Hartley Botanic is one of the oldest and most respected glasshouse and greenhouse manufacturers in the UK. The Lancashire-based business, which this year will have been running for 84 years, is known for the beauty, enduring strength, quality and performance of its greenhouses and is the manufacturer of choice for leading horticultural organisations, institutions and designers in the UK and worldwide.
With its finger on the pulse when it comes to what those in the market for a greenhouse are looking for, every year the manufacturer predicts what it expects will be the biggest glasshouse and greenhouse trends for the year ahead. Here are its predictions for 2022, with insight into recent customer behaviour which has informed their choices.
1. Growth of the ‘greenhouse culture’
The global pandemic, and its resulting lockdowns, which meant people were largely restricted to their own homes and gardens, fuelled a huge increase in the number of people investing in a Hartley Botanic glasshouse or greenhouse for the first time.
Those purchasing a glasshouse did so for three main reasons; either to try their hand at ‘growing their own,’ to improve and develop their gardens or because of the mental health benefits of being outdoors amongst plants and nature. As a result, there is a new and enduring ‘greenhouse culture’ amongst homeowners worldwide as the perception of greenhouses as a niche item for only hardened gardeners has been challenged. More people than ever are now using a greenhouse and this includes younger age groups.
Tom Barry, CEO of Hartley Botanic, said: “We felt demand skyrocket during lockdown. Some customers who had been thinking about owning one for years finally stopped flirting with the idea and greenhouses suddenly felt relevant to others. For both sets of customers, the pandemic had caused a re-evaluation of their lifestyles. Suddenly the health and wellbeing advantages offered by a greenhouse became a priority rather than a nice-to-have. The pandemic has really thrown into focus the down-to-earth benefits of greenhouses and it has made them extremely culturally relevant.”
2. Colours: Black, olive and manganese graphite are in fashion
In terms of glasshouse colours for 2022, Hartley Botanic predicts that black and manganese graphite (a colour introduced by the manufacturer in 2019) will be the most popular amongst glasshouse and greenhouse customers, with olive leaf being the preferred choice for those looking for a more classic, traditional look. Dark greys have been popular for a number of years, but customers are now looking to make a more dramatic contemporary statement with blacks or dark colours which have a warm, rather than a cool, undertone.
Consumers are increasingly interested in black minimalist structures thanks to the way black beautifully frames plants and particularly makes green foliage ‘pop.’ French doors with black frames became fashionable thanks to their ability to set off views into the garden.
Mr Barry explained: “We are increasingly seeing customers make bolder, more modern choices when it comes to Greenhouse colours, especially for structures within our Modern Horticulture range. In the past, we were rarely asked to powder coat a glasshouse in black but customers are much more confident about how this will work visually against their plants.”
3. ‘Growing your own’ still dominating greenhouse usage in 2022 and beyond
Another trend originally given impetus by lockdown, but will continue into the new year, is buying and using a glasshouse or greenhouse specifically for growing your own edibles. During March and April 2021, when the UK was in the first period of lockdown, Hartley Botanic experienced a 35 per cent increase in customers citing ‘growing their own’ as the primary reason they wanted to invest in a glasshouse or greenhouse, with many saying they ‘never want to be caught out like this again.’
The experience clearly changed customers’ thinking and approach. Being able to produce their own food tapped into the most basic of human needs and ‘growing their own’ became the right choice for their health and wellbeing, and helped them feel more secure.
The desire to live in a more sustainable way and play a daily part in fighting the climate emergency is another reason for a continuing interest in ‘grow your own.’ Consumers are keen to find ways to reduce their reliance on plastic packaging and are conscious of the impact their dietary choices have on the environment. A greenhouse offers a way to become less reliant on supermarket produce and, for some, facilitates the switch to a more veg-based diet.
As with the ‘greenhouse culture,’ which sees increasing numbers of us owning a greenhouse, ‘growing your own’ remains to be a key driver in how they are used by homeowners due to a fundamental shift in priorities. This trend is here to stay as we move into 2022 and beyond.
Mr Barry said: “Growing your own has always been one of the most important ways our customers use our glasshouses, but in normal times only 10 to 15 per cent cite it being the primary reason. But now, it is one of the most important motivations. There is no doubt that the pandemic and the new urgency around climate has influenced this and we expect this effect to continue well into 2022. For those who have started growing their own produce, it will be one of the changes they will likely keep long-term due to the way they can control the quality of the food they eat more – not to mention the benefits of improved taste and its contribution to reducing supermarket air miles.”
4. Making it personal: Highly personalised greenhouses
In both the UK and the US, Hartley Botanic has experienced increasing numbers of customers adding an extra level of customisation to both their bespoke and standard structures – to create a glasshouse which is totally personal to themselves. Customers are adding internal partitions to separate growing and relaxing areas, are using architects to incorporate glasshouses into their properties in interesting ways and are adding individual elements like tiled floors, chandeliers and abutting sheds.
As every Hartley Botanic Glasshouse is handmade to order, the possibilities really are endless, and with customers still looking for ways to enhance their home life, glasshouses are becoming increasingly unique and inspired. These highly personalised greenhouses, where customers look even more carefully at tailoring inside and out, is another customer development set to be big next year.
Mr Barry explained: “One of the things Hartley Botanic is known for is its bespoke approach to glasshouse design – whatever our customers have in mind, their imagination is the only limitation. It seems more customers than ever are realising the true potential of creating a structure to order from scratch and are making them totally their own. Structures are being designed to perfectly suit customers’ lifestyles, personal interests and tastes. We expect this interest in high-level personalisation to continue in 2022.”
All Hartley Botanic’s glasshouses and greenhouses are handmade, bespoke and made to order. Customers interested in purchasing a Hartley Botanic greenhouse should visit hartley-botanic.co.uk or call 01457 819 155 for more information.
