Garden Media Group released its annual consumer trends report, identifying several major shifts in the marketplace and 12 trends that will impact gardening habits in 2014 and beyond.
According to the 2014 Garden Trends Report, consumers are spending more leisure time outdoors and not only “decorating” their homes, but their gardens as well.
The rise of social trends, such as lawn games, glamping and garden parties, are fueling a record growth in garden furniture and accessories, driving demand for tabletop fountains, outdoor chandeliers, garden art, decorative birdfeeders, unusual planters and candleholders.
The report notes the worldwide gardening and outdoor living market is expected to increase yearly by almost 3.5 percent through 2016, when it should reach almost $220 billion. In North America, where the market was flat for the past four years at $58 billion, annual growth is expected at 1 percent over four years.
“After several years of bleak economic reality, the sun is finally starting to shine again,” said Susan McCoy, garden trendspotter and president of Garden Media. “The economy is improving, and people across the country are exhaling a sigh of relief.”
This time around, McCoy said, people are vowing to restore balance to their lives. Frivolous spending on more “things” is out.
“People are determined to be happy and thoughtful in their actions since they’ll have more money to spend in the upcoming year,” she said.
According to the report, people are piecing together the relationship between gardening and connecting with nature–and how this can lead to a fully satisfied, purposeful life.
The new twist is people still want their outdoor spaces to look beautiful, but want to invest their time and money into high quality, eco-friendly products with a smaller carbon footprint.
“2014 is all about balance. People finally appreciate that being in nature and in the garden is true bliss. But now, they want the garden to do double duty: A Zen oasis and the social hub for entertaining,” said Katie Dubow, creative director of Garden Media.
“Surrounding yourself with nature, with trees in the yard and houseplants in the office, brings a sense of peace, boosts productivity and enhances your quality of life—in addition to providing a great escape from the hustle and bustle of a technology intense life,” Dubow said.
Looking ahead, Garden Media sees six balanced sets shaping greener lifestyle choices people are making for their homes, gardens and outdoor living.
The trends
- Ground up: Recycling food scraps and creating compost is the new recycling.
- Super foods, super models: Edibles are going to the next level with foodies growing everything from quinoa to dandelions in straw bales and keyhole gardens.
- Drink your garden: People are drinking their gardens by growing super foods, such as blueberries and raspberries, to craft cocktails and green smoothies. Plus, Rebecca Reed of Southern Living said, “Fermentation gardens are the new chickens.” People are growing hops for home-brewing, grapes for home-made wine.
- Dress up your yard: From decorative throw pillows to decorative insect traps and shabby-chic mason jar humming bird feeders, people want their yards to have a personal stamp.
- Bee-neficials: It’s all about the bees this year. Bees are at forefront of environmentally-aware consumers’ minds, inspiring them to plant native, pollen rich flowers, trees and veggies to provide safe shelters.
- Cultur-vating: Taking local to the next level, people are growing the world in their gardens, mixing cultures and embracing what is local to their own region.
- Simple elegance: Think one color flower in an elegant container, such as Surfinia Heavenly Blue in an eco-chic, hand-cast planter.
- Frac’d up: Neat, clean lines are out as explosions of color in fractional shapes like triangles, circles and squares dominate design.
- Young men get down and dirty: Young men, age 18 to 34, are spending $100 more than the average gardener. They are grilling, growing their own hops for beer and taking the kids out to play in the dirt.
- Think gardens: Plants make us smarter, more productive and less stressed and are showing up in offices, schools and hospitals across the country.
- Fingertip gardens: Gardens go high tech with mobile apps and technology.
- Tree-mendous reversal: Losing more than 4 million urban trees a year, Americans are being asked to plant trees. There are many environmental, economical and emotional benefits of trees.
