Garden Media Group releases 2024 Garden Trends Report, color of the year

When it comes to climate change, Dubow said that 2023 will rank among the 10 warmest years on record, 200 million people could be displaced by 2050 and 25,000 species are in danger of extinction. Many people experience eco-anxiety, or the chronic fear of suffering an environmental cataclysm. But Dubow said that there are some bright spots: billions of people want to make positive climate impacts, an extinct lion was spotted in Chad for the first time in 20 years and wind and solar broke energy use records last year.

Dubow emphasized that eco-anxiety — and related feelings of stress, worry and bleakness — is real, but as scientists, horticulturalists, gardeners and communicators, the green industry has to understand environmental issues and translate them into solutions customers can understand, especially solutions that don’t create hopelessness, calling it "stubborn optimism."

And younger generations are embracing that message, with Dubow saying that “EcoTok” is a collective against “climate doomism” for climate solutions. Technology is giving young people a louder voice than ever before, and Gen Z is action-oriented and unafraid to speak up, Dubow said, with research showing that Gen Z’s passion for change is revitalizing all generations, too.

 The seven trends in this year's trends report are "buying power," "horti-futurism," "delight in the dark," "bugging out," "hanging in there," "nature calls" and the color of the year. Read on for a breakdown of each of the seven trends.

© Emily Mills
Garden Media Group President Katie Dubow presents the color of the year, cyber lime.

Buying power

Dubow said that Gen Z will reshape the future of the horticulture industry. They're responsible, highly motivated and want quality over quantity, especially when it comes to sustainability. They want unique pieces with stories.

Dubow also recommended switching to a "no excess inventory" plan by selectively choosing fewer pieces for in-store stock that align with Gen Z's tastes and carrying more online. Gen Z — the first generation raised entirely in a digital world — also turn to online influencers and creators for advice and reviews. They want websites and social media accounts that are updated.

Horti-futurism

Garden scholar and historian Tracy Qiu sees replacing a cold, metallic vision of the future with bold, bright "horti-futurism," which Dubow says feels sci-fi, noting The Philadelphia Flower Show’s The Garden Electric.

Dubow said landscape design trends to watch include closed ecosystem terrariums, survivalist gardens and night gardens that shine in starlight. She also highly recommended utilizing neon in store displays and floral designs and showing it off during evening hours in warm weather. Other design ideas include futuristic avant-garde displays with sharp angles, swooping vines, orbs, floral starbursts and flags and labels in neon and metallic tones.

Delight in the dark

Dubow said society continues to become more interested in the occult, noting growing trends like #gothgardening, #victoriangardens and #halloweengardens. Dark-hued plants, pottery and statuary continue to be popular. Dubow even suggested leaving plants a bit untidy or using withered, dying or faded plants in merchandising instead of marking them down or throwing them away to add to the theme.

She noted that cemeteries are becoming community gathering spaces, with some offering movies, yoga, "hort-therapy," light shows and theater performances. Dubow recommended educating customers around what types of plants to grow in a grave garden, or teaching them how to create a memorial garden or plant a tree in a loved one's memory.

© Emily Mills
First Editions' new Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea could be part of the "delight in the dark" trend, with this display at the product's release party during Cultivate'23 featuring dark colors and moon-themed décor.

Bugging out

The use of insects in design, along with native plant gardening, is becoming more popular. The National Gardening Survey saw a 10% increase year over year in people planting for bees, butterflies and birds, and the number of people purchasing native plants has almost doubled since 2019. 

Décor featuring insects includes cushions, wallpapers, lamp shades, jewelry and rugs. There's also a growing interest in insect taxidermy in décor, with a focus on replicating their intricate anatomy in design. Dubow suggests holding insect-themed classes, whether that's creating insect-themed décor, an insect art gallery or even insect cooking classes.

Hanging in there

Small space and container gardening continue to be popular, with the United Nations projecting that 89% of people will be living in urban areas by 2050. According to the National Gardening Survey, 600,000 more households engaged in container gardening last year, a 200% increase.

Dubow said that hanging gardens specifically are growing in popularity. They maximize vertical space, add beauty, grow food and create privacy. She said that plants with draping forms often require less maintenance due to increased airflow, preventing rotting. It also allows plants to naturally spill and trail as their vines grow. They're also great for vertical videos on Instagram and TikTok.

Nature calls

Dubow said that passion for the health and prosperity of the community, including sustainability and concern for the environment, is driving change. An up-and-coming trend is anti-gardens or chaos gardens, which rebel against tidy, non-native gardens of the past. Garden centers can help people create these spaces.

More cities, including Seattle, Akron (Ohio), Kansas City and Sarasota (Florida), are also preserving their tree canopies with new ordinances, and garden centers can help customers who want to participate in preserving tree canopies decide what the best trees are for their spaces.

Color of the year

The color of the year is cyber lime, which Dubow described as "vivid, punchy and powerful," adding that it symbolizes the traits of horti-futurism and signifies the connection between nature and technology.

Designers will continue to use shades of green in 2024, inspired by the environment and using colors that echo nature, and "greenterior" mixes sustainability and environmental awareness with harmony in nature, Dubow said.