8 Gardening Trends to Look Out for in 2024

During the winter, your garden and yard may be out of sight, either dead or covered in snow, but spring will eventually arrive and everything will be in bloom again. Though you've probably assumed you'll be doing the same thing with your outdoor green space next year, look to experts' predictions for 2024 garden trends for some ideas on how to change things up and beautify one of the most important spaces in your home — your garden.

8 Gardening Trends You Can Expect to See in 2024

When it comes to gardening styles, approaches, and philosophies, everyone can agree they change with every different season. Now that a new year is at stake, gardening professionals along with experts from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society have identified the top gardening trends for this year.

*A colorful and green garden filled with plants and flowers that brighten and enliven the space*

*Photo: @brookfield_garden*

These 2024 gardening trends are based on what professionals have seen by attending conferences, and exhibitions, visiting countless personal and public gardens, and having conversations with professionals. They are a fantastic way for gardeners to get inspired and get a feel for what professionals at the forefront of this industry are doing in their gardens. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned expert, these eight gardening trends and plant selections can breathe new life into your space in an approachable way. Ready? Take note!

1. Pollinator Plantings

As the threats to monarch butterflies and other pollinators become more widely known, many gardening aficionados have expressed an interest in planting pollinator gardens to not only have the presence of such beautiful insects in their gardens every day but to help their ecosystem as well. As part of the gardening trends for 2024, homeowners will consider milkweed, butterfly weed, and borage for their gardens and yards. A large yard or garden is not required, take in mind that a curb strip or a flower box can also serve as a pollinator corridor.

Butterfly weed with a pollinator feeding on them — *A pollinating butterfly feeding off a 'butterfly weed'*
*Photo: @lyndamwright*

2. Meadows and Eco Lawns

Gardeners will look for alternatives to grass that require little maintenance and are better for the environment. Ecology lawns, or 'eco lawns', replace grass with clovers, herbaceous plants, and other drought-tolerant and disease-resistant plants.

A clover lawn filled with colorful flowers around — *An example of a 'clover lawn', filled with green clovers all over plus the addition of colorful flowers around*
*Photo: @martine_nivuniconnu*

For those who love the look of a green lawn but are looking for less maintenance in the form of reduced mowing or fertilizer needs, clover lawns will be an option of interest in more temperate areas. Meadows are also enjoying a surge in popularity and home gardeners might create a bulb meadow in the front yard or native, maintenance-free planting to larger yards.

3. Resilient Plant Varieties Are a Gardening Trend for 2024

Even if you've taken precautions against drought and pests, heat can still cause havoc. As a result, many seed breeders are developing resilient, open-pollinated plants. Aside from their ability to grow in extreme summer weather, resilient varieties reduce the environmental impact of vegetable production. When vegetables need less chemical treatments or fewer water resources, the strain on the environment is reduced according to garden professionals.

Resilient plant varieties in a garden — *Resilient plant varieties used in this garden are a matrix of Sesleria autumnalis which provides a good ground layer.*
Perennials are: Salvia nemorosa ‘Tänzerin’, Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’, Perovskia abrotanoides ‘Filigran’, Crambe maritima, Phlomis russeliana, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walkers Low’ and grasses like Nassella tenuissima, Schzachyrium scoparium ‘Kairo’ and Achnatherum Calamagrostis ‘Algäu
*Photo: @cassianschmidt*

4. Growing Fruit in Your Garden

Growing your own produce may appear to be too difficult for inexperienced gardeners, but according to PHS, growing fruit at home has become popular as a fun and low-maintenance alternative to growing vegetables. Persimmons and pawpaws are currently popular alternatives to the more traditional pears, apples, and peaches among those with yard space to grow fruits outside.

Citrus fruit trees placed in the garden — *This is how to incorporate fruit trees in your garden to give it a more interesting look. This picture features dwarf citrus trees growing on the right*
*Photo: @homegrown_patch*

5. Planting More Grasses and Sedges

According to gardening professionals, grasses and sedges remain popular garden plants, serving both ornamental and ecological roles. Thanks to the popular work of renowned garden designers such as Piet Oudolf, Claudia West, Kelly Norris, Roy Diblick, Jeff Epping, and many others, these plants are now widely regarded as an effective component of garden design rather than just filler. Native plant and pollinator gardens rely heavily on ornamental grasses, which are increasingly popular.

*Ornamental grasses filling up the front garden of a house*

*Photo: @mcldllc*

6. Hydrangeas in the Garden

Hydrangeas will never go out of style and for 2024, they will continue to dominate the home landscaping and floral industry in many ways. There will be some new hydrangea varieties peeking up for sure, and gardeners will continue to implement hydrangeas in gardens and backyards to give them an extra dose of charm.

A white hydrangea garden — *Photo: @mein_schoener_garten*

7. Tropical Plants

Tropical plants can quickly liven up any garden, so it's no wonder they're a popular choice. According to PHS, garden centers will continue to introduce new and exciting tropical plant varieties. If you want to create a tropical-like atmosphere throughout summer and into fall, consider adding some of these trendy plants to your garden.

A garden with only tropical plants to give it a vibe — *A garden with only tropical plants to give it that 'tropical' vibe*

*Photo: @cate_poli_paisagismo*

8. Environmental Considerations

It's no surprise that environmental concerns are top of mind for many gardeners, but several eco-conscious practices have gotten even more attention as of late. Here are several ways that gardening can promote environmental stewardship:

Movements such as 'Leave the Leaves' in the fall help reduce landfill waste.
Converting two-cycle gas-powered engines (blowers, lawnmowers, etc.) to battery-operated machinery reduces carbon emissions.
Creating habitats for overwintering insects by not cutting back perennials in the fall provides shelter and a source of food for insects and animals.
'Rewilding' or revamping portions of lawn into meadows using eco-friendly plantings.
Using peat-free (a type of soil made from a range of organic materials, including wood waste, bark, coconut coir, green waste, and composted garden waste) potting soils to help lower demand for peat harvesting. Peat bogs are vital wetland habitats for many animals, insects, and plants, and harvesting damages these important ecosystems.
Buying from brands that focus on native plants can add to backyard biodiversity and lessen the usage of resources such as water and fertilizers.