2020 is not only a new year, but also a new decade. So what gardening trends will be influencing gardeners as the new decade begins?
It should be to on one’s surprise that ideas that cater to millennials and encourage environmentalism would be trending. It’s not uncommon for today’s gardeners to endeavor to help preserve a healthy planet through such things as conservation, sustainability, and animal preservation.
Millennials Are A Growing Segment Of Today’s Gardeners
The amount of millennials interested in gardening continues to grow. The group of the population between the ages of 18 and 34 is growing at a faster rate than other age groups. So it is not surprising that they are affecting 2020 gardening trends. According to the 2019 National Gardening Survey performed by the National Gardening Association (NGA), millennials account for one-fourth of all the money spent in gardening in 2018. And this is the case despite the fact that these younger gardeners have a lower household income than older age groups more likely to live in an apartment or condominium.
Sales of gardening-related products grew 10 percent across all generations in 2018, said Euromonitor International, an independent marketing research firm, headquartered in London, United Kingdom with branches in Bangalore, India; Cape Town, South Africa; Chicago, Illinois; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Dusseldorf, Germany; Hong Kong; Santiago, Chile; São Paulo, Brazil; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, China; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; and Vilnius, Lithuania. The National Gardening Association noted that nearly 75 percent of all U.S. households are involved in some form of gardening or lawn care.
Because of Millennials, houseplants are trending up again, according to the NGA.
Millennials are even influencing the creation of new category of plant care. “Plant parenting” is a new term being used to refer to plant care especially involving houseplants, which Millennials have shown a booming interest in. There is a theory that Millennials see houseplants as a convenient, space saving way to grow plants and to connect to nature and nurture.
Gardener’s Today Are More Ecologically Responsible
(Photo by Rovelyn Camato from Pexels)
Concerns about the environment is rising, and as a result, kinder, gentler gardening is another one of the 2020 gardening trends. Gardeners are using fewer chemicals and looking for tough, naturally bug resistant and disease-resistant plants. This has encouraged the development of programs like American Rose Trials For Sustainability. This program tests roses for performance against insects and diseases in a no pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizer environment.
The interest of gardeners to discover new eco-friendly and sustainable ways of gardening has led to Regenerative Organic Certification, as well. The program wishes to develop a framework and guidelines for soil health and land management, animal welfare and non-chemical requirements for organic certification.
In addition, gardeners are including plants in their gardens that attract pollinators to assist in expanding native wildlife. One native plant that is one of the 2020 gardening trends is milkweed, which supports monarch butterflies. Others are spicebush, pawpaws, and Dutchman’s pipe that sustain swallowtail butterflies.
Gardeners are also using gravel gardening, water-wise gardening, and xeric gardening to conserve water in areas where access to water is a real problem. Public gardens including Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania and Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania are showcasing these types of gardens to demonstrate how to have beautiful gardens and still conserve water.
More Succulents And Garden Nooks
Succulents have become a 2020 gardening trend as well.. This species of plant includes cactus, sedum, echeveria, hens, chicks, and aloe. A worldwide trend, tender and hardy succulents are being used in gardens.
Cactus and succulent sales have spiked up 25 percent in 2019.
And more gardeners are creating secluded spots of smaller gardens for areas of relaxation.
(Source: pennlive.com)
