New Garden Trends

HILLEGOM, Holland – Super-sized plants and vivid flora are at the height of gardening fashion, according to a gardening trends report compiled by the International Flower Bulb Center.

Though pastels once dominated the garden, brights like hot pink, coral, yellow and blue entered the scene in the early 90s. But today’s trends embrace even bolder shades of chartreuse, orchid, orange and purple, the report revealed.

Larger plants that add major presence in the garden also are trendy, the report showed. Some plus-size foliage favorites include elephant ears, banana trees, castor bean plants, dahlias, ornamental grasses, cannas, large-flowered hibiscuses, sunflowers and hollyhocks.

But these plants aren’t taking the stage in plain shades of green. Instead, just as basic black has long been a fashion staple, the same dark trend takes hold in the garden, the report explained. This means bronze- and black-leaved cannas and coleuses, as well as purple heucheras and dark-leaved coral bells, create added landscape depth. For best effect, plant swaths of black to create color blocks, since one or two plants alone have limited impact, and balance these blacks and purples with trendy shocking shades, the bulb center advised.

In addition to these fads, the gardening trends report said fragrant flowers continue growing in popularity, as well as container plantings to create gardens where no beds exist in places like decks, balconies, terraces or to accent doorways. Posh containers include the large, lightweight, winter-proof ones made of molded resins, fiberglass or plastic. Also popular are colorful, glazed containers from China and Malaysia.

The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.