US-based Garden Media has been producing garden trend reports for 14 years and the 2015 report makes interesting reading.
Gardening was found to go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. “People see both outdoor and indoor spaces as extensions of themselves and are making conscious decisions to use plants and garden products as “tools” to increase their overall wellbeing, lead a sustainable lifestyle and make a positive impact on their communities and the planet”. Sounds very much like the trends observable right now in Christchurch, apart from the last!
The report identified nine trends summarised here:
- The new consumers – young men spend $100 more on garden plants and products than the average consumer
- Wellbeing from the outside in – people aren’t just gardening for beauty but to nourish their communities, the environment and their own wellbeing
- Colour pops – trending colour palettes – ranging from vintage and muted rustic to teal and pink – show off personality in flowers, plants and outdoor products
- “Garden-tainment” – the party is moving outside and demand for outdoor plants is set to grow by 4%
- Bite-sized decadence – whether in a small space garden or on an apartment balcony, compact plants are packing a lot of punch with rich colours and textures
- Portable gardening – convenience and simplicity drive this trend which allows the “always-in-motion” generation to take gardening wherever they go
- Rebel Hoods – resident rebelling against planning rules and creating “agri-hoods” with urban chickens, bees and lawn-less landscapes
- Bed Head – purposefully un-styled outdoor spaces reflects an “anything goes” attitude
- Smoke your garden – legalisation in around 50% of the US will increase the grow-your-own marijuana trend
More online: www.gardenmediagroup.com