I believe in me

photo © myboys.me | adobe stock

Accurately predicting trends can help position businesses a few steps ahead for success in sales and customer acquisition. Trends help brands discover customer wants and needs and drive sales to new heights. That is why garden centers look to the trendspotting firm Garden Media Group for their annual Garden Trends Report.

For 22 years, Garden Media has been predicting trends that shape the green industry. In 2023 we move past 2021’s ‘The Great Reset,’ and 2022’s ‘Crisis to Innovation’ to focus on self-intention and personal empowerment with the 2023 Garden Trends Report, ‘I Believe In Me.’

“We learned over the past two years that we can’t control external factors, but we can control what we do and what we buy,” says Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group. “That is why we believe customers will shop garden centers more than ever and choose brands and products that align with their values.”

The 2023 Garden Trends Report shows how we have evolved from the fear of the pandemic into a life of self-fulfillment and practicality.

Here are the seven trends that will begin to shape the future, according to Garden Media Group:

1) Tesla effect

While it’s true that the green industry has gone electric or battery-powered three times faster than the electric car industry, smart tools will become necessary for easier and more successful gardening. Apps, such as Seed to Spoon by Park Seed, are making a comeback with plant-growth tracking and plant identification, and brands are upping their online presence through social media and SMS services. Brands with an omnichannel shopping experience are seeing two to four times more sales.

2) Backdoor revolution

The 2022 housing crisis prompted people, specifically millennials, to think differently about the home-buying and renting experience. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and rezoning laws will help alleviate the shortage and help owners and renters alike cut costs. This ‘Backdoor Revolution’ will allow garden centers and brands to help customers define spaces and products to suit the privacy and small-space needs of these homeowners and renters.

3) Accessible gardening

This trend focuses on helping “Super Agers” — people whose brains function as if they were 30 years younger — do what they love at all ages with minimal impact. The industry must nurture this core audience and focus on creating accessible, manageable and realistic garden expectations and products. Dubow says, “Catering to this group of ‘Super Agers’ will allow us to extend the joy of gardening for much longer and to more people — growing the green world exponentially.”

4) PlantTok

TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app, 90% visit it more than once per day and there are more than 1 billion monthly active users — so it is no surprise that TikTok is on trend. But it’s PlantTok, the green industry’s place on the app, that has allowed influencers to make a significant splash educating, inspiring and nurturing newer, younger gardeners using the app. The report outlines a few trends on PlantTok now, but Dubow urges brands to get on it saying, “The only way to know what’s trending on TikTok is to be on TikTok.”

photo © Angkana | adobe stock

5) All Greek to me

Statues and boxwood hedges are seeing a revival as people — especially Gen Z — take inspiration from ancient Greece. Stone walls, archways, pale colors, the use of symmetry, raised beds and hardy plants are all an homage to classic Greek gardens that customers long for. Plus, gravel gardens are making waves as a beautiful, low-maintenance way to garden. Gravel cuts down maintenance by 80% by reducing the number of inputs, and using native plants makes maintenance even easier.

6) Redrawing the map

Hardiness zones continue to shift northward at a “climate velocity” of 13 miles per decade. As the climate changes, trees are at risk due to damage from heat and drought, making them more susceptible to diseases and insects. According to Daniel Herms, Ph.D., vice president of research and development at Davey Tree, choosing climate-resilient trees is more crucial now than ever, on top of planting the right way. Education about the right tree to plant for the next 100 years is vital when planning what to plant and when.

7) Color of the Year

Yellow-red and saffron were used to describe this color before it was given a name in the 16th century — terra cotta is the color of the year for 2023! Deeply rooted in history, orange is a color with spiritual connotations in many cultures. In Western culture, terra cotta is associated with feelings of warmth, excitement and amusement. We urge garden centers to think outside the box when arranging SKUs for the trendy color. Choose plants such as Sombrero Adobe Orange Coneflower, Tecoma ‘Red Hot,’ and Veranda Mango rose from Bloomables and Coppertop Sweet Viburnum from Sunset Plant Collection. And, go for bolder terra cotta pots such as the new line from LBE Design.

Garden Media Group has published its highly anticipated Garden Trends Report annually since 2001. The firm offers information about trends in various formats, including a free annual report and a YouTube series. The 2023 Garden Trends Report is available for free download. Read Garden Media’s GROW! blog for trend updates and industry news.

Garden Media Group ignites buzz for clients, offers innovative public relations campaigns, and secures top media placements and partnerships. The boutique PR and marketing firm is known as the best in the home, garden, horticulture, outdoor living, and lawn and landscape industries. The annual Garden Trends Report is one of the most published garden studies in trade and consumer news.

Visit gardenmediagroup.com/trends for more information.