Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021 trends: the top 12 looks from the show

Looking for the lowdown on this year's Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021 trends? Then you've come to the right place.

The Gardeningetc team had the pleasure of visiting the world's largest flower show before it opened to the public. And after last year's cancellation, its well-awaited comeback did not disappoint.

Naturally, we were scouting for the hottest garden trends to share with you. And there were plenty of stunning designs that could easily transfer to your own backyard. From veg-growing to show-stopping seating, whatever your preferred style, you're bound to find something you love from this mix.

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021 trends: 12 beautiful designs

You'll find our pick of the top Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival trends below – get ready to feel inspired for your own plot.

1. Prairie-style gardens

This year's Horticultural Hero at Hampton Court Flower Show was Tom Stuart-Smith, and his prairie-style, drought-tolerant planting scheme was nothing short of spectacular. 

Visitors were guided through billowing borders via weaving pathways. This resulted in an immersive experience whereby every angle of the display could be appreciated to the max. 

The color palette was a soothing blend of blues, purples, and silvery foliage, punctuated by bursts of neon orange kniphofia. Plenty of echinaceas, salvias, geraniums, miniature Digitalis lutea, wisps of ornamental grasses and sea hollies featured, amongst other beauties well-loved by both people and pollinators alike.

A garden like this not only looks fantastic, but it's low-maintenance too. Want to recreate something similar? Our guide to the best drought-tolerant plants has plenty of good picks for this style.

2. Sleek outdoor kitchens

In keeping with the recent boom of outdoor living trends, there were plenty of gorgeous garden kitchens at this year's show. The look was modern and contemporary, with plenty of clean lines. Practicality was at the forefront of designs as well as style – with shelving and storage solutions featuring, as well as durable materials.

What's more, the designs showed how outdoor kitchen ideas can slot seamlessly into a garden. Take 'The Viking Friluftsliv Garden', designed by Will Williams, for instance – a show-stopper with its slatted shelter, surrounding stretches of soothing water, pale pathway and beautiful borders beyond.

3. Vertical planting

We spotted lots of vertical planting, too – always a great option for small garden ideas. Impressive and easily-assembled living walls caught our eye, as did this alternative approach by Lucy Hutchings on her allotment design.

Jolly pots of marigolds and herbs proved that you don't need acres of space to make an impact (and grow your own crops). It was fixed to an impressive archway, which was a thing of beauty in itself, but something like this could easily be recreated on a fence or wall at home.

4. Sustainable veg growing

Sustainable gardens are becoming increasingly popular, and the 'RHS No Dig Allotment', designed by Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty, demonstrated eco-friendly approaches which can be applied to the humble veg patch.

Learning how to compost is one of the easiest and best ways to recycle your food scraps (and save money). But not only did their plot feature a generously sized one, it had been built from old pallets. We also loved how the sides had been transformed for extra color and interest. As Teresa Conway, Editor of Easy Gardens magazine says, 'Add built-in planters to the edge of your compost bin and it can become a pretty feature as well as a must-have source of nutrients for your garden.'

Further along the plot was a greenhouse, which demonstrated a clever mechanism for recycling rainwater. Guttering was fixed to a 'rain chain' to allow water run-off to drain into a butt beneath, ready to be used to water the plants in spells of drought.

5. Gorgeous greenhouses

Speaking of greenhouse ideas, there were plenty at Hampton Court this year – not just in show gardens but at many of the beautiful stands, too. Hartley Botanic was particularly memorable, as they treated guests to a showcase of designs throughout the ages, including one from the 1950s.

There was lots of sleek shelving included, whilst some had in-ground beds and even lighting. A few designs demonstrated how they can double up as chic garden rooms too. All you need is a comfy chair, a good book and you have the perfect spot to while away the afternoon surrounded by plants. 

'There was plenty of inspiration for how greenhouses can be stunning garden features in their own right, both inside and out,' says Gardeningetc editor Beth Murton. 'With greenhouse shelving and staging, the interior of the space can be used as a both a practical workspace as well as a spot for showing off some of your favorite planting displays.'

6. Rustic water features

Although there were a handful of contemporary water feature ideas dotted throughout the gardens, we noted a good few designs which took a more laid-back approach.

More than one tin bath pond made an appearance. These offered a beautifully rustic edge, especially when tucked amongst plenty of planting. Fuss-free terracotta designs also featured – from rounded styles to vintage-looking versions that held a neat pool of water and gravel.

The design above – a water bowl filled with stones and topped with a small sculpture – was particularly charming. And, it demonstrated how sometimes simple can be just as effective.

7. Shaded spaces to sit

Every good garden needs a spot for sitting and admiring the view, and there were many show-stopping outdoor seating ideas at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this year. Pergolas were definitely a theme but had been given a modern twist – think adjustable roofs, slatted sides, and angular shapes.

We also loved this rounded bench, featured in 'A Place to Meet Again' by Mike Long Garden Design. It added a sculptural appeal to the space, whilst plenty of bold yellow cushions upped the comfort level. A perfect place for whiling away an afternoon outdoors.

‘Carving out a space in our gardens where we can catch up with family and friends outdoors was a strong focus in many of the gardens at the festival,' says Gardeningetc editor Beth Murton. 'Whether it was the beautiful sunken seating area nestled beneath a plant-covered pergola in the 'A Place To Meet Again' garden [see above], the timber seating blocks dotted around 'The Communication Garden' [below] or the more contemporary outdoor living space in the 'Lower Barn Farm: The Bounce Back Garden', it was wonderful to see so many different ways of creating a space that encourages people to spend time together once more.’

8. Textural ground

There were plenty of inspiring paving ideas and garden path ideas used throughout the designs this year. But one thing that stood out was the mix of materials used.

For instance, in the 'Friends of Ascot' allotment, slices of log in a range of sizes sat amongst fine bark chippings. This created an organic, relaxed feel that perfectly complemented cottage-style vegetable beds and terracotta planters.

'The Communication Garden' by Amelia Bouquet took a more modern approach but also turned heads. We loved the arrangement of sleek pavers alongside gravel, greenery and water – a visual feast that held your interest.

9.  Ornamental veggies

Growing your own fruit and veggies and raised garden bed ideas has had a surge in popularity for the past year or so. And this was reflected at this year's show, which featured a whole area dedicated to allotments.

From smaller plots to larger designs, there was plenty to get visitors inspired. But one thing we noticed was how vegetables were being embraced for their ornamental beauty as well as their taste. 

Rows of colorful chard, heads of frilly kale and globes of violet-hued kohlrabi showed how crops can have just as much visual appeal as flowers. And in many instances, the traditional approach of a neat and orderly arrangement went out the window. Instead, space under trees were filled with the likes of pak choi and lettuces, whilst beds were crammed with a wild mix of herbs and flowers alongside cabbages and courgettes.

'We've been inspired to plant a vegetable garden which is tasteful in every sense of the word,' says Teresa Conway of Easy Gardens. 'This patch [shown above] from Wild Barn Flowers includes flowers for cutting and edibles in a contemporary color palette.'

Garden writer and Instagrammer Lucy Hutchings says, 'I grow nasturtium instead of rocket, it has the same great taste in salads and is much better for visual appeal.

'I think having a beautiful vegetable patch is particularly important for people in urban areas where space is precious,' she adds. So when you're considering how to grow veg next year, think about slotting edibles in your borders with the rest of your planting. Use leafy greens as you would shrubs and choose edible flower varieties for floral interest.

10. Making gardening fun

'One of things that really stood out for me when looking at the RHS allotment area at the show was the overriding sense of fun to the entire space,' says Beth Murton, editor of Gardeningetc. 'Growing your own fruit and veg doesn't have to be a serious undertaking, especially if you want to encourage more people to give it a go or even get younger children involved too. 

'From quirky log pathways to fun scarecrows and imaginative ways to maximize your growing space, there was plenty to inspire anyone wanting to join the increasing number of people who have taken up growing their own crops in the last 18 months,' she continues. 

This bug hotel was another case in point. The smiley face brought one to our own, as did the sleeping (pretend) hedgehog tucked in amongst the mix. Not only is a feature like this ideal for wildlife, but it's fun for all the family to get involved in. Our guide on how to build a bug hotel has step-by-step instructions if you want to make your own.

'With the area divided up into individual plots created by different local groups, it also showed that you don’t need acres of space to start growing a few crops successfully,' Beth adds. 'With just a single raised bed, a few containers on a patio or balcony, or even some pots hanging on a garden wall, there's plenty of opportunities to give it a go.'

11. Accessible gardens

Approaches to accessible gardening were also highlighted at the show in Tony Wagstaff and Ben Wincott's design. The space was designed with everybody in mind, and championed the fact that not all disabilities are visible.

It contained mobile raised beds as well as a circular raised space to enable wheelchair users to participate in gardening. Some of the raised beds also doubled up as seating to make the area more suitable for those with reduced mobility. Planting-wise, a colorful, fragrant mix was chosen to delight the senses.

You'll find more inspirational designs in our accessible garden ideas feature.

12. Fabulous flowers

A trip to Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Floral Marquee.

'The star for me is the Floral Marquee where there are always stunning displays by the very best growers and this year is no exception,' says Garry Coward-Williams, Editor of Amateur Gardening magazine. 'There may be a few less exhibitors, but the quality still shines through and some of the exhibitors are selling plants and bulbs from their stand. This meant I was able to come away with precious allium "Globemaster" and "Red Mohican" bulbs. That's a great result!'

Amongst alliums, there were plenty of acers, heucheras, peonies and ferns to marvel at. It just goes to show that fantastic flowers and foliage will always be in fashion.