Whether home, workplace, street or suburb, we’re on a mission to help every Australian make their space a better place. Learn how to bring the power of plants into your own life in our 2022 Plant Trend Report.
It is said the only constant in life is change, and for Australians there has been a lot of change in the last year. From severe unseasonal rainfall to some of the most challenging bushfire periods in recent memory, the rise in extreme weather events linked to climate change is clearer than ever.
But the Australian love of our natural environment is not shifting. Instead, how we adapt to these bigger pressures and stay connected to the gardens that we love is changing. In the face of extremes, the optimistic Australian spirit brings out the best in us and the places we love; our home amongst the trees.
In this report, we look at the coming trends that show a driving adaptability and a thrifty, practical ‘do-it-yourself’ attitude. Scroll down to read a snapshot of the report, or download the full version here.
Trend one
WET AND WILD
The garden has become a hub for encouraging lively habitats, with a huge resurgence towards saving the birds and the bees – and it’s not stopping anytime soon. Our nationwide obsession for green foliage has fallen from its place as the number one trend. In its place, we welcome a flurry of colour and insects as Australians take to the garden to foster a buzz.
The prediction:
Gardens brimming with wildflowers, micro wetlands and water features
How to bring this trend to life:
Plant blue to attract bees into your garden and increase biodiversity. Choose ‘endemic’ plants that are natives local to your area, and bring water into your space by building a tiered garden system.
Trend two
Resilient Roots
The pandemic saw a boom in vegetable gardening, and people are now returning to the ‘grow it yourself movement’ in droves as extreme weather conditions push produce to unattainable prices on our supermarket shelves.
The prediction:
Easy levels of maintenance
How to bring this trend to life:
Use wicking beds for watering, in-garden bed worm farms for nutrients and attract beneficial predatory insects for pest management. Local plants will offer the most climate resilient and low maintenance solutions, and don’t forget about healthy soil!
Trend three
3D Gardening
You can’t live somewhere that’s too hot – period. Greening our homes and neighbourhoods with plants, shrubs, and trees, can greatly help to mitigate heat. With energy costs on the rise, more of us will be embracing the natural air conditioner of nature – planting at the base, the sides, and overhead to create cooling pockets of shade that last the long term.
The prediction:
3D greening – planting below, beside and overhead
How to bring this trend to life:
Use deciduous vines to create a shady summer ceiling. Weave vegetable vines (such as pumpkins or zucchini) up structures to create garden ‘tents’ that cool your outdoor area.
Trend four
Green in and Zone Out
The permanent disruptions of living with a changing climate, and the temporary disruptions of living with COVID-19, are pushing us to seek solace, peace and a quiet place just for us more than ever. Nature is a great place to zone out of the busyness and tune into a place of wellbeing and meaningful connection.
The prediction:
Connection with nature to increase health and wellbeing
How to bring this trend to life:
Escape to the garden! Plants bring direct mental health benefits such as improved mood and connection. Practise nature-based mindfulness by dropping into your five senses whilst in the garden.
This past year has brought a huge amount of change – and that doesn’t look like it’ll be slowing down any time soon. We can take simple, practical steps to reconnect with our gardens to increase climate resilience, tackle cost of living challenges and boost mental wellbeing.
Find out exactly how to do this, and what plants to buy in the full report.