Photo by Peter Mason on Unsplash
Ready to turn over a new leaf in the garden? Whether you’re an experienced grower or a first-timer looking to cultivate a green thumb, Google’s list of the top trending garden trends for 2019 will inspire you to get digging. The report is based on the most popular searches typed into Google Images, where countless garden design projects begin. Keep scrolling for all the dirt on this year’s growing trends, which have been ranked according to Google search volume growth.
1. Enchanted garden, +5,000% year-over-year
Photo: thecottagejournal/Instagram
What’s the secret to creating a storybook setting in your own backyard? Stepping stones? A rose-covered arbor? A gnome who speaks in riddles? Take cues from English cottage gardens to do it right.
2. DIY raised garden bed, +5,000% year-over-year
Photo: majmade/Instagram
Raised garden beds are ideal for the elderly or those with disabilities because they’re more accessible and easier on our backs. Building a raised bed can also help with drainage and soil quality, and they’re renter-friendly, too.
3. Garden pathways, +5,000% year-over-year
Photo: groundstudiolandscape/Instagram
There are numerous ways to design a garden pathway. Get creative with pea gravel, stone pavers, smooth concrete, stepping stones or cedar planks. A pathway prevents your plants from being trampled and adds year-round interest to your garden.
4. Vegetable garden, +300% year-over-year
Photo: nikijabbour/Instagram
Save money at the farmers’ market this summer by growing your own veggies. If you’re working with a small backyard or patio, choose compact varieties such as cherry tomatoes, dwarf carrots, bush beans or lettuce.
5. Garden tub, +200% year-over-year
Photo: joanealy/Instagram
An upcycled clawfoot tub overflowing with petunias is undeniably pretty, but if I owned a vintage cast iron tub it would be in my house, not susceptible to the elements. You can achieve a similar look with a galvanized steel stock tanks, which retail for around $100 instead of $1,000.
6. Tulip garden, +190% year-over-year
Photo: mccormickcharlie/Instagram
Tulips are a welcome sign of spring and easy to grow, so long as you’re the planning type — they’ve got to be planted in the fall when soil temperatures are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Trench planting is a popular and efficient way to bury hundreds of bulbs at once, and leads to a huge visual payoff.
7. Fairy gardens, +120% year-over-year
Photo: minifairygarden/Instagram
Kids and adults alike love tiny things. See: dollhouses, model trains, ‘Tiny Kitchen’ videos and travel-size toiletries. Why not team up with your kid to design an adorable fairy garden that fits inside a container? They’ll spend hours building picnic tables out of popsicle sticks or engaging in imaginary play.
8. Japanese tea garden, +90% year-over-year
Photo: thecuratedgarden/Instagram
If you’re an experienced gardener with a knack for landscape architecture, designing an authentic Japanese tea garden may be the project for you. The essential elements include water, stones, bridges, pathways, lush vegetation and structures, such as a tea house or villa.
9. Hydroponic garden, +120% year-over-year
Photo: annarazzi22/Instagram
Hydroponic gardens can be as simple or as complex as you make them. For the uninitiated, hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil, allowing plants to grow faster and requiring less space and water. Pinterest is chock full of DIY ideas for hydroponic systems, with many crafted from PVC pipes and plastic storage bins.
10. Garden fountain, +60% year-over-year
Photo: poshpedlar/Instagram
Garden fountains can hardly be considered a trend — they’re timeless. With so many options to choose from online or at your local garden center, it’s easy to find a water feature that fits your space and design aesthetic. Choose a model with built-in lighting that easily transitions from day to night.
