Q. What will be hot issues in the gardening world in 2012?
A. Garden prognosticators are predicting some new issues and trends for 2012, along with a continuation of hot 2011 issues.
Mediterranean garden styles are predicted to be hot next year. Many herbs we grow in the Midwest are originally from this region, also characterized by drought-tolerant plants. Outdoor furniture and decor will also take on a Mediterranean flair.
The colors black and amber are predicted to be popular, along with the use of metal in garden sculptures and ornaments. Water gardens will still be popular, but are predicted to be smaller as more Americans become concerned over water use and quality.
Expect continued interest in Xeriscape plants, rain gardens and collection systems such as rain barrels. There will be more buffer strips, permeable pavement and even “gravel” driveways planted with grass – replacing rip-rap ditches and paved parking lots and driveways.
Sustainability will continue to be a huge issue with gardeners and people of all ages. Expect to see more front-yard gardens, new turf grass varieties that take less water and fertilizer and a continued interest in organic food production and heirloom varieties.
With growing concerns over the nutritional quality of food, seed companies such as Burpee are releasing varieties of vegetables (Burpee Boost) that contain higher levels of nutrients.
More chefs will want to either use local food sources to create meals in their kitchen or create vegetable and herbs plots maintained by the staff of the restaurant. A few restaurants in our area do this already. Expect more CSA farms in our area.
Local farm markets will continue to be popular but the number will reach an equilibrium in the years to come. The number of community gardens will continue to increase in our area.
Residents will continue to seek out and find organic food sources and food in groceries and restaurants that is grown in a sustainable manner.
Organic pesticides and fertilizer and the use of compost will also continue to be popular with consumers. Several area lawn-care companies now offer organic options to consumers for lawn care.
The use of native plants is an emerging trend in the landscape industry.
Consumers are now asking for native plants to use in their landscapes as more information is released about the loss of native habitat and the animals, insects and birds that depend on those plants.
Also new in the landscape industry are new ideas about how to transplant and plant trees. In the future, trees might be planted with root balls that are squares, and trees might be excavated and transplanted bare-root.
In other words, the technology exists to blow the dirt off existing trees (even large trees) and transplant the entire root system of the tree – rather than a small portion currently excavated by a tree spade.
All in all, 2012 promises to be an exciting gardening year.
