A clonal hybrid of slipper orchids known as Paphiopedilum St. Albans “Dark Red” in the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection. Hannele Lahti/Smithsonian Open Access Collection. Hide caption
Toggle caption Hannele Lahti/Smithsonian Open Access Collections
Gardens across the country are bursting with flowers, and you're sure to see plenty of roses and colorful zinnias on porches and patios this summer, but the much-discussed trend is a lot more atmospheric: Victorian, romantic, and very, very dark.
Trend-watchers are latching on to goth gardening: Google searches for “goth garden” have more than doubled in the past five years, especially since the heroine of the hit Netflix series “Wednesday” began finding solace in a spooky greenhouse filled with ghostly orchids and carnivorous plants.
Want to create your own atmospheric goth garden? Here are some tips to help you.
Use dark plants (obviously)
The Chocolate Cherry sunflower variety has become Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds' best-selling variety. Other horticulture companies have also reported increased sales of the dark flowers and foliage. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/rareseeds.com
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Toggle Caption Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com
“We would say that dark colored varieties are consistently some of our best sellers,” Michelle Johnson, a spokesperson for Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, told NPR in an email. “For example, our Chocolate Cherry Sunflower is our best-selling sunflower. Our Black Magic Cosmos is one of our top-selling cosmos. And our dark red and black vegetable varieties (tomatoes, carrots, etc.) always sell very well.”
Yes, don't forget the veggies (and herbs)
“I love that deep red basil,” says New Orleans event designer James Clawson, pointing to pots of gleaming dark herbs on the patio behind his Shotgun Cottage.
“You can also plant vegetables there,” he added. “A deep red lettuce would be pretty. Kale would be really pretty, too.”
Don’t only use black plants
Experts from the nonprofit National Garden Bureau have created a YouTube video full of tips.
Although attractive, they are advised not to go too far with black foliage as the lack of contrast will make the plant less noticeable.
Also consider mixes that include darker shades of hollyhock, false indigo and coral bells in your “thrillers, spillers and fillers” mix.
Try out some decorations
Even the typically non-Gothic HGVTV and Better Homes & Gardens have raved about wrought-iron gates and broken statues, while the website Gardenista suggests “old animal cages” as décor. Weeping Angels may seem corny to some, but as one admiring commenter points out in the Instagram post above, they can still be intense.
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Finally, thorny plants give your garden a pleasantly menacing feel.
Bromeliads in Miami, Florida. Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images Hide caption
Toggle caption Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images
James Clawson recommends bromeliaceae plants for tropical climates. Commonly found in garden centres, bromeliaceae are plants in the pineapple family with long, spiky green leaves and striking flowers in the middle.
“They last forever. And they die beautifully,” he said.
Goth gardens aren't actually dangerous
One final piece of advice:
“Don't spray too much poison,” Clawson suggests. “Butterflies are good.”
Even Wednesday Addams might agree that a goth garden needs a little glamour.
