Is your garden overgrown? Don't fret, it's the new no-effort trend experts are encouraging

The changeable weather may not have been ideal for entertaining and enjoying the garden but it has certainly been beneficial for the plants. 

The immediate change between glorious sunshine one day to pouring rain the next has left many plants thriving – you've only got to venture to a local park near you right now to see how quickly unattended green spaces can grow wild. 

Unpredictable seasonal weather also means that knowing when to cut the grass or the best time to tackle planting has become somewhat impossible to pinpoint so many essential jobs have fallen by the wayside.

As a result, many households may have noticed their plots are uncharacteristically wild but there's no need to panic. According to Sarah Raven, one of our favourite garden experts, this emerging overgrown garden trend is no bad thing.

Is it time to try the overgrown garden trend?

Sarah Raven suggests it may be the ideal time to embrace change and "Forget about immaculate gardening" to embrace more sustainable gardening ideas instead.

Sharing a reel on the @sarahravensgarden Instagram account she says: "Now is the time to rethink your traditional manicured garden look and allow your borders, plants and hedges to become looser and free flowing."

"This will enable more wildlife to live there with you and thrive. Link up with your neighbours and encourage them to create wildlife corridors, linking the garden to garden – a great idea for all types of garden visitors."

The many plants for pollinators are ideal for bees and butterflies while the areas of overgrown undergrowth provide shelter for smaller mammals, such as hedgehogs.

Sarah Raven

Since the publication of her first book, The Cutting Garden, Sarah has led the way in introducing a new kind of productive gardening. Her aim is to create intense colour and beauty, combined with a practical and easy-to-achieve approach. Her popular gardening podcast Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange has achieved 4.1 million downloads. She’s published 15 books and runs Sarahraven.com.

Fans of Sarah's new trend-related post share their delight with the carefree concept. One writes, "That's the way I like it, organised wild. Beautiful." 

Another says, "That's what I keep trying to tell my husband! And it's much nicer being part of nature rather than being manicured to perfection!"

One of the main takeaways from this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show highlights for 2024 was the need to be more environmentally aware while gardening which is good news for this imperfectly free-flowing overgrown garden trend.

Sustainable gardening is becoming increasingly important as we navigate the changing landscape of modern climates and work with nature to be kinder to our green spaces. 

From making compost at home and rainwater harvesting to reducing plastic, every little element can help. Leaving our gardens to grow loose and free-flowing as Sarah suggests is a great way to embrace a kinder approach and provide a much-needed habitat for all creatures great and small that may be struggling to adapt to the developments of the modern environment. 

Sarah Raven is always one of our most trusted gardening authorities who has inspired us on all levels of planting and landscaping, from exploring the Mosaic gardening trend in depth to reconsidering how we approach tying in climbing plants using her tips.