Is Goth Gardening the Trend Garden Centres Should Be Stocking for 2027?

Walk past most garden centre benches in spring and you'll see a familiar riot of pinks, yellows and cheerful oranges. But a growing group of shoppers would much rather have a border full of near-black petunias, inky heucheras and a weathered stone urn or two. Goth gardening has been bubbling away on social media for a few years now, and it was singled out as a top trend at Glee 2026 by Michael Perry, aka Mr Plant Geek, who led the show's Future Plants Walking Tour. With the darker aesthetic also appearing in fashion, beauty and interiors, 2026 and 2027 look set to be the years it properly lands in UK garden centres. 

What is goth gardening, and where has it come from? 

At its simplest, a goth garden is built around dark and almost-black plants, often mixed with Victorian and gothic details like wrought iron, stone statues and aged urns. Chloe Hurst, owner of The Goth Garden, says her own plot went viral in 2023, and a whole online community has grown up around the look since. According to NPR, Google searches for "goth garden" more than doubled over five years, with a noticeable spike after Netflix's Wednesday put a conservatory full of ghost orchids and carnivorous plants on millions of screens. 

The wider culture is pulling in the same direction. Pinterest's 2026 predictions included a Vamp Romantic trend, with searches for dark romantic make-up up 160% and gothic coffin nails up 180%. In the US, Garden Media Group named goth gardens in its latest trends report, with president Katie Dubow saying: "Goth culture lives strong year-round, embracing themes of the macabre, mystical and romantic." Closer to home at Glee, Michael Perry calls it one of the biggest trends he's seeing in the US and expects it to take off across Europe too. 

Why does goth gardening matter for garden centres? 

Part of the appeal for retailers is that goth gardening isn't a single product, it's a look, and looks sell across categories. A customer who comes in for a black-leaved Aeonium 'Zwartkop' is a good bet for a charcoal glazed pot, a lantern and a bag of grit on the way to the till. It also gives garden centres something fresh to say to younger shoppers, who are already driving interest in darker aesthetics online. If that's an audience you're working to reach, our piece on gardening among younger generations is a good place to start. 

There's a premiumisation story here as well. True black flowers are rare, which is exactly what makes them interesting, so feature plants like Lilium 'Nightrider', Alcea rosea 'Nigra' or a dark-leaved Sambucus can carry a higher price point when they're merchandised as statement pieces rather than tucked in with the bedding.  

The same goes for indoor ranges, where Begonia 'Black Fancy', Alocasia 'Black Velvet' and ZZ 'Raven' give houseplant tables a moodier, more grown-up feel. Buyers working with houseplant wholesalers and indoor plants wholesale specialists should be asking about darker cultivars now to secure 2027 availability. 

Is goth gardening sustainable? 

Surprisingly, yes, and it's one of the easier sustainability stories to tell. The look leans on evergreens, long-lived perennials and a looser, less manicured style, and Gardening Know How points out that the theme lets wildlife thrive and reclaim the landscape. That sits neatly alongside the RHS 2026 predictions, which flag nature-friendly gardening as a growing priority. Weathered stone and moss-covered finishes also suit the aesthetic far better than anything shiny and new, which gives buyers of wholesale garden ornaments and wholesale garden decor a good reason to look for recycled and natural materials. 

For garden centres keeping a close eye on labour and costs, a range built around hardy perennials and evergreens is also kinder on staff time than trays of bedding that need constant watering and deadheading, and it has a much longer selling window. 

Where does food fit into a goth garden? 

Food is where the trend gets really interesting for garden centres with a café, farm shop or food hall. The RHS expects more people to grow their own to help with the cost of living, with potted herb sales up 10% across RHS Retail, and dark-coloured edibles fit that perfectly.  

Think 'Black Krim' tomatoes, cavolo nero, purple sprouting broccoli and dark-podded beans, all of which could sit together as a "grow your own goth" collection alongside seed, compost and raised beds. 

In the food hall, black garlic, dark chocolate, blackberry preserves and beetroot crisps all fit the palette, and a themed café special in October costs very little to set up. 

How can garden centres turn goth gardening into an experience? 

This trend is tailor-made for the experiences side of the business. YouGov found that 22% of Britons carve pumpkins at Halloween, and 39% prefer to do their seasonal shopping in store, so there's clear appetite for doing things in person.  

After-dark lantern trails, dark floral wreath workshops, carnivorous plant terrarium classes and a "black garden" border by the entrance all give people a reason to visit that they can't get online. And it doesn't have to stop at 31 October, because dark foliage looks just as striking in winter containers and Valentine's gifting. 

Ready to plan your darker 2027 range? 

Goth gardening has moved well beyond a Halloween novelty, and the retailers who get in early will be the ones shoppers think of first when they want that moody, romantic look. Glee 2027 is the place to meet the growers, garden product suppliers and decor brands who can help you build it. 

Why not join us in-person for the retail event of the season? Glee runs from 6-8 September 2027 at the NEC. Register for free here, and join our newsletter for the latest updates before the show.