Would you like to know what our rosarians and horticulturalists see trending? It’s all about your self-expression…
Read on to learn what our gardening experts are hearing from you and the gardening community as Top Gardening Trends for 2023. Because, while the practice of gardening doesn’t change a lot, the choices for what, where, and why to grow change and expand every year.
You’ll be planting trees to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, making a long-term commitment to the environment; composting kitchen waste for less landfill garbage; using organic pest controls and home remedies for prevention instead of eradicating with chemicals; saving water with less lawn, letting it grow longer, and maintaining it with hand- and battery-powered tools.
We’re hearing a lot about Greek- and Mediterranean-inspired gardens and agree that is trending. We’re also seeing signals that desert gardens (terra cotta is a color of the year and water conservation is always trendy), cottage gardens, and gnome gardens will add to gardener’s self-expression in 2023.
Your priority of sustainability means you’ll be maximizing every bloom. Enjoying flowers outdoors and bringing their fresh look and organic fragrance indoors, too. Look for unique bouquet color combos – all white, lavender with coral and orange, and punchy pinks. Find perennials that are ideal for flower arrangements.
Houseplants, herbs, citrus trees, fig trees, and even avocados. No time for sitting on winter’s gardening sidelines, you’re growing more indoors and will be taking those edible gardens outside for summer vacation. Grow herbs on the windowsill and succession plant greens ( find new and innovative indoor growing tools ) for fresh flavors, salads, and wraps year-round.
You’ll be growing more in less space and getting creative with container and vertical gardening. Fabric raised beds, trough gardens, and growing bags provide more space to grow almost anywhere. Tips? Pair plants with mounding habits with trellised vining plants in a single container. Container growing tip two: spring bulbs are buried deep, plant shallow-rooted perennials on top in your favorite (Mediterranean-inspired) patio pot for flowers in spring and summer.
Have you heard of guerilla gardening? That’s space-saving gardening with a twist – planting in abandoned lots, public spaces, and common areas. Check your zoning laws, legal rights, and privacy restrictions before trying this one.
You’ll be getting strategic with plant combinations to augment visual appeal, add fragrance, and extend bloom season. Roses and clematis, echinacea and black-eyed Susan, roses and veronica, hosta and astilbe, roses and agastache, heuchera and anemone.
You’re planning in winter to have the garden you’re dreaming about. Do you know the “garden texture check” trick? Take a black and white photo of your garden. Does the photo look pretty, even without color, or is the garden cluttered looking? It’s an easy way to gauge visual appeal. If your plant placement needs refining, consider the questions below, transplant existing plants, and supplement with new plants. Tell us how it’s going!
If your answer is yes, then carry on, our gardening friend.
You’ll be creating outdoor spaces where nature envelops you and the daily grind does not. Focus on fragrance, privacy, and a comfortable place to put your feet up or take a nap. Romantic rose gardens, natural screens with climbing plants, shrubs, and trees, even moon gardens (white flowers and silver foliage) that twinkle in the moonlight, for you summertime night owls.
You’ll be prioritizing pollinators. According to Pollinator.org, animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Continue to plant bright colored, nectar-rich flowers that are native to your area. Watch our video on inviting and keeping beneficial insects in your garden.
You understand. It’s serious. It’s time to grow native. In 2022, monarch butterflies were added to the endangered species list. While the reasons likely include increased use of herbicides and commercial and residential development, you can help. Grow flowers for adult butterflies to feed on and grow milkweeds (Asclepias tuberosa) for monarch caterpillars to eat. Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweeds, plants of the genus Asclepias. Shop for Asclepias.
What would you add to the list?
One thing becomes evident in reading the Top 10 Gardening Trends List, gardeners care: about their gardens, homes, communities, and planet. We’re so glad to be part of it. Send us your thoughts and ideas – how can we help you accomplish the garden and landscape of your dreams? Wishing you successful growing in the new year and always from all of us at Jackson & Perkins.
