While fashions come and go, some things never change, and the place of the garden in family life is one of them. But that doesn’t mean that gardens themselves won’t look a little different in the next couple of decades, as climate change, the pressure on space and technological advances all affect our lives.
“Over the next decade we forecast a shift towards using our gardens in the UK as multi-functional outdoor rooms,” says Victoria Redshaw, lead futurist at Scarlet Opus. “That’s going to mean a much more decorative look - from lighting and outdoor rugs to stylish outdoor storage – as well as fast, effective heating solutions that will enable us to relax, cook, eat, entertain and work in our gardens during any season and further into the evenings.” Sunday lunch with the grandparents may shift outside too. “We’ll be investing in outdoor kitchen solutions which let us prepare food outside as well as cook it.”
Tech to provide a friendly hand in the garden
Horticulturalist Andrew Fisher Tomlin believes that, inevitably, technology will speed these changes up as well. “Already we’re starting to see GPS-mowers and hedge cutters,” he says. “And as national databases become more mainstream, we’ll be able to input our co-ordinates into them, so that we can get a better idea of any horticultural threats that might be looming on the horizon.”
“Families can already easily download gardening instructions and videos onto phones these days - so no excuses from reluctant teenagers that they ‘don’t know how’,” he adds.
And of course, Redshaw adds, those funky outdoor heating and entertainment systems will be controllable by apps from afar too.
At the same time we’ll be even more aware of the special qualities that a garden gives us, Fisher Tomlin explains: “we’re waking up to the benefits of gardening for all of us – and that it’s something great for the whole family to get involved in together.” And as the technology changes, so will what we grow. “We’re shifting to ‘grow your own with a twist’,” he says. “Rather than grow the basic veg, we’re going back to unusual plants like tomatillos and Szechuan peppers.”
A growing trend
All this seems to point towards the possibility that we’ll soon be exercising our green thumbs a whole lot more. “Micro-gardens in planters and containers are already booming, and everyone expects this to continue. So are community gardens, where people either share one patch of open space or agree between them who’s going to grow what produce and everyone gets a share of the final harvest,” says Fisher Tomlin.
So will our gardens look different? Perhaps, but the enduring qualities of a patch of land – however small – and the opportunity for children to see real plants growing in the earth are never going to diminish.
Whether you live in a city centre apartment or a suburban semi, every home is different. And you can be sure their contents are different too. We also appreciate that your garden can give you just as much joy as your home. That’s why Sainsbury’s Bank home insurance, provided by U K Insurance Limited, helps to cover items in your garden as well as inside your home. So your essential summer items such as your BBQs and lawnmowers are covered, as well as plants and shrubbery. Terms and conditions apply.
