Like paint colors and fashion, gardening trends come and go.
For 2017, gardening trends range from clean, healthy living with fewer chemicals and more organic food to “sound-scaping” with trees to buffer sirens and birds to bring song.
“We see a lot of growth in the coming years for gardening,” says Katie Dubow, creative director at the Garden Media Group, a marketing group that tracks and promotes national gardening trends.
“Whatever you’re growing, wherever you’re growing it, the ability to garden year-round just makes this category so much more relevant. And access to healthy food, year-round, will be a game-changer.
“Uberizing is my favorite trend. In the next two years, experts estimate people will carry an average of eight subscription services. Do you know the two biggest reasons people don’t garden? Time and knowledge. The delivery model can solve both of those and get more people gardening. Gardening subscriptions offer a simple and convenient service for a beginner to start gardening without being overwhelmed by choice or lack of knowledge. Plus, they offer an experienced gardener access to unique or new varieties they hadn’t tried before. So many industries are playing the game, it’s time for gardening to get involved.”
Here, more gardening gurus share their thoughts on 2017 gardening trends:
The important millennial market force that wants to grow their own food, teas, cocktails, beer and medicine is expect to continue, according to Tish Llaneza of Countryside Gardens in Hampton, Va. Llaneza shops in Atlanta and Baltimore annually and attends nationwide seminars to keep up with national trends.
“Five million of the six million new gardeners last year were 18-34-year-olds, according to the 2016 National Gardening Report,” she says. “New technology makes growing 365 days a year easy, affordable and convenient.”
For instance, indoor gardening — growing under lights in soil, hydroponically or aquaponically — is becoming more common. From growing arugula to bok choy, clean fresh food will be available to plant, pick and plate every season. From herbal tea gardens on the window sill and healing herbs under lights to vitamin-packed microgreens on the kitchen counter, medicinal gardens are blooming indoors.
“At the other end, Baby Boomers are keeping only those things that speak to their heart,” she says. “They are taking the plunge and discarding all the rest. By doing this, they can reset their life and embark on a new lifestyle.”
Food reigns important with Americans, who now demand to know what is in and on their food — and where it comes from, Llaneza adds.
“The demand for organic, locally sourced food now far exceeds the supply,” she says.
Landscaping is an expensive investment, whether you do it yourself or have someone create it for you. Your yard is also a natural reflection of the world where you live, so make it as natural as you can. Natural stone gives you the best of both worlds: value for your money and longevity in looks and feel.
Beautiful hardscaping, such as stone, will last a lifetime, says Peggy Krapf of Heart’s Ease Landscape & Garden Design in Williamsburg, Va. An added bonus is it doesn’t need water and deer never eat it.
Natural also goes well with mixing old with new and repurposing objects in the landscape, adds Krapf.
“I love gardens with personality and gardeners who use things they love in creative ways,” she says
