I’m a gardening pro – 3 viral trends that are the ‘millennial grey’ of gardens, they’re ‘plastic tat’ & a ‘huge snore’
A GARDENING expert has revealed the three viral trends that are the “millennial grey of gardens”.
When it comes to decorating your green space, there are so many different styles you can go for.
And they change on a regular basis, with new research showing that Gen Z gardeners consider some of the trends “cringe” rather than cool.
The first one is monochromatic flower beds – using a single colour of flowers to create a “harmonious” look – which Gen Z consider an “expansion of the ‘all grey everything’ trend”.
In fact, TikToker GardeningGrant went as far as stating: “Monochromatic garden colours, specifically white, are a huge snore”.
And while having a contemporary, minimalist garden has been popular in recent years, younger gardeners consider it “unoriginal”.
Such gardens are often symmetrical, with strong, straight borders, contemporary features, white pebbles and grey paving, and full of cohesive garden furniture.
“The quintessential backyard of any millennial grey-nite is a backyard that looks minimalist,” Grant added in his video.
“It’s 2024, let’s be original people!”
The final garden trend deemed “absolutely pointless” on TikTok is having artificial grass in place of the real deal.
“It covers areas that have ecology and things that are good for the environment,” Less Waste Laura argued in her video on TikTok page.
“Did you know that there’s more land in our gardens than there is in nature reserves?
“It’s so important we protect our gardens and make them nice for wildlife and keep them green and don’t put plastic ‘tat’ on them.”
Concluding, Harry Bodell, gardening expert at PriceYourJob, explained, explained it’s important for millennials to “recognise that gardening isn’t inherently ‘clean’ or ‘minimalist'”.
Instead it should be considered “a canvas bursting with opportunity for colour and life”.
More gardening trends experts have slammed
Single use outdoor spaces
While outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens in the garden are all the rage, you’re limiting yourself by having an area for just one use.
Instead, why not go for something multifunctional – like a garden seating area that doubles up as storage.
Large water features
While still popular, water features can be an absolute nightmare to look after.
And, with the cost of living crisis showing no sign of disappearing any time soon, having a water feature in the garden could add unnecessary costs to your household bills.
A bird bath is a good alternative, and has the added benefit of attracting wildlife to your garden too.
Shower curtains for decoration
The mum trend of putting up shower curtains up in the garden to hide fences or ugly surfaces went viral a while ago.
But experts have warned that the shower curtains can prove a problem if they don’t dry properly after a wet spell – leading to mould and potential damage.
“When millennials grew up, home trends included heavy patterns, bric-a-brac and overzealous decorating which is why, as adults, they lean towards trends which look ‘cleaner’ such as contemporary garden features,” he added.
“But the sterile aesthetic lacks the vibrant personality and natural charm that gardening embodies.”