Hartley Botanic, England’s most historic and respected Glasshouse and Greenhouse manufacturer, with an 85-year pedigree, annually releases the trends it predicts will be significant in the year ahead.
With deep insights and experience into the preferences of its discerning customers, Hartley Botanic has shared its Greenhouse predictions for 2024 based on its customers’ newest buying decisions and growing tastes.
Top Designs: 2024’s most popular styles
Based on most recent customer demand, Hartley Botanic has predicted the designs that will be most popular in 2024, in each of its stunning Greenhouse ranges.
Hartley Botanic’s nostalgic and romantic Victorian range is the manufacturer’s most popular. Structures in this range are designed with the style, function, and proportions characteristic of traditional Victorian structures. They provide ample growing height to accommodate plants such as exotic tree ferns and tropical palms with a steep roof pitch for optimum weather resistance.
Within its Victorian range, Hartley Botanic has noticed an emerging trend for larger structures. The need among some customers for a larger Greenhouse could reflect increased growing ambitions and a greater lifestyle reliance on growing edibles. A larger Greenhouse means space for more diverse growing, including exotic plants, vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and ornamental plants, enhancing the overall gardening experience and productivity.
In response to this demand, at the end of last year, Hartley Botanic launched the 99sq m/ 1066 sq. ft Victorian Grand Pavilion Glasshouse, offering customers its grandest and most versatile space to date.
The Modern Horticulture range offers customers structures with a stunning contemporary look thanks to its concealed engineering specification, clean lines, and larger windows. A garden statement that blends a modern, architectural aesthetic with horticultural needs. A Modern Horticulture Glasshouse is a brilliant fusion of contemporary style and engineering excellence. In 2024, these designs are set to continue to grow in all Hartley Botanic’s markets.
Hartley Botanic’s Heritage range is another which is hugely popular, offering customers delightful, historically inspired Greenhouses in some of the most iconic and recognisable shapes and designs ever made. The range includes the Planthouse, Cottage, Wisley and Highgrow, Greenhouses based on original Hartley Botanic models. Offering typically a smaller size, suitable for those with less garden space, the Heritage range still benefits from the same structural integrity found in all Hartley Botanic models. In 2024, the Heritage design set to be most popular is the Tradition Planthouse.
Contrasting Colours: 2024 will be a year of contrasts when it comes to the most popular Greenhouse colours
In terms of colour choices, the hottest trend for 2024 is Contrasting Colours. Based on Hartley Botanic’s 2023 customer colour preferences, the prediction is that around half of 2024’s Greenhouses will be commissioned in light shades, while the other half in deep, rich, and dark hues.
Light & Airy:
Colours like “The Olive Leaf” and “Hypca White” were amongst 2023’s most popular, thanks to their tranquil and bright appeal. These serene shades provide a light and bright garden look which are enduringly popular for those who favour a classic look.
Dark & Dramatic:
In equal measure, “Black” and “Manganese” continue to attract those seeking a modern and sophisticated Greenhouse look. These dark hues create a stunning contrast when set against green, whether that’s making plants stand out in the surrounding landscape or in framing plant collections.
Mixed-use Greenhouses: growing plus lifestyle
A continuing and evolving trend for 2024, Hartley Botanic predicts that many of its customers will continue to treat and enjoy their Greenhouse as a versatile, mixed-use, lifestyle space.
The majority of Hartley Botanic’s customers do still prioritise a Greenhouse for traditional horticultural purposes, such as growing and overwintering tender plants. However, many customers, who are still serious gardeners, use their Greenhouses in a more multifaceted way. Hartley Botanic sees customers work ‘relaxation’, ‘dining’ and ‘lifestyle’ elements into their Greenhouse use. Most commonly providing a beautiful space for al fresco dining and for morning and evening relaxation, with seating and furniture occasionally added.
Although single-glazed, a Greenhouse still offers some outdoor shelter from changeable weather conditions.
Heritage Edibles: nurturing fragile and specialist seeds
A growing number of Hartley Botanic customers are utilising their Greenhouses to propagate and grow heritage (or heirloom) varieties, particularly those that require specific growing conditions. There is also a resurgence in interest for historic seed varieties of popular edible crops thanks to their unbeatable flavours.
Heritage seeds are valued for their historical and cultural significance, as well as for their unique characteristics. Some popular heritage edibles which can be grown in a Greenhouse include;
Tomato ‘Black Russian (Solanum lycopersicum): This heirloom tomato variety is known for its dark colour and rich, complex flavour. It’s a popular choice among gardeners for its unique appearance and delicious taste.
Runner Bean ‘Scarlet Emperor’ (Phaseolus coccineus): This heritage runner bean variety is prized for its vibrant red flowers and excellent flavour.
Beetroot ‘Bulls Blood’ (Beta vulgaris): Bulls Blood, another variety which is both edible and ornamental and valued for its deep burgundy leaves and tender roots. It’s a versatile variety that can be used for both its leaves and roots.
Kale ‘Black Tuscany’ (Brassica oleracea): Also known as ‘Cavalo Nero’ is a heritage variety with dark, bumpy leaves and a mild, slightly peppery flavour. It’s a popular choice for salads, soups, and stir-fries.
Golden Bantam Sweetcorn (Zea mays): This heritage sweetcorn variety is known for its deliciously sweet, golden-yellow kernels.
Specialised Plant Collections: a rising trend
A notable trend on the rise among Hartley Botanic’s customers is the practice of dedicating their Greenhouse or Glasshouse to the cultivation and display of one particular plant variety. The trend sees customers enjoy a specific growing interest or passion across a diverse array of plant categories, including tropical plants, orchids, succulents, and exotic flowers.
Among the Greenhouse plant collections gaining popularity, orchids stand out as a very prominent example. These ornamental plants, known for their delicate beauty, are ideal for growing in a Greenhouse due to their precise temperature and humidity requirements.
Other plant categories Hartley Botanic is seeing in this Greenhouse collector trend include:
Tropical and subtropical plants – this category encompasses an array of flora, such as ferns and palms which thrive in the controlled and warm environment that a Greenhouse offers.
Cacti and succulents – Greenhouses are invaluable as they can replicate the arid conditions these plants naturally inhabit, fostering their growth and health.
Exotic flowers – orchids, hibiscus, and bougainvillea may struggle to thrive outdoors in an unpredictable climate and tend to do well in a sheltered Greenhouse.
Citrus trees – including lemon, lime, and orange varieties, flourish in the warmer and more sheltered conditions which can be created in a Greenhouse.
All Hartley Botanic’s Glasshouses and Greenhouses are handmade, bespoke, and made to order. Customers interested in purchasing a Hartley Botanic Greenhouse should visit http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk or call 01457 819 155 for more information.
‘Why Hartley?’ – What makes a Hartley Botanic the finest Glasshouse money can buy
Unrivalled. Unparalleled. Unique. There are Glasshouses and there are Hartley Botanic Glasshouses. Combining inspired design with enduring quality, nothing quite enhances your garden and home like a Hartley Botanic; each one beautifully handmade to last a lifetime.
Why Hartley?
At Hartley Botanic we have had a continuous conversation with our customers over many years. We have collected their comments so as to let you know what our customers say about us, and just why they have chosen a Hartley Botanic Glasshouse.
1. Beauty and Elegance
The incomparable range of simply beautiful and elegant structures means Hartley Botanic can create designs that are distinctive and unique. The Victorian, Heritage and Modern Glasshouse ranges, are so comprehensive you don’t have to go anywhere else to find your beautifully crafted, high-quality Glasshouses from the widest of choices.
2. Structurally Superior
Every Hartley Botanic Glasshouse is handmade in the North of England to your exact requirements. It is made of the finest materials with unparalleled durability, safety, and beauty. All of the aluminium sections have a structural purpose. Short cuts, such as ‘sticking’ aluminium to glass for aesthetic reasons, are never taken. Hartley Botanic are so confident of the structural integrity of their Greenhouses; a 30-year Lifetime Guarantee is offered.
3. A reputation Beyond Compare
Hartley Botanic’s brand heritage and reputation have been built on trust for over 80 years. They have earned an unrivalled reputation for crafting the finest Glasshouses and Greenhouses money can buy through the very highest standards of hard-won experience, craftsmanship and service.
4. Unrivalled Knowledge and Expertise
There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise built into every Hartley Botanic Glasshouse. Generations of customers have put their trust in the hands of expert, time served, highly skilled craftsmen. Glasshouses of distinction are created from decades of knowledge and care.
5. Exceptional Delivery of Service
Once your order has been handmade to your personal requirements, and Hartley Botanic’s exacting standards, your delivery and installation will be exceptional. The proud team at Hartley Botanic are there to ensure the process runs smoothly, providing you with the information you need and keeping you up to date throughout.