Garden Trends for 2024

Spring is here and you know what that means. The 2024 gardening season is about to be in full swing here in our Colorado climate! It’s time to finish planning your gardens so you’re ready to get planting. We’ve rounded up the top Garden Trends for 2024 so you can learn about the big things happening in gardening this year. Get ready to get inspired!

 

“Edimental” (aka plants that are edible and ornamental) is a word coined by Stephen Barstow, author of Around the World in 80 Plants. These multi-tasking plants can include annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and of course some veggies and herbs. This is a great way to get creative with incorporating various edible flowers and more into your homecooked dishes while also growing a beautiful display in your garden. Edimentals add texture, color, and thoughtful design to your outdoor spaces and can then be used in various ways in the kitchen! Plus, it’s a great activity for the whole family and offers a different way to enjoy your garden as you forage while admiring the beauty.

Various examples of edimentals include pansies, dahlias, kale, nasturtium (pictured above), currants, gooseberries, asparagus, chives, fennel, runner beans, and SO MUCH MORE!

Barstow also has a blog devoted to the topic, you can find that here.

 

It’s no surprise that gardeners are focusing more and more on planting perennials that perform extremely well in their climate. Naturalistic Planting (part of the New Perennial Movement that started in the early 80’s) is all about a more natural aesthetic that is less manicured than the traditional garden. It’s not totally wild and certainly not neglected, but this style of garden is a little softer and more in line with what you might see growing naturally. A Naturalistic style is still carefully considered and planted but highlights plant diversity and creating an oasis for wildlife and all types of pollinators. That also means embracing bugs and leaving stalks and stems in-tact through the winter months.

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance garden style that will thrive in our Colorado climate, Naturalistic might just be for you.

Examples of perennials that can be used to achieve this look include Rocky Mountain Penstemon (pictured above), common Yarrow, Harebells, Monarda (Bee Balm), Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan), Pitcher Sage, shrubs like Serviceberry, and grasses like Blue Grama and Little Bluestem.

Here’s an excellent resource from Colorado Native Plant Society for low-water native plants that are wonderful for this type of garden in our Colorado climate.

 

We know we live in a dry climate. Focusing on natural, native, and xeric garden styles are all great ways to address this. Additionally, many gardeners are starting to create rain gardens to maximize the benefits of every precious rainfall. Rain Gardens capture otherwise wasted water and also help to minimize pollutants from rain runoff.

A rain garden, or bio-infiltration basin, is a shallow and sloped planted depression (about 6″-8″ deep) designed to hold water until it soaks into the soil.

In addition to choosing your site and building your rain garden, you’ll need to do some planting. Options for plants in this type of garden include Orange Coneflowers, Switchgrass, Liatris (Blazing Star), Rose Mallow (Hibiscus), and Goldenrod.

Read more on designing a Rain Garden including how-to steps and more details at Garden Design’s blog.

 

Low water and xeric gardens are a major focus, especially in Colorado. We’re considering our environmental impact more closely and embracing the sustainability of waterwise gardens. In case the word “xeric” only makes you picture a barren landscape covered in nothing but gravel and rock, we’re here to tell you some lovely news. There are plenty of beautiful plants you can include while still being mindful of your water usage. As an added bonus, many of these plants are also great options for pollinator-friendly additions to your gardens. Planting perennials that are more heat and cold tolerant as well as drought resistant and always right for your zone is the key to success with this type of garden.

Refer to the resource linked in the “Naturalistic” section for plants that are excellent low water options for Denver and find another great resource from Colorado State here.

We are also rolling out even more signage on our Perennial Patio this year so you’ll see easy-to-identify icons that will help you to quickly spot waterwise and xeric solutions for your garden.

One key thing to remember here: new plants will require supplemental water while getting established, even the waterwise, xeric, or low-water options. After they’re established, they will be able to fend for themselves with little added water or maintenance.

 

This one ties right back into low water and xeric solutions. More and more people are removing their grass lawns and replacing them with less thirsty alternatives. Whether you’re looking to replace your lawn with a low-growing groundcover that will require less water or you’re ready to ditch the empty lawn look altogether, there are so many options to choose from. Some gardeners are taking back their lawn space to create a harder working outdoor living area like an outdoor dining room or kitchen or even building their own dream lavender field in their sunny front yard.

 

While dreaming up your ideal xeric landscape, gravel might have an important design role for you. Incorporating a mix of waterwise perennials with a well-designed layout of gravel can be a wonderful blend of the two. A gravel garden offers a low-water and low-maintenance option that is mostly made up of gravel. Plants are then thoughtfully selected for their low-water needs and drought tolerance. Evenly spread pea gravel about 4″-6″ deep replace soil and mulch while stepping stones, large rocks, and boulders add further interest. These gardens are considered very low-maintenance and require less weeding.

 

Gardens specifically grown for flower preservation like pressed flowers, paper, and dried bouquets are also popular this year. Tending to these gardens and working on these fun DIY projects is a wonderful activity to do as a family and you’ll have creative gifts and décor for all types of events!

Flowers with a single layer of petals like cosmos and pansies are ideal for pressing. Other great options include calendula, daisies, and poppies.

 

Popular in mid-nineteenth century England, stumpery gardens often featured stumps and logs creating a focal point to display a collection of ferns. This garden style is making a major comeback and often highlights various shade-loving plants while creating a wonderful wildlife oasis. Carefully selected and placed stumps and interesting pieces of wood create a naturalistic look and will slowly decompose. Shade-loving plants like hostas and ferns are then placed in and around the “stumpery” for a thriving shady garden.

 

Well, that sums up the top trends in gardening for 2024! Hopefully you’ve gotten some wonderful new ideas to incorporate into your own landscape and have a planting plan in place so you can hit the ground running this season! We can’t wait to see you and help you achieve your biggest (and smallest) garden goals this year!