I can’t work out whether astrology is mindless twaddle or nonsense. I’m a Libran and we’re terribly indecisive…
But who needs a horoscope or crystal ball to know that the credit-crunch and Olympics will be key influencers for 2012. Bedding-plant suppliers suggest the Olympics will have us planting up borders in red, white and blue in a surge of patriotism. I’m sure some of us will but the more significant trend will be for all things garden party from rugs, candles, temporary gazebos and games like swing-ball and croquet – either to emulate and celebrate the games or escape them.
Spending more time in the garden due to home holidaying will mean we want to see improvements, and while the makeover generation had more cash for big changes, this time round it will be more about embellishment, perhaps tying in with our increased eco-consciousness and taking the shape of bee boxes, birdhouses and mini-ponds for butterflies and dragonflies.
Thrifty use of small space is bound to be er.., big with value vertically planting modules that allow previously un-plantable walls to be ‘greened’, a trend set to slowly grow. More achievable is staking a claim on every last inch of soil and I think this’ll mean greater focus on front gardens as places to harvest from. Grow-your-own will still be big in 2012 but I sense a shift and instead of quick-growing carrots and cabbages leading the charge, as the recession bites, and home-owners move less, the incentive grows to invest in slower crops like fruit trees.
Using our gardens not just for growing food, but for cooking will be bigger than ever this year as creating a comfortable spot to wine and dine makes all the difference to a stay-cation and the most of limited space.
When it comes to dealing with garden pests and diseases, this combination of greater environmental awareness and EU legislation – which is reducing the amount of garden chemicals available to the amateur – will mean people reach less for the chemical fix. However, the proliferation of bio-controls and bio-stimulants, such as mycorrhizal fungi, will mean gardeners can still have a quick-fix solution without having to sacrifice garden wildlife.
Gardening is usually the last place for technology, but thanks to QR codes anyone with a SmartPhone can access useful gardening information while they’re shopping or on the tools, whether it’s a bit of useful plant information or a VT on how to plant bare-root flower (that one’s mine…)
Ultimately, so much of what goes on outdoors is down to the weather, if the mild weather continues we’ll be having our first BBQ by March and we might just see a return to tropical-planting. That’s either optimism or wishful thinking. I can’t decide…
Barbara Wilde says: 
