Trend reports were a regular part of the Cultivate program. Garden Media Group has published an annual Garden Trends Report since 2001.1 Two of its reports frame the Cultivate’17 period. The 2017 report, “Grow 365,” came out in September 2016. The 2018 report, later titled “Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness,” was previewed in Columbus at Cultivate’17.2,1 This page summarizes both from trade-press coverage. It adds the Retailers’ Choice Award winners as a snapshot of the new products retailers backed that year.
The 2017 report: “Grow 365”
Lawn & Garden Retailer reported the release of the 2017 report on September 23, 2016. It said the report highlighted eight trends, among them year-round gardening, demand for “clean” food, air and medicine, inspiring Millennials to garden all year, and horticulture moving from hobby to career.2 Nursery Management summarized six of the trends in more detail:3
| Trend (2017 report) | What it described | Figures cited in coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Hotspots | Time in nature to reduce stress: garden therapy, “forest bathing,” plants in the workplace | — |
| Tidy Gardens | Less consumption, smaller city homes, compact shrubs and containers | — |
| Uber-izing Gardening | Plant and seed subscriptions; workshops for experience-minded Millennials | 65% of Millennials would attend a store workshop |
| Buzz Off! | Chemical-free pest control; attracting birds and bats against mosquitoes | — |
| Golden Age | Gold foliage and accents in gardens and décor | — |
| Redefining Peak Season | Indoor and hydroponic growing of herbs, greens and microgreens year-round | Indoor/hydroponic stores just under $1 billion (2015); 37% of Millennials and 28% of Boomers grow herbs indoors |
The golden plants Nursery Management named included the Katsura Japanese maple, ‘The Rising Sun’ eastern redbud, carex and ‘Goldy’ arborvitae.3 Garden Center magazine later summed up the report’s main prediction: indoor gardening would become more popular and more mainstream.1
The 2018 report, previewed at Cultivate’17
At Cultivate’17, Garden Media Group president Susan “Suzi” McCoy and creative director Katie Dubow previewed seven new trends for 2018.1,4 Ahead of the show, Garden Center magazine said the report would examine wellness in gardening. Mental health was increasingly seen as being as important as physical health, and that was changing how people garden. Its examples were plants forming “social networks” and people creating indoor “breathing rooms.” The full report was not due to be downloadable until September.1 After the show, the magazine’s highlights noted the mental-health focus and a further trend toward “flexitarian” food growing.4
Nursery Management’s summary of the finished report, “Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness,” listed these trends:5
- Climate Controlled. Historical climate data is no longer a reliable guide, so gardeners need strategies for unpredictable weather.
- Social Network. Plants do better in groups, so gardens are planned as communities rather than single specimens.
- Imperfect Gardening. Inspired by wabi-sabi, accepting natural imperfection.
- Breathing Room. Indoor spaces with houseplants set aside for relaxation and cleaner air.
- Make a Splash. Reflective pools and fountains, and gardens prepared for heavy rain.
- Purple Reign. Purple as the color of 2018.
- 2017 “Grow 365”: Wellness Hotspots; Tidy Gardens; Uber-izing Gardening; Buzz Off!; Golden Age; Redefining Peak Season
- 2018 “Nature’s Rx”: Climate Controlled; Social Network; Imperfect Gardening; Breathing Room; Make a Splash; Purple Reign
- Link: the wellness theme runs from Wellness Hotspots (2017) to the mental-wellness focus of 2018
What retailers picked: Retailers’ Choice 2017
The Retailers’ Choice Awards were sponsored by AmericanHort and The Garden Center Group. Garden retailers chose 16 winning products from 14 companies, and the awards were presented on July 17, 2017.6
| Company | Winning product |
|---|---|
| Ainong USA | Decorative Premium Hanging Baskets (ceramic look) |
| Ball FloraPlant | Coleus Flamethrower Series |
| Braun Horticulture | Mother Nurture |
| Cohen Hishtil Jaldety Nurseries | Calibrachoa tree form, grafted on a standard |
| daVinci (Airlite Plastics) | Decorative thin-walled containers |
| Dramm Corporation | Brass hose swivel |
| Fred C. Gloeckner & Co. | Tomato ‘Heartbreaker’ Dora F1 |
| Master Nursery Garden Centers | Bumper Crop organic plant foods |
| Proven Winners Color Choice | Rosa ‘At Last’; Pugster Buddleia series; Hydrangea ‘Invincibelle Mini Mauvette’ |
| Sakata Seed America | Dragon’s Breath red celosia |
| Van Belle Nursery | Bloomin’ Easy Hydrangea paniculata Lavalamp series |
| Syngenta Flowers | Sunfinity sunflower |
| Terra Nova Nurseries | TIDBITS and FANCY FEATHERS coleus series |
| Van Bloem Gardens | Assorted succulents in creative containers |
Other Cultivate’17 sessions took up related themes. Texas A&M economist Charlie Hall gave an outlook of slowing job growth, steady consumer confidence and record household debt. A session on vertical farming noted that cities including Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles were supporting urban agriculture.4 For the show itself, see the Cultivate’17 hub.
Sources
- Garden Center – Garden Media Group trends at Cultivate’17
- Lawn & Garden Retailer – Garden Media Group Releases 2017 Trend Report (Sept. 23, 2016)
- Nursery Management – 6 trends to watch in 2017
- Garden Center – Highlights from Cultivate’17
- Nursery Management – 2018 Garden Trends Report: Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness
- Garden Center – Cultivate’17 Retailers’ Choice Awards