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Awareness of Beneficial Insects In Landscape

The Garden Media Group (GMG) has released its annual Garden Trends Report for 2016. The report, titled “Syncing With Nature,” identifies eight consumer trends that the group predicts will shake up the garden and outdoor living industry this coming year.

The report finds “gardening” has transformed into a connected lifestyle in 2016, with a rising millennial generation becoming more involved. The eight new trends show ways the gardening and outdoor living industries can connect not only with traditional gardeners but with a broader community.

GMG reports that “consumers are seeking to enhance their health and wellbeing and support their busy lifestyles. They’re merging technology with nature to explore, educate and entertain. More people have a passion for preserving the earth, and bring their home landscapes in sync. They desire a sustainable lifestyle and an eco-friendly garden and outdoor space.”

1. Connected Greenery – Garden centers and shoppes should embrace technology, syncing garden habits with technology. New gardening apps demonstrate how to grow indoor and garden plants on Instagram or on YouTube.
2. Combine Tech with Nature – People want to engage kids with gardening, health and fitness in fun new ways. Whether running, playing or storytelling, this trend has the potential to mobilize a new generation of nature lovers, while getting them outside to play.
3. Gardening That Combines Nature’s Beauty, Health And Wellness – People are adopting concepts like “edible landscaping” of fresh antioxidant edible berries and easy care landscape plants.
4. DIY Lifestyle – is shifting from “doing” to “making.” Property owners and renters alike want to experience outdoor living in a more hands-on way. Hot trends include providing materials for beer and wine making.
5. Outdoor living enhanced – includes evening lighting, porch swings, swimming pools, and designs of whimsy.
6. Landscape Becomes Multi-layered – addition of trees, shrubs, flowers, vines, grasses, and ground covers that provide food and habitat that are beneficial to wildlife, birds, and insects; choose plants of various shapes and sizes such as dwarf conifers, climbing vines on trellises.
7. Petscaping – pet owners spend about $60 billion on their pets. Switch to safe organic lawn products and limit use of harmful garden chemicals.
8. Protect and Conserve Earth’s Resources – gardening with less water such as cacti and succulents and to protect and conserve resources with small lifestyle changes.

*Source: Garden Media Group, Kennett Square, PA. Check their website for a full report.