The Future of Gardening: Might Space Stations and Floating Barrow Carts Become the Norm in Half a Century?
In a captivating side-project to the exhibition 'Unearthed: The Power of Gardening', the British Library has published a book titled 'Gardens of the Future: unique visions for a changing world'. This publication, edited by Ruth Chivers, presents ten commissioned designs envisioned for gardens half a century from now.
The designs, which range from the serviceable to the outright extraordinary, offer intriguing insights into the potential trends shaping the future of gardening. One design, by Harry Holding, showcases a hovercraft wheelbarrow that displays great merit but bears a striking resemblance to a character from the 1950s Dan Dare comic.
Eelco Hooftman of landscape architects Gross Max contributes an 'out there' design for botanic gardens of the future, while Ann-Marie Powell offers a design for urban back-gardens that could easily be compared to those showcased at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The British Library's criteria for these designs were clear: they should not be too fanciful and should utilise only technologies that are already being developed. This focus on practicality and sustainability is a reflection of the current trends in gardening, which prioritise low-impact gardening, the use of native plants, water conservation, and the creation of multifunctional outdoor spaces that support both human well-being and ecological health.
Sarah Eberle's design, inspired by NASA's existing space-station garden, returns humanity to outer space, while Tom Massey's design is a riff on Stefano Boeri's high-rises with balcony gardens. Tonkin Liu's revamped 'garden square for the people' prototype features grass berms instead of railings and a rainwater catchment system.
Climate change is viewed as the single most important factor influencing horticulture in the future, impacting every aspect of a garden's design. The designs presented in 'Gardens of the Future' reflect this reality, with ideas about rainwater run-off, composting, aeroponics, aquaponics, biophilic design, and phytoremediation.
Interestingly, the romantic 'rewilding' concept is not featured in the visions for future gardens, suggesting a potential focus on technological solutions instead. This raises the question as to whether sustainability will be the guiding design principle in 50 years' time, or if humanity will still desire the beauty of nature, productivity, pleasure, and a place for transcendent escape from gardens.
For a more detailed exploration of the trends highlighted in 'Gardens of the Future', we recommend checking the book itself or its publisher’s description. Midori Shintani's joyful and insightful account of the making of a garden on Hokkaido, featuring marauding brown bears, and Tayshan Hayden-Smith's plan for a gardened Westway overpass, spookily similar to Manhattan's High Line, are just a few of the intriguing designs featured in this thought-provoking publication.
- The book 'Gardens of the Future: unique visions for a changing world', published by the British Library, presents ten designs for gardens half a century from now.
- One of the designs, by Harry Holding, features a hovercraft wheelbarrow that resembles a character from the 1950s Dan Dare comic.
- Eelco Hooftman of landscape architects Gross Max contributes an out-there design for botanic gardens of the future, while Ann-Marie Powell offers a design for urban back-gardens akin to those showcased at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
- The designs in 'Gardens of the Future' are practical and sustainable, aligning with current trends in gardening that prioritize low-impact gardening, native plants, water conservation, and multifunctional outdoor spaces.
- Climate change is a significant factor influencing the design of future gardens, as reflected in 'Gardens of the Future' with ideas about rainwater run-off, composting, aeroponics, aquaponics, biophilic design, and phytoremediation.
- Interestingly, the romantic 'rewilding' concept is not featured in the visions for future gardens, suggesting a potential focus on technological solutions instead.
- The book provides a detailed exploration of trends in horticulture, featuring intriguing designs like Midori Shintani's garden on Hokkaido and Tayshan Hayden-Smith's gardened Westway overpass, similar to Manhattan's High Line.
