Our Garden & Houseplant Trend Predictions for 2021

In 2020, gardening grew exponentially as a trend. Many people had more time to spend on hobbies, and many of those people became interested in growing their own food. Virtually overnight, almost everyone seemed to realize the therapeutic nature of plants, whether in the garden or in your home.

The interest in plants and gardening isn’t going away in 2021, but here’s what we think will be trending in the gardening world and the realm of houseplants.

1) Tiny Space Gardening. Regardless of whether or not you have a yard, gardening in small spaces is gaining popularity. Filling your patio or deck space with plants, edible or decorative, makes it easier to tend to your plants because they’re all quite close together. A patio space full of plants is a relaxing place to hang out, and having plants everywhere can create a surprising amount of privacy. If you’ve got even less space, windowsill gardening is the next best thing. There are some very creative ways to take advantage of whatever window space you have to grow as many plants as you can.

2) Rewilding parts of the garden. We’ve all heard the buzz about the importance of supporting local pollinator populations. Besides putting up houses for bees and planting more flowers, rewilding is one of the next best things you can do to improve biodiversity and support pollinators. If you’ve only got a small space, leave a corner of grass untouched and unmown. I’ve you’ve got lots of room, consider letting a larger section go wild. Spread some Arkansas native wildflower seed, and grow a meadow. Mow a meandering path through and enjoy wandering through your meadow, listening to the buzz of bees and the breeze rustling through the grasses, and watch the wildflowers dance.

3) Extend your living space outdoors. Covering a portion of your patio or putting up a gazebo or pergola is a simple way to extend your living space. Decorate your outdoor room with comfy furniture, add an assortment of potted plants, and you have a zen space to relax—especially when it’s raining in Fayetteville!

4) Raised garden beds. Raised bed gardening has been popular for a while, and it’s not a trend that’s slowing down. Raised beds take the majority of backbreaking work out of gardening. They’re easier to weed, easier to control irrigation, and they look great. We expect to see raised bed construction get more creative this year, with attractive finishes and styles that can make them look like pieces of installation art.

5) Color themed gardens. Gardens that follow a color scheme are going to be everywhere in 2021. We think white gardens, yellow gardens, and grey gardens are going to be particularly popular in the coming year. Monochromatic gardens always look elegant and refined.

 
The popularity of houseplants skyrocketed in 2020, and the trend is expanding in 2021. Now that everyone’s got a year of growing experience under their belt, they’re moving onto more unique plant trends.

1. Unique cacti will be popular in 2021. Cacti like Fishbone, Bunny ears, and Mistletoe will be everywhere with their unique shapes, textures, and colors.
2. Tougher ferns are finally getting their place in the spotlight in 2021. Ferns like Blue Star, Staghorn, Lemon Button, and Asparagus fern are becoming more popular because they’re not as dramatic as higher-maintenance varieties, such as Boston fern. They’re not going to keel over and quit because you were an hour late misting or watering them!
3. Curated collections of plants are growing. People are falling in love with specific plant types, like calatheas, and will be on a mission to get one of every species for their collection.
4. Low-maintenance plants are always popular, and as life starts to open up a little and people can socialize more, low maintenance classics like Chinese money plant and snake plant will be even more popular.
5. Edible houseplants are also trending as people experiment more with food that you can grow as houseplants. Miniature tomatoes are being developed for better performance indoors, classic herbs will be popular, and seemingly everyone will have an indoor citrus tree.

What trend in gardening and houseplants are you most looking forward to this year? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see how these trends evolve and get updates on new ones as they emerge!