Like baking, knitting and wearing comfortable sandals, hipsters have once again stolen something from the hands of the elderly generation and decided it’s “cool”.
During the Chelsea Flower Show last month, G&S overheard the press comment on how saddened they were that so few under 40’s represented both competitors and visitors, but our research shows that young people have sprouted a love of gardening in recent years. You only have to walk into a local gardening centre to see it’s full of twenty- and thirty-somethings picking up items for their herbaceous border.
A recent survey of 25 – 35 year olds revealed that gardening is more popular than going to the cinema.
So why has gardening become the new knitting? Firstly, it’s part of the same craft-driven ‘I made it myself’ movement and there’s also a need to return to simplicity and nature in a fast-moving, mass-produced world.
It’s also like the Slow Food movement – connecting what we eat with the environment – becoming more popular. There’s nothing sweeter than a cherry tomato that you’ve grown yourself.
For a lot of people, it’s not about having a massive, luxurious garden; it’s about utilising what space you have. You can easily, and cheaply, create a rooftop or window garden to bring a little greenery into your life.
Gardening is good exercise and a great form of mindfulness. In this world of instant gratification there’s something rewarding about taking in the fresh air, sitting back and waiting for nature to take its course. Plus, it’s not like you’re making something set in stone – it’s set in compost. If it doesn’t work out you can uproot it and try again.
And if you think it’s too late in the year to sow seeds, think again. In June you can sow root vegetables like carrots, beetroot and swede and salad leaves, French beans and peas can still be planted now. For your flowerbed, start sowing perennials like violas and pansies.
At G&S we have let the garden in this summer with some gorgeous floral pieces from Bibico's English garden inspired dresses to Tinsel's sweet vintage print and Komodo's beautiful graphic rose printed pieces. Your summer wardrobe never looked so sweet.
