Brian Minter: Darker hues, insects and climate change top new trends

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Welcome to a new year in which nature and eco-gardening are going to become even more important in our lives.

I really appreciate my friends in the Garden Media Group, based in Pennsylvania, who have now become well known for their annual Garden Trends Reports.

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Their overall theme for 2024 is Eco-Optimism. Despite an emerging anxiety, especially among younger folks in the 18-23 age range, about the increasing number of climate related disasters there is a sense of optimism because they are actually seeing and making positive changes.

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According to Garden Media, 68 per cent of people aged 15-24, or about 1.2 billion folks in our world, are making measurable climate improvements. In the U.S., wind and solar power broke energy records and the U.S. Department of Transportation provided $350 million in funding to improve wildlife habitats.

Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, who are now the predominant demographic in colleges and universities, are action-oriented and equally vocal about climate action and are influencing all generations.

Out of this Eco-Optimism trend, the Garden Media Group has identified some interesting new practices, which are both eco-oriented and going in some new directions. They are pointing out that Gen Z, often referred to as Zoomers, will reshape the future of the horticultural industry.

When it comes to the challenge of home ownership, they are ahead of both Gen. X, those born between 1965-1980, and Millennials, born between 1981-1996. Apparently in 2022, in the U.S., 30 per cent of those 25 years and older owned their own homes, versus 27 per cent of Gen Xers and 28 per cent of the Millennials when they were the same age. Of the Zoomers, 71 per cent hope to buy their first homes within the next one to six years.

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Many of the Gen. Xers have only ever worked from their homes, so they see their property, along with the high-quality possessions they will be putting inside, as work investments as well as the place they will live and play.

They are also interested in quality over quantity and see products with a story as far more interesting. Of course, most of their purchases will be made online. “No excess” is part of their mantra, and they will search for expert advice from trusted sources regarding purchases and investments.

Another trend is horti-futurism. When it comes to entertainment, ordinary no longer cuts it. Bold, bright, creative and futuristic are the active ingredients; just like the many outdoor Christmas light displays we have enjoyed, the most exciting were over-the-top, with some creative genius involved.

Both the Philadelphia and Seattle Flower & Garden Shows provide many spectacular displays, and folks are now looking for sci-fi to be part of this horti-futurism trend.

Spectacular night lighting, night gardens, and visionary new landscape designs are all part of this trend. In other words, designers and artists need to take the next step in their works to capture the essence of horti-futurism.

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It may surprise you, but there is a movement to the darker side in gardening as well. Not only Gen Z, but all generations are moving to Goth-Gardening, Victorian gardens, and Halloween gardens.

Tombstone Tourism is on the rise as modern cemetery tombstones are now doubling as planters. Cemeteries in Pennsylvania are offering both therapy and yoga sessions. In Georgia, they are offering nature themed light shows, and in Oakland, Calif., you can attend classes about cemetery traditions.

Plants with darker hues, like black tulips, peonies, and hellebores, are now in higher demand and skull planters are becoming hot sellers, not just at Halloween, but all year round.

Bugs are in. Not only are we creating thoughtful habitats in our gardens for beneficial insects, but much of our garden décor is now insect oriented. Butterflies, ladybugs, and dragonflies have long been popular in our garden art, but joining them now are beetles, bees and caterpillars.

This new appreciation for all insects has resulted in a greater effort to learn about them and restore them to our gardens.

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Small space gardening is also responsible for unprecedented growth in the use of containers and hanging baskets for food, colour, and pollinator attraction. The National Garden Association in the U.S. discovered, from a recent survey, that 600,000 more households engaged in container gardening last year.

Vining plants are becoming more popular, both trailing down from baskets and in the case of vegetable gardening, climbing up trellises, to allow for greater production. In high density living areas, they also make beautiful screens for much needed privacy.

A great new trend is the power of community. It’s important for these new generations to be more sustainable, so look for them to be purchasing their food, clothing, plants and other household items in their own communities. Not only purchasing, but sharing, food and flower resources within those communities is becoming a big thing.

Saving tree canopies has also become vital. In urban forestry, we all know it takes a while for young, newly planted trees to mature and the importance of saving larger trees with their broad canopies is essential. Many cities are now creating new tree bylaws in order to save these mature trees, along with existing wildlife habitats.

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Finally, the Garden Media Trend colour of the year for 2024 is cyber Lime. This represents and symbolizes the traits of horti-futurism. It’s punchy, vivid and powerful. It’s gender inclusive, and a colour based on compassion, community, and connection.

I love the eco-optimism theme for the New Year, but it comes with the responsibility of helping make the changes in our lives to make it happen.

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