Discover the hottest gardening trends for 2026! From tabletop tomatoes and compact aubergines to drought-resistant roses, we’re breaking down the Royal Horticultural Society’s top predictions. Learn how to grow decorative vegetable plants indoors, adapt to climate change with resilient roses, and explore innovative water-saving techniques like AI-enabled water butts. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener, these trends will inspire your green space. Don’t miss out on tips for growing chillies, cucumbers, and herbs in small spaces, plus how to use ‘in-and-out plants’ for a versatile garden. Stay ahead of the curve and make your garden both beautiful and sustainable! 🌿✨
Key topics covered:
– Tabletop vegetable plants (tomatoes, chillies, aubergines)
– Drought-tolerant roses and climate-resilient gardening
– Indoor-outdoor plant trends (spider plants, lantana)
– Water-saving techniques with water butts and AI solutions
– Compact and decorative plant varieties for small spaces
The future of gardening is here, and it's a spicy one. Tabletop tomatoes and droughtresistant roses are set to dominate gardens in 2026, according to the Royal Horicultural Society, RHS. But is this a trend everyone will embrace next year? Get ready to swap those elegant bouques for something more practical, vegetable plants on your table. The RHS predicts a shift towards mini planters filled with oberines, chilies, peppers, and tomatoes. These aren't your average veggies. They're specially bred dwarf varieties that are both decorative and a great way to supplement your grocery list. And the best part, they're easy to grow, even for those without a green thumb. But here's where it gets controversial. As the UK experiences increasingly dry weather, gardeners are turning to drought tolerant plants. The focus is on roses crossbreed with central Asian varieties, making them resilient to aid conditions. Are these modified roses a gardener's dream or a controversial move towards genetically altered plants? Guy Barter, the RHS's chief horiculturalist, explains that small vegetable plants are an expanding market. These compact cultivars produce quality crops and are easy to grow, offering weeks of satisfaction. You can start them from seeds, order plug plants, or buy small potted plants from garden centers. Even those with limited greenhouse space can grow these veggies in cold frames, cloches, or sunny window sills. The trend doesn't stop at tomatoes. Tabletop chilies, compact oberines, and hanging basket cucumbers are also gaining popularity. And let's not forget the classic potted herbs with sales booming across RHS retail. But the real game changer is the emergence of drought tolerant rose varieties, a response to the UK's changing climate. Barter highlights the use of rosers from Central Asia, a resilient species that thrives in extreme conditions. These roses are being bred to create new cultivars with enhanced drought and disease resistance. But this raises questions. Are we sacrificing natural beauty for practicality? And what are the long-term effects of such modifications? Another trend to watch is the use of inn-out plants. Indoor varieties like spider plants and tratuscantia are now finding their way into outdoor summer displays. With England's hotter, drier summers, this trend is here to stay. And the RHS has seen success with formerly indoor only plants such as Lantana, now flourishing outdoors. 2025 was the year of the tomato, with sales soaring due to the hot, dry weather. The RHS believes this trend will continue, encouraging gardeners to experiment with water conservation. Some are getting creative, modifying water butts for slow water release into the soil, while others are awaiting high-tech solutions like AI enabled water butts that self-mp based on weather forecasts. So, will you embrace the tabletop vegetable trend and droughtresistant roses? Or do you have reservations about these emerging gardening practices? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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