Top Gardening Trends for 2019

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One of the most beautiful things about gardens and containers is that they have to ability to change as we develop new tastes and follow new trends. We always have the freedom to keep what we like, change what we don’t, and try new things without a lifelong commitment. That means there’s no harm in trying some of the top gardening trends for 2019 in your own garden this year!

Joy in Nature

In the fast-paced environment most of us live today, finding time to enjoy and tend to our gardens can be challenging. We already juggle our families, jobs, health, and a million other things, giving us very little time to sit back and relax. And when we do, we’re often plugged in - scrolling through social media on our phones or watching TV.

But we’re starting to see the negative effects of a stressful lifestyle and how electronics are likely adding to that problem instead of solving it. We’ve also started to realize the proven therapeutic effects of nature, both mentally and physically. With this shifting mindset, this will be a year when people will take a step back and start to enjoy the beauty of nature again, instead of seeing it as a chore.

We don’t need to have a perfect garden to find joy in what’s already there. Spending time outside, whether it’s to tend to the garden or just sit back and listen to the birds, is still beneficial. Plus, finding some time to introduce new plants to your garden will help you appreciate it even more!

Wabi-Sabi

For those who don’t know, wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic based on accepting transience and imperfection. It’s part of a set of ancient ideals that influence Japanese culture and norms. Wabi-sabi embraces the beauty of imperfection and incompleteness, and has been increasingly applied to garden design. The aesthetic celebrates simplicity, roughness, wear, and asymmetry. It’s about appreciating the integrity of nature itself.

For those who have little time to spend pampering their garden, the wabi-sabi trend might seem like a way to style your garden without doing much work. But creating a garden that’s close to nature isn’t as easy as letting it go wild! The tamed serenity of wabi-sabi actually takes some creativity and effort.

Start by choosing some plants that are native to your region. Not only will they look natural, but they will require very little attention. Here in the Midwest, coneflowers, bee balms, and black-eyed Susans are great choices. Big, showy blooms require much more maintenance and don’t fit as well with the trend. Wabi-sabi is about a delicate balance between nature and nurture. It’s not formal or fussy, but it’s also not unkempt and overrun.

You should also be mindful of hardscapes and other items, too. Choose ones that fit in organically, such as rocks, stone walls, wooden accents, or old wheelbarrows. Our new wood-like concrete planters would fit in perfectly!

Pleasant Purples

While Living Coral might be Pantone’s color of the year, 2018’s Ultra Violet shades are still on an upward trend in gardens everywhere. From light lavenders to vibrant violets and everything in between, you simply can’t go wrong with purple in the garden.

Truthfully, purple can be used to describe a pretty wide range of hues. Reddish-purples add excitement and drama to the garden with their electrifying shades. They also help unite color themes in the garden, working well with pinks, reds, and oranges. Cool, blue-purples are easier on the eyes, anchoring your garden and accentuating brighter colors. Treat your landscape like royalty with deep violets.

Purple shades pair well with contrasting colors like sunny yellow. These colors complement each other beautifully, as yellows and golds catch your eye, drawing attention to shady violets.

While there are endless options of purple-toned plants, some of our favorites are Petunia ‘Cascadias Passion’, Verbena ‘Tapien Blue Violet’, Torenia ‘Summer Wave Large Violet’, and Calibrachoa ‘MiniFamous Neo Double Silver Blue’. Remember, the color doesn’t have to come from the flowers – Persian Shield, Sweet Potato Vine ‘Blackie’, Setcresia ‘Purple Heart’ and Purple Fountain Grass all have stunning purple foliage. You can also find edibles in a variety of purple shades, such as blueberries, beets, asparagus, and even purple potatoes and tomatoes!

Decorating with Containers

Container gardening is another trend that continues to become more and more popular every year. The possibilities are endless!

Decorate your patio with containers of bright summer blooms to make it an even more enjoyable space than it already is. Plant trailing annuals in hanging baskets, allowing them to spill elegantly over the sides.

When decorating with multiple containers, you want to consider balancing them with elements of harmony and contrast. Play with different textures, materials, and colors to create a design scheme that complements the rest of the garden. Try groupings of three containers each planted with different, complimentary colors, textures, and sizes.

You can even get creative with what you choose to use as a container - old jars, kettles, watering cans, baskets, wheelbarrows and such all add interesting elements to your design. Just make sure to add drainage holes to whatever container you select. The best thing about container gardening is that nothing is permanent! If you get tired of something in one spot, just pick it up and move it to another. If you want to change up your design, choose new plants or new pots that fit your changing style.

If you’re as intrigued by any of these new gardening trends as we are, come visit us at any of our garden center locations, like our plant nursery in Woodlawn, and we can help you get started!