A look ahead

The older I get, the further out of step I am with current trends. That’s why I’m thankful for The Garden Media Group’s annual trends report. I can read it and find out what’s happening in the world outside my bubble. The report examines several trends they expect to drive consumer behavior next year.

Starting on pg. 10, we analyze the trends with an eye toward how they could affect you, the grower. From lived-in gardens to social retreats, there’s a wide range of ideas on offer. I’m a fan of their 2025 color of the year: teal.

The “Grow Your Own Way” trend is one of my favorites, and only partly because of the nice Fleetwood Mac reference. Incorporating music into the garden seems like a no-brainer. Any outdoor party is better with music. Whenever I’m doing yard work, whether it’s weeding, pruning or just mowing the grass, I’ve got my Bluetooth headphones on.

The Garden Media Group even included a Spotify playlist “Nature’s Renaissance.” Maybe next time I’m planting a shrub, I’ll put it on. There are some gems on there, including one of my favorite Tom Petty songs, “Walls.”

Living Fences is another trend I can see nursery growers getting behind. We’ve written about the increased interest in finished hedges before. From the expected evergreens like boxwood, yews and hollies, to the classic English privet hedge, to more unexpected flowering options, consumers are looking for alternatives to a traditional fence. If this trend truly takes off in 2025, the nurseries that have been planning for it will absolutely benefit.

The Nursery Management team will be at MANTS in Baltimore next month. I’ll look for examples of these trends while I’m there, but that event is always a great opportunity to meet people in the horticulture industry. If you’re there too, come see us at booth 804.

MANTS won’t be the same without Peter Orum, who we lost Oct. 17. I first met him at an HRI reception at MANTS about 10 years ago. He was always gracious with his time, and it was an honor to tell his story for his 2018 Horticultural Industries Leadership Award profile. On pg. 16, read about Christa Orum-Keller, a 2024 HILA recipient. Christa and Peter are the first father-daughter HILA pair.

Do any of the 2025 trends speak to you? Do you see them changing your production plans, or do you expect business as usual next year?