Weekend Reading 7/26/24

Welcome to Garden Center magazine's Weekend Reading, a weekly round-up of consumer garden media stories meant to help IGCs focus marketing efforts, spark inspiration and start conversations with consumers.

This week: The science of space gardening, debunking gardening myths, prairie lawns, a new job for Martha Stewart and goth gardens going mainstream.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: The Science of Space Gardening, NASA

NASA's podcast explores how a space garden aboard the International Space Station is helping scientists study how plants and vegetables grow in microgravity.

Don't trust the internet! Debunking 2 popular gardening myths, The Cincinnati Enquirer

Make sure your customers know the truth about two popular gardening myths: used coffee grounds in the garden and vinegar as a weed killer.

Gardener shows off second-year results of 'amazing' prairie lawn conversion: 'It's looking great', The Cool Down

The Cool Down shares a story from a gardener who converted their traditional lawn into a "prairie lawn." Are you explaining the benefits of this trend to your customers?

Self-described dirt nerd Martha Stewart has a new job with Scotts Miracle-Gro, The Columbus Dispatch

Martha Stewart has a new job: chief gardening officer for Scotts Miracle-Gro. The title officially is honorary. Technically, she's a senior consultant who will work with Sadie Oldham, the company's vice president of Scott's gardening business.

Goth gardens have gone mainstream

In recent weeks, consumer publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and NPR have published articles on goth gardens. Garden Media Group released its trends report last year with goth gardens predicted as a top trend for 2024 — and Garden Center wrote about it at that time and published an additional feature on the trend — so we're glad to see other publications catching on!

Enjoy your reading, have a great weekend and we'll see you next week!