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From robotics to aerogardens...
How are we utilising our gardens and outdoor spaces today? It’s a well known fact that garden space is at a premium, so we're increasingly taking the inside out by treating the garden as another outdoor room to relax and entertain.
‘Consequently, throwaway BBQs and plastic chairs are being rapidly replaced by technologically-advanced designer alfresco cooking equipment and furniture,’ says Steve Tooze, advisory consultant at Stylus.
With this we'll see the market for garden products continue to bloom. In 2017 they were worth £4.9bn in the UK – an increase of 3 per cent on the previous year – and they are expected to grow by 2 per cent every year to 2020, reveals Steve.
But what other noticeable trends are emerging? Today’s garden is transforming into a vital multipurpose indoor/outdoor space for entertaining, exercise, de-stressing, tackling pollution, and growing food. Grow Your Own has ‘shifted from the preoccupation of allotment owners to a major trend’ that sees more of us growing everything from tomatoes to asparagus regardless of whether our patch of land is big or small.
‘During the next 10 years, this desire to produce tasty, fresh crops within a few strides of our back doors will be turbo-charged by the arrival of robotics,’ reveals Steve. ‘Suddenly, parts of our gardens will become miniature urban farms where clever combinations of Artificial Intelligence, robot technology and innovative design will allow us to grow serious amounts of fruit and veg whilst barely lifting a finger.’
Apparently, these robotics are being designed to optimise garden vegetable plots with automated seed injection, soil sensors, weed monitoring and precision watering tailored to each individual crop. Some will even carry out the repetitive job of weeding to help time-poor gardeners.
All this and much more has been identified as part of Amazon’s #SMILEITSSUMMER trend report, so take a look below at the garden products that are going to be big this summer and beyond.
The GoSun Stove cooks with sunshine using sun reflectors and vacuum-tube technology to allow the portable garden oven to reach up to 288°C to bake, fry, boil or steam, while remaining cool to the touch.
The barrow fire pit which doubles up as a grill and comes in the shape of a wheelbarrow, enabling it to be easily wheeled around the garden, is also growing in popularity, according to Stylus.
Plastic chairs are out and luxury rattan sofas are in this summer.
Sales of this temporary family swimming pool are up 490 per cent as Brits look for ways to upgrade their outdoor spaces.
These wireless garden lights come on automatically at night and turn off automatically at dawn, using the sun’s energy to solar
charge during the day.
These solar powered string lights set the mood in outdoor spaces.
Sales of Dutch Ovens have doubled year-on-year as Brits move to alfresco cooking and dining.
Sales of South African cast iron cooking pots have increased by 240 per cent year-on-year.
Sales have increased by 300 per cent year-on-year as customers experiment with cooking over a fire.
Inflatable products such as hot-tubs are likely to become more popular, as they can be quickly and easily assembled when the sun comes out, and then just as easily packed down during poor weather and at the end of the season.
Transform your garden with this multi-purpose portable dome, used as a stylish conservatory, all-weather dining space, greenhouse, play area or hot tub cover.
Sales are up over 300 per cent enabling green fingered gardeners to grow vegetables in small spaces.
Amazon is already selling robotic lawn mowers,
enabling owners to sit back and relax while the grass gets a trim.
Weather responsive, altering watering according to the conditions.
Sales of these forest deep root planters are up more than 6000 per cent year-on-year as the grow-your-own trend continues.
Grow your own mushrooms from your kitchen, perfect for urban gardeners with less outdoor space.
Home-based growing kits with indicators to remind you to add water and nutrients are up by more than 150 per cent year-on-year.
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