We’re on the home stretch now.  Our opening day of March 9th will be the first day of our Spring season.  We’ll have seeds and seed starting supplies available, as well as tools and gloves.  The season always begins slowly and then suddenly shifts into overdrive as the early vegetables become available.  Perennials will arrive in late March. 

The final three trends for 2009, according to the Garden Media Group, are Global Colors, Worldly, and Bubbling.

The popularity of global colors, I think, is regional.  I think we in this area are still more into the country colors, and if we do color theme our gardens it is more likely to be in the blue/pink/white cottage garden palette.  But be prepared for more bright/deep colors to be available in plants and in garden decor as this trend becomes more mainstream and moves to the midwest.

The wordly trend is just beginning to be seen here in the Ohio Valley.  We’ve had questions about Japanese serenity gardens, as well as labyrinths.  And the garden accents we are seeing from our suppliers have a global flavor– whether in theme or in color and style.  We don’t think the time is right yet for us to jump into this area, but we’ll be watching the market closely.

Bubbling is a trend that we have watched develop for a decade– although the recent economic woes have increased the pace of this one.  Bubbling used to be called “cocooning,” a term coined by Faith Popcorn to describe the pulling back into a safety zone (our homes) as the world becomes too much with us.  This is manifesting itself in the garden industry as an increased interest in creating “garden rooms” for entertaining (in some cases complete with an outdoor kitchen and a pop-up big screen TV) and for decompressing.  The Japanese serenity gardens fit this trend, too.

We don’t carry the outdoor kitchen paraphernalia in stock, but we have several sources for it if you want to go in that direction this year.  Call and talk with Dawn for some ideas.  If an outdoor room is in your plan for this year, our design team can assist you with that– either helping you to Do-It-Yourself or doing it for you.

Trend number 7, “Info Lust” and number 8, “Quick and Simple,” seem to be contradictory.  On the one hand people are looking for more and more information about gardening, outdoor decorating and cooking.  Classes are filled with people wanting to learn to be better gardeners, better cooks, better at landscape design.  Garden magazines are wildly popular, and the internet buzzes with questions and answers between friends as well as from garden experts.

But, on the other hand, people are trying to save time in the garden, by planting in smaller spaces and even containers.

This all leads me to believe that there are as many styles of gardening as there are gardeners.  Some want to get back to nature, learn how to be more in touch with the earth, while others want the results of gardening (whether fresh veggies or the colorful plants) without too much work.

Which gardener are you?  Learn to do it yourself, or get it done as quickly as possible?  We can help you become the gardener you want to be and to have the garden you want to have.  GIY or DIY or quick and easy– we have answers for each of you.  Come in and talk with one of our experts about what you want to accomplish.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the night is drizzly and still in the 40’s.

The sixth trend is bringing the outside inside and the inside outside.  What?

It’s the trend to use plants as indoor decoration (and air purifiers) and to extend spaces by moving plants, decor and accessories outside to make the outdoors more comfortable.  Indoor plants add charm to patio, deck and garden spaces– especially ferns, palms and other “houseplants.”  The indoor/outdoor line is not so definite anymore.

Plants that we think of as tropicals, or houseplants, are being combined with annuals, perennials, and even trees and shrubs, to add ambiance to an outdoor relaxation or entertaining space.  And those same plants are being utilized indoors to provide an outdoor feeling to the inside of the home.  A trend toward the blending of the two types of spaces.

We can help you achieve this look outdoors with custom designed planters and patio pots.  Please ask one of our talented designers to help you choose a combination of plants that will suit the space you have and the look you like.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the temperature is more moderate and the snow and ice are almost gone.

The fifth trend is water.  Not water as in “my plants need more water.” (That aspect of water is actually “out” and lawns and plants that require lots of water are out.) This is water as in the sound of water– fountains, waterfalls– or the look of water in ponds and birdbaths.  Soothing, peaceful, Zen water, is in. 

Fountains can be simple or elaborate, classic, rustic or modern.  And a waterfall, while not a quick addition to your landscape, can be fairly easy and simple– especially if you choose a pondless waterfall that really just recirculates into a hidden, and totally safe, basin beneath a covering of rocks.  If a pond floats your boat (sorry about the pun) it can actually be a DIY project accomplished in a weekend with the right preparation. A pond or birdbath adds to the habitat for wildlife, too.

Written by Lynn on the slope of Teasel Hill where the ice just refuses to melt!