RHS predicts big shift in gardening habits as green-fingered Britons adapt to climate breakdown
Bouquets of cut flowers will be swapped for tabletop vegetable plants next year, the Royal Horticultural Society has said, as the UK charity announces its top plant trend predictions for 2026.
Mini-planters of aubergines, chillies, peppers and tomatoes will be displayed in homes instead of flowers, as breeders develop dwarf varieties that are decorative and capable of supplementing the weekly shop, the RHS says.
Gardeners have also been looking for drought-tolerant plants after one of the driest springs and summers on record, with much of the country under a hosepipe ban in summer. Rose growers have been crossbreeding their flowers with central Asian varieties that are adapted to arid conditions.
The charity’s predictions draw on engagement with the public across its gardens, shows and gardening advice service, as well as retail and industry trends, science research and new plant breeding.
