The year 2020 has been one like no other. But one of the positives to come from these past months of isolation has been the increased interest in gardening, from seasoned gardeners expanding their growing to total newbies planting something for the very first time. Here’s a look ahead at the next growing season and some of the big gardening trends of 2021.
Balcony Gardens
This isn’t a new trend so much as the continuing growth of one of the major trends we saw emerge in 2020. While the isolation and stay-at-home orders have seen a rise in people from the cities migrating to the country, most of the population lives in urban areas. And the way for many of them to get a little greenery in their lives is to garden on their balconies. The good news is that there’s a whole lot you can grow on a balcony. So don’t let a lack of space keep you from cultivating that green thumb of yours.
Grow Your Own Food
Once you’ve made a sandwich with tomatoes you’ve grown yourself, made a salad with lettuce you picked from the garden, or even just cooked with fresh herbs from the windowsill; there’s no going back. Many people dipped their toes into the grow your own pool this year, and it’s just the beginning. In 2021, more and more of us will be rolling up our pants and getting our feet wet.
Wild Gardens
I’ll admit that I’m super excited about this one. The trend towards not obsessively pruning and preening and meticulously maintaining a garden – or at least a section of your lawn – and letting nature go “wild” speaks to the happy, lazy gardener in me. One look around my home office, and you’ll see that I’ve been practicing “wild organization” for the last nine months, so it just makes sense to me. And those of us who may opt for the “wild” touch are also creating wonderful places for bees and butterflies to thrive – essential pieces of our larger environmental ecosystem.
Order Seeds Early
While the fears of outright seed shortages were slightly overblown this year, there were supply issues, and all indications point to that being the case in 2021 as well. So, while I don’t encourage over-buying and hoarding, I do suggest you start planning and put in your seed orders earlier than usual to make sure you can get everything you want – especially when it comes to the more popular plants, flowers, fruits, and veggies.