Polyantha roses and silver firs were all the rage in gardens in the '70s, in the '80s it had to be railroad ties.

One decade bamboo was big, and in the noughties of the new millennium it was bright decorative colors.

Every era has its fashions.

It is best to look at them in retrospect.

But what will make the garden special in 2022?

Rarely has the piece of green had to meet so many demands as it does today.

Once upon a time, the beds were used for crops, the lawns for playing and the flowers for joy.

It's not that simple anymore, the garden is complex.

It is an outdoor living room, meditation room and party location at the same time.

As a place of refuge from digitized life, it should enable nature contemplation and relaxation, and also an approach to the dream of self-sufficiency.

It represents nature, is a habitat for insects and other animals and is intended to make a regionally and globally valuable contribution.

Of course, he has to look spectacular and must hardly do any work.

The wishes that planners are confronted with are as individual as the clients themselves. And yet the needs are repeated, for example for privacy in densely built-up areas, for a place of retreat.

But the longing for space, for a beautiful view, for a holiday feeling and liveliness also plays a role in the design.

The idea of ​​sustainability, which ranges from planting and cultivation to yield, is becoming increasingly important.

But what is the result?

How does the garden look today?

Visits to garden shows provide information about this, as do books such as “Gardens of the Year 2022”.

Natural look in the garden

The most important character trait that will possibly define the whole decade: it should look natural.

There was more wilderness than ever at the Chelsea Flower Show, the annual indicator of the zeitgeist in gardening.

Plants such as cow parsnip and flowering parsnips have been conquering the gardens there for years.

But never as consistently as in May, when viper's bugloss, buckhorn and marsh marigolds could be seen.

Bucolic images were staged, including watercourses and piles of dead wood, small rocky landscapes with an Alpine feel, but also shadowy areas that looked as if they had come straight from the forest.

The 'A Rewilding Britain Landscape' garden was even a crowd pleaser with the coveted 'Best in Show' award.

But even in more classic gardens, which rely more on the show effect,

block plantings and strict order were passé.

Blossoms swayed in all colors and were often more reminiscent of magnificent meadows than borders.

The trend towards a natural look can also be found in the "Gardens of the Year".

The book presents the winning projects of the competition, which Callwey-Verlag and other sponsors announced.

Daisies sway like meadows under fruit trees, cranesbills grow on the path.

Seedlings sprout between tread plates and in the middle of the gravel.

Spanish daisies are also welcome outside the border, and wild strawberries cover entire areas.

Even in unfavorable locations, shady beds are greened in a variety of ways with grove cornmeal, ferns and forest goat's beard.