RHS Predicts 2026 Garden Trends Featuring Tabletop Mini-Vegetables and Drought-Resistant Plants
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has forecasted several key garden trends for 2026, emphasizing the growing popularity of tabletop mini-vegetables as replacements for traditional bouquets. Compact cultivars such as mini-planters of aubergines, chillies, peppers, and tomatoes are being developed both for decorative purposes and for harvest.
These plants cater to small-space gardening, with seeds, plug plants, and small potted plants readily available through mail order and garden centres. Many gardeners are growing these plants in cold frames or on windowsills, reflecting a trend toward urban and indoor gardening.
Drought-resistant varieties are also a highlight, notably rose varieties bred using Rosa persica from Central Asia. These have shown strong performance in trials at RHS Wisley, adapting to increasingly dry conditions. This focus on drought tolerance comes in the context of one of the driest springs and summers on record, which led to hosepipe bans and changes in gardening practices.
The in-and-out plants trend persists, with indoor varieties such as lantana, lomandra, and salvia hybrids being moved outdoors during the summer months.
Following a surge in tomato sales in 2025, with a 14% increase, this trend is expected to continue robustly in 2026. To support water-saving efforts, gardeners are increasingly using water butts fitted with holes for slow water release. Additionally, AI-enabled water butts capable of self-emptying based on weather forecasts are currently being trialed.
These predictions arise from extensive public engagement across RHS gardens, shows, gardening advice platforms, retail and industry trends, scientific research, and new plant breeding initiatives.
