Garden Media Group issues 2010 trend report

Main Street America is back, according to the 2010 trend report from Garden Media Group…

Change has come to America. The pop culture phrase, “show me the money” boiling throughout business and industry, has cooled down and is forcing people to take a hard look at what is really important in life.

Now, along with belt-tightening and downsizing there’s a welcome trend emerging: A return to Main Street American values.

“Just look around you,” says Susan McCoy, trend spotter and outdoor living expert.  “Our relationship with money has changed.  Hard work, common sense and a return to small-town values are causing a shift in priorities from boardrooms to backyards.”

According to GMG’s 2010 Garden Trends Report, “The rewards of growing your own – from basil to berries to flowers – are boundless,” says McCoy.

Here is a glimpse of what McCoy and her team of trend spotters see for 2010.

Main Street is in. Wall Street is out.
There’s a shift of priorities between balancing practicality with comfort and fulfillment. “Core values of responsibility, meaningful relationships and connectivity to neighbors and communities are surging,” says McCoy.

That “can-do” spirit empowered by a new sense of self-sufficiency is fueling a renewed appreciation for our land – defined more by nostalgia rather than geography; caretakers rather than developers.

Yard-sharing with people – dividing resources, skills, space, tools, and time – is popping up to support our need to “go local,” strengthening our neighborhoods. We’re connecting to the soil and with each other, sharing the bounty and giving families food that’s more nutritious, tastier and less costly.

Edible gardens are in. Lawns are out.
Growing your own groceries is hotter than ever and is transforming homes and communities. A recent survey by the National Gardening Association shows a 19 percent increase in new hobby farms and urban edible-gardens over last year.

“It’s time to reclaim our land for our greater good,” says Margie Grace, the 2009 International Landscape Designer of the Year, awarded by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. “Take that food-producing garden from the back 40 and put it wherever we want. Reunite the ornamental with the edible – roses beside tomatoes, beds edged with herbs, and veggies used as annuals.”

Grace is one of many wanting to “de-lawn” America. Front lawns are being transformed into vegetable and rain gardens. ‘Hell strips’ lining the wasteland between the sidewalk and the street are being transformed with sustainable planting.

Gardeners with limited space are finding ways to have fresh herbs and vegetables in their kitchens. Innovative plant systems like Fertile Earth’s new Simple Gardens are helping folks become gardeners by just adding water.

Slow Gardening is in. Instant gratification is out.
Domesticity is back. People young and old are returning to a simpler life of cooking, gardening, and even raising chickens!

Produce sharing with community-supported agricultural farms and produce exchanges are springing up throughout urban, suburban and rural communities. The take-home message is: urban farming is cool; urban wastelands are not.

With the rising demand for locally grown food, organic and energy-efficient products, people are gardening for the greater good. According to Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, seed sales are up 30% to 50% and canning saw a whopping 45% increase. Along with vegetables, people are planting and picking fruits and berries – especially blueberries and raspberries for their nutritional value and ornamental good looks.

Mindful is in. Bling is out.
The collapse of greed and self-indulgence is ushering in a new culture of giving, creating and collaborating. Reflected in the Reputation Economy, sharing a passion and receiving recognition has replaced “taking” as the new status symbol.

A new patriotism of spirit – volunteering and a shift from ‘Me’ to ‘We’ – has trumped greed. The ascendant generation of 30-to-50 somethings are redefining adulthood with their young-at-heart lifestyle, driving demand for products made from recycled materials in sync with their focus on social and environmental issues.

According to National Marketing Institute, four out of five people say they’re still buying green products and services today – which sometimes cost more – even in the midst of a the recession. More than two thirds say they will select green over traditional – “if it works.”

Many new products on the market are designed to help sustain the environment. Space-age technology saves gardeners time and water. Take AquaLok, a sustainable hydration system from Costa Farms. It’s a self-watering system for plants made from recycled soda bottles, and reduces watering needs by more than half.

For the do-it-yourself gardeners, there’s GeoHumus, a new soil additive made from volcanic rock combined with state-of-the-art super absorbents. It stores water and releases it to plants on demand. Environmentally harmless and long-lasting, it saves both time and money. Bottom line is folks want value, price and performance with a nod towards creating a more sustainable environment.

Eco-boosting is in. Chemical-dependent gardens are out.
Get used to terms like eco-bounty and eco-frugal, eco-metering and eco-concierge that are sprouting up in blogs and social media. Green is the new black as consumers seek products that work with nature, not against it.

Demand is up for earth-friendly, sustainable and organic garden products, like the first OMRI listed compost-based potting soil from Organic Mechanics Soil Company.

For garden products and animal and insect repellants that are environmentally safe for people, pets and plants, gardeners are turning to innovative companies like The Liquid Fence Company. The company just released FreezePruf, a spray that helps plants withstand early fall frosts and late spring frosts, extending the growing season by a couple of weeks in fall and spring.

Multi-tasking is in. Single-purpose gardening is out.
From California’s green buildings to New York’s high-rises, living (green) walls are allowing people even in cramped urban apartments to use a greater range of plants.

Roofs are no longer just for parties. Green roofs are springing to life in cities and small towns, transforming barren space into lush gardens that help cool buildings, absorb rainwater, filter air pollutants and create wildlife habitats.

Rain barrels and rain gardens continue to be popular as people seek ways to conserve water and reuse and recycle. Businesses and homeowners are setting up rain gardens that collect runoff and help absorb pollution that threatens waterways.

Folks are bringing the outdoors inside with houseplants. Mini orchids from Costa Farms are a good example. Indoor plants are living art accents that provide oxygen, remove carbon dioxide, and harmful volatile organic compounds, 24/7.

Perennials and shrubs are in. Divas are out.
Sustainable landscapes, water conservation, perennials and small edible shrubs are hot as gardening with natives attracts pollinators and birds, critical for the balance of nature.

Consumers are looking for plants that are easy care, have great color, and are pest and drought resistant. Centerton Nursery is offering plants that fit the bill, including its new hardy early – and repeat-blooming daylily – Jersey Earlybird ‘Cardinal.’

Demand is up for sustainable hybrids like rhododendrons and grasses that provide great impact with little fuss. Briggs Nursery is introducing two hardy rhododendrons: ‘Florence Parks’ and ‘Rabatz’ that have exceptional color, easy care and great attributes. Look for the new Vaccinium ‘Pink Lemonade’ pink blueberry that adds ornamental color in landscapes and along with its mouth-watering mild sweet flavor.

Meanwhile, proceeds from The American Beauties Native Plant collection help support the National Wildlife Foundation’s Backyard Habitat program. Families are connecting with each other – and the earth – as purposeful gardening for wildlife catches on.

From the look of things, America’s seeing green as we all plant something for our future.

Illustration: Eric Ortner, www.sxc.hu