And that’s understandable, because for many, garden design and plant selection is a sensory, up-close-and-personal experience that’s not easy to replicate on a screen. Then there are the logistical difficulties of packing and delivery; keeping plants healthy in transit is no mean feat. 

But right now, online plant shopping is finally having its moment as one of the garden design trends of 2024. Specially designed packaging and faster shipping options ensure that plants arrive healthy and ready to thrive (even those that need a little extra attention, such as our Leafy Leftovers).The convenience of being able to select plants and design a custom garden online is a boon for time-poor customers who can’t easily get to a garden centre. Sophisticated online specifications mean that you can customise your garden design to suit the size and environmental features of your garden.

Elevate Your Outdoor Space, With Garden on a Roll

However you choose to embody the garden design trends of 2024, Garden on a Roll will make it easy. Whether you’re a first-time gardener or just in need of a helping hand, our