2023 Garden Trends Show Responsibility and Sustainability

The Garden Media Group, which aims to instill a passion for nature and a love of gardening in all generations, recently released its 2023 Garden Trends Report.

After several years of incredible growth within the industry due to the global pandemic, the team at the Garden Media Group says, “We learned we can’t control external things. We can control what we do, what we think, and what we buy. Now is the time to take responsibility for the materials we use, how stuff is produced, how we buy and consume, and the values we buy into.”

Gardeners in 2023 will be empowered after several years of dealing with the challenges and discoveries brought about by the pandemic. They’ve acquired a better sense of their day-to-day capabilities and resilience while gaining the perspective necessary to examine their current lifestyle and how it can be improved.

The 2023 Garden Trends Report explores an ever-evolving consumer and what growers and retailers can expect to see when a new calendar year begins. Below is a sampling highlighting the invaluable information Garden Media Group has pulled together. You can access the full report HERE.

Smart Tools

Often called the “Tesla Effect,” smart, battery-powered solutions such as trimmers, edgers, and lawn mowers, are more desirable to today’s more environmentally conscious gardener, who expects to see such options at retailers. In fact, global demand for battery-powered lawn and garden equipment is expected to increase 6% per year to a total of $6.6 billion by 2025 as more and more consumers transition away from gasoline, engine-driven products. Additionally, smart devices for weeding (some even solar-powered) enable people to enjoy the outdoors without wasting time on tedious chores.

Container Gardening

According to Daily Green, “U.S. consumers now spend $1.3 billion on container gardening,” and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. According to a recent Great Grow Along survey, it’s the number one method 34–45-year-olds prefer to garden. Container gardens are easier to maintain and care for, require less time, can easily be moved around when needed, and can be seasonal in design for holiday accents. Many also use container gardens as privacy walls by creating visually pleasing arrangements of varying heights to make people feel naturally enclosed on patios, decks, and balconies.

Changes to Hardiness Map

The USDA started publishing the hardiness zone map for growers back in 1960. Updated in 2012, much of the country is now at least half a zone warmer. Climate change is a reality that will impact how and where plants are grown. Public gardens and communities are now planting more climate-resilient plants and trees based on these dramatic temperature changes. Growers must educate themselves on environmental changes such as increased temperatures and continual droughts to adjust their inventory accordingly to meet consumer demand for more climate-resilient plants in their area.

Color of the Year

The 2023 Garden Trends Report also predicts terra cotta will be the color of choice for indoor and outdoor growing containers, accents, textiles, and more. It’s known as the color of transformations, which makes it ideal for our post-pandemic society while also being associated with feelings of warmth, excitement, and amusement.