Sales of THIS retro garden display are up 32 per cent – do you have one in your garden?

As we get our gardens ready for spring and summer we're all keen to know what's hot and what's not in the world of horticulture. Are succulents still stylish and is topiary timelessly trendy?

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Some of these questions and more have been answered by the Garden Trends Report 2019 from Wyevale Garden Centres, and one finding in particular has positively mowed us down.

Yep, rather than fancy foliage or contemporary flower cuts capturing the hearts of green-fingered Brits, the research revealed that the humble hanging basket has seen a revival, with sales of this retro garden display surging by 32 per cent since 2016.

In fact, the report shows that 40 per cent of Brits now have a hanging basket in their front garden, adding a welcome touch of foliage to the front of their homes.

And the surprises don't end there. Rather than classic potted hanging basket choices a new generation of gardeners are also experimenting with planting fruit and veg, a la The Good Life.

Commenting Patrick Wall, Plant Buyer for Wyevale Garden Centres, revealed: 'Strawberries and tomatoes are great for hanging baskets – these are amongst the most popular and we have increased our range of both for 2019. As well as producing a strong harvest, these plants can look great too.'

'New for 2019 is our range of ‘Fragoo’ strawberry hanging baskets, which feature beautiful white, pink and rose flowers that add season-long interest.'

'Other interesting fruit and veg that can be grown in hanging baskets include; salad leaves, such as lettuce and pak choi, compact chilli plants and peas.'

As well as being concerned about what's on the inside, image-conscious gardeners want the outside to look just as good, too. After all who doesn't want their hanging basket to be Instagram-ready? They're therefore increasingly opting for a range of eye-catching baskets in broad range of tones.

'More customers are shopping into ‘rattan’ or ‘woven’ style baskets,' adds Patrick. 'Natural brown colours are still very popular, but we have seen a significant shift into two-tone colours, particularly soft grey and cream baskets.'

Are hanging baskets still a key feature in your garden?