The once (and future) garden 

Even in winter, the Japanese garden enchants with its dwarf trees, architectural elements like footbridges and natural elements like water, rocks and sand.

 

Spring is officially still two months away, but already gardening enthusiasts are champing at the bit. How will their gardens grow this year? We can get some idea from the top garden trends of last year, courtesy of the garden experts at PergolaKitsUSA: 

The Japanese garden embraces spare beauty, quiet contemplation and a deep connection with natural elements. Posts including the hashtag “#japanesegarden” were big in 2023, getting more than 26 million views on TikTok alone. 

Garden art – From Italianate sculptures to durable gnomes, the idea of artwork in the garden has proved popular in the TikTok gardening community. Posts with the hashtag “#gardenart” received more than 12 million views in 2023. Placement and scale are usually key to tasteful embellishment of your green space. Choose pieces that fit with the aesthetics of your home, the size of your garden and the expression of yourself.  

The garden bar – Here’s a modern addition to the garden, an unsurprisingly popular trend in the world of TikTok as posts with the hashtag “#gardenbar” received more than 12 million views last year. From a small, simple setup, kitted out to perhaps accommodate a few bottles and glasses, to elaborate structures with stools, fridges, spirit dispensers, beer taps and even pub games like darts, a garden bar can open up the floor to a range of social activities. Whether serving for a chat over a glass of wine, or a full-scale garden party, a garden bar may wind up being the envy of the invited and uninvited alike.  

 The rustic garden — Rustic aesthetics are a classic style choice for homes and gardens, much loved by gardening enthusiasts and now those on TikTok, with posts with the hashtag “#rusticgarden” among the most popular garden-related trends on the platform in 2023. Continue the trend with warm, natural, earthy colors, weathered oak and old bricks and cobblestones. 

The sensory garden is all about stimulating the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, a quintuple win for all as “#sensorygarden” was another top trend among gardeners on TikTok. Choose flowers with vibrant colors (roses and tulips, for example) and/or botanicals with great scents like hyacinths, jasmine, lavender, lilacs, lilies and peonies. 

A spokesperson from PergolaKitsUSA said of the trends: “Garden trends vary in their nature year to year, and nowadays, the ways in which trends are established is also changing. Anyone who loves the world of gardening should embrace the influence that new platforms like TikTok can have,… as these trends show, spreading beautiful garden inspiration to millions of people.”