2016 Gardening Trends From American Meadows

by Heather

Customers are always asking ‘what’s popular’ or are always curious to know what other gardeners are planting during the planting season. Our garden experts Mike the Seed Man and Heather our Perennial & Bulb Specialist are fortunate enough to speak with people all across the country on the phone or through Facebook to hear what’s "hot” or “trendy” for their backyards, gardens or patios. We research and learn from our customers and fellow gardeners. We’ve listened closely and are excited to share the ‘gardening trends’ that we’re hearing about and seeing each year.

So Here’s What Was Popular In 2015 and What To Expect For The 2016 Season

Pollinators Are Buzzing – Pledge To Plant a Pollinator Garden This Year!

Unless you’ve had your head in a hive (for all the right reasons!) you will know that helping pollinators was a popular gardening topic in 2015. From Colony Collapse Disorder to the decline in Monarch populations, we saw gardeners all over the world step up and do their part in helping. Whether it was planting a pollinator habitat to stop using harmful chemicals to a monetary donation to the Xeric Society or Save our Monarchs customers from across the country got involved. Here at American Meadows we do our best to keep our customer informed of the latest news on Pollinators and topics such as neonicotinoids and CCD. We’re also doing our part to offer a variety of solutions for gardener as well, our Monarch & Milkweed Seed we’re some of our most popular products in 2015. Our Honey Bee Mix was also a big hit with customers wanting to plant to help pollinators in their part of the country. Pledge to plant a Pollinator Garden in 2016! It’s fun, easy and you don’t need a lot of space.

Plant The Pantone Colors Of The Year

Heather learned from working with many clients in the garden, that color is one of the first themes people look for in gardens. So in finding the 2016 pantone colors of the year are Serenity (a cool blue) and Rose Quartz (a soft pink). These two colors represent the balance of life and work, bringing zen into your life and tranquility into the home and garden. It seemed that it was fitting that most people are trying to find the perfect balance. By introducing one or both of these colors in your garden, Heather guarantees it will fit and be versatile in any garden theme. She recommends to try planting Phlox Blue Flame and Itoh Peony Cora Louiseto bring these colors into your landscape for 2016.

Urban Garden Spaces and Re-purposing

A big trend Mike and Heather saw in 2015 was container and small-space gardens; planting a thriving garden despite your property size. We will continue to see this trend grow even more for 2016. Urban gardening is more than just a few vegetable planters, it’s about making a mini oasis, a place to relax after a long day of work. It combines vegetables, and perennials in one common place. While doing this, it’s the containers and the design that's bringing many gardeners to re-purposing a variety of objects, including sap buckets, boots, and even bathtubs to use as containers in their gardens. These small space are creative, unique and for all gardening abilities. It’s a sense of pride and resourcefulness that brings gardening to a whole new level.

Plant Some Veggies!

Vegetable gardening continues to be one of most popular gardening segments and will continue into 2016. More and more people want to know where their food is coming from. They want to know it’s safe, Non-GMO and not pumped with pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Remember you don’t need a lot of space and for a couple of bucks you can enjoy and harvest hundreds of dollars of vegetables and produce. We offer a nice selection of traditional, heirloom and organic vegetable varieties. Plant some veggies this year and you won’t be disappointed!

Grow More, Mow Less – Creating a more Sustainable Gardening Space

Mike received hundreds of calls this past year from gardeners who wanted to mow less and plant more. People are realizing that maintaining a lawn is a lot of work, expensive and can be harmful to the environment. There’s never been a better time to get rid of that chemical sucking, gas guzzling lawn and plant some native perennials or wildflowers. They require less maintenance, less money, less watering, attract pollinators, lasting pleasure and much better for the environment. Don’t know where to start or need those little extra words of encouragement? Give us a call (877) 309-7333, live chat or e-mail your questions or concerns