2017 Gardening Trends

This past fall I attended several professional green industry conferences that showcased cool gardening trends on the horizon for 2017. In addition to the political scene (don’t get me started), the shift in American demographics is having a dramatic effect on the economy. As stated in one conference report “The 78 million people who make up the baby boomer generation will continue to retire, allowing some 67 million gen Xers to take over. That’s a deficit of 11 million people. Perhaps the 83 million representatives of the millennials will fill in the gaps.” (photo Storefront Blog)

Below are a few excerpts from a green industry trends report prepared by the Garden Media Group and shared at New England Grows .

*The Millennials will be an important market force. Millennials want to grow their own food, teas, cocktails, beer and medicine. Five million of the six million ‘new’ gardeners last year were 18-34 year olds, according to the 2016 National Gardening Report. (photo Advanced Nurtrients)

*Growing food year-round. With the demand for organic, local food exceeding supply, and people choosing to live in smaller spaces and urban environments, more people will grow indoors. Indoor gardening –growing under lights in soil, hydroponically or aquaponically–is becoming mainstream and destigmatized. From growing arugula to bokchoy, 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.

*Tidy Gardens – Finding Joy in Less. People are taking a page out of the book of the #1 New York Times best-selling guide to decluttering from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo. Tidy gardens does not mean trimmed hedges and clean corners. It simply reflects a global shift toward reduced consumption coupled with finding bliss in what you do, not in what you have. This coincides with a downsizing trend as U.S. population shifts from suburbs to city living and gardening in smaller spaces.

*Color trends – the color gold is in. Metallic materials and textures have been trending in home décor for years and 2017 shows them melting into the outdoors as well. Golden colored foliage and flowers warm up the landscape. Neutrals and earth tones continue to trend. Blue, recognized as a healing color, is being incorporated into more outdoor living spaces.