Gardens have always been an important part of our homes – whether we’re looking at 100 years ago or 1 year ago. These days, many people see their garden as another room, serving as an extension to the main house.
Nowadays, a garden could be the reason why a house is sold quickly or left on the market for years – but has this always been the case?
How much have gardens changed? Do they serve a different purpose now? We’ve taken a look at just some of the many ways that gardens have evolved over the past 100 years.
Gardens Were Used as a Food Source
In the past, it’s fair to say that gardens were mainly used as a way to provide food for the entire family. Whilst growing food is now viewed as a hobby for some, if you look back over 100 years ago, having a food source in the garden wasn’t a choice, it was essential.
This was especially true during the years that the country was at war and food was hard to come by. People needed to rely heavily on anything they could grow themselves, more specifically potatoes and vegetables. This was vital in keeping their loved ones healthy.
These days, gardens tend to be more decorative and ornamental. Of course, some people still enjoy growing their own food, but this is something that is becoming a lot less common.
People Now Have More Leisure Time
Spending time in the garden has definitely become a leisure activity for a lot of people. People have a lot more spare time than was available to previous generations, which makes gardening for fun a lot more viable. This is definitely evident in the way that garden design is now very much influenced by interior design.
Take a look at gardens around you and you’ll find that they are now a lot more stylish and modern. Fountains, ponds and statues are seen a lot more frequently, proving that with more time on their hands, people are turning their land into something a lot more attractive.
A Wide Variety of Plants
Although plants grown today are very similar to those grown almost 100 years ago, there is now a much wider variety available, thanks to advanced plant breeding and selection. This means that our gardens are now a lot more colourful – people have the choice to be more selective, choosing the plants and flowers that they prefer.
Advanced Garden Machinery & Technology
Machinery and technology has undeniably adapted to suit our needs over the past 100 years. People want technology that will make their gardens easier to maintain without having to put in hours and hours of hard labour.
Battery powered garden machinery such as mowers and strimmers mean that almost anyone can keep their garden in good shape in an easy (and affordable) way.
Looking back, gardening was a far more physical and demanding job. Without the help of the machinery that we have today, a lot of gardening was done by hand. Therefore, it was done as a necessity rather than something enjoyable.
An Extension of the Home
As we mentioned at the beginning, many now view their gardens as being an extension of their home. This means they expect a lot more from it than people would have years ago.
The main example of this is privacy. The average back garden fence is now 6ft – providing people with a secure and safe place to spend time with their loved ones without the interference from neighbours.
This is the reason for why more and more people are choosing garden fence alternatives such as ColourFence. Available in heights of up to 2.1m, it’s the perfect option for those looking to keep the world from looking in. The entire installation process is also handled by a trained professional installer, saving you a lot of time and effort.
So, What About The Future?
There is no telling how much gardens will continue to evolve over the next 10, 20 or 30 years. As more people look to save time on physical labour, it’s likely that we will see a bigger rise in cost effective garden solutions, such as artificial lawns, and cost effective products, such as ColourFence.
Modern and stylish features that incorporate colour, water and greenery are guaranteed to be the foundations of future gardens. We’re also looking forward to seeing what new technology comes along – it’s fair to say that technology will soon shape the entire way that gardening is carried out.
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