Remember the big macramé hanging planters that graced the corner of most living rooms in the ‘70s and ‘80s, right next to the picture window, and with a plant nestled inside? Gardening, both indoor and outdoor, definitely has its trends.
Each year, Garden Media Group analyzes what’s happening in the world of gardening and forecasts what will be popular in the upcoming year. Their 2025 Garden Trends Report is titled “Nature’s Renaissance,” and is filled with interesting predictions.
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Garden Media Group has a decent track record, and in past reports, they predicted the container gardening upswing, the surge in vegetable gardening, a renewed interest in native plants, and forecast the trend in vertical and raised bed gardening.
The group forecast eight emerging trends for 2025.
The first trend predicted is termed a “social retreat,” in which people realize that “around-the-clock connectivity has moved into obsession and addiction, and they’re feeling the pressure of too much content, ads, misinformation, toxicity and bots,” and they’d like to retreat from the constant connectivity.
It’s predicted that 50% of users will dramatically reduce their interactions with Meta, X and TikTok, because they want more authentic connections, such as joining local houseplant online groups or participating in community gardens, where you have genuine interactions with other people having similar interests.
The second trend forecast is a bit unusual, perhaps, and predicts that music is proving to be an increasingly welcome addition to the garden.
Apparently, 81% of gardeners enjoy tunes while tending to their plants, with pop being the most popular genre. And we’ve all read the research that suggests plants themselves enjoy music.
I do enjoy music while doing indoor gardening tasks such as seeding, but when I’m outdoors, I enjoy peace and quiet, or at least the quiet of nature and the sounds of the neighborhood.
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Trend three is the increasing popularity of viewing garden scenery and flower pictures that are AI-generated to create almost supernatural perfection of nature. Examples I’ve seen include hillsides covered in blue flowers as far as the eye can see, surrounding a lone bonsai-type evergreen, perfect in every way. I will admit, it captures the imagination and is relaxing.
Nature is rarely perfect, though, and that’s part of its allure. Weeds happen. Are AI’s picture-perfect scenes of flowers, forests and mountains giving unrealistic expectations, or are they simply soothing portraits?
The fourth gardening trend is called “lived-in,” and refers to landscapes that appear to be well-established with the charm of having existed for years, rather than being brand new. According to recent research from Virginia Tech, a well-landscaped home can enjoy up to a 12.7% increase in property value.
Homeowners can cultivate the lived-in feel by caring for existing mature trees, shrubs and perennials to keep them healthy and thriving. When installing new landscapes, don’t overcrowd, but still plant densely for a full, established look.
The fifth gardening trend involves living fences. Plants to provide privacy and visual screening can be a fraction of the cost of traditional fencing, while adding beauty to the yard.
The sixth predicted trend is foraging for flowers. Across social media, there’s been a rise in interest in local fresh flowers to make floral arrangements. This includes exploring your own flower garden, fields and woodlands to find plants, flowers and branches that can be creatively assembled into floral arrangements.
The seventh trend is “holy moly plants,” which confused me a bit until I read further and understood the trend referred to houseplants with holes in their leaves, such as split-leaf philodendron and monstera. I’ve observed the increasing popularity of these plants in online houseplant groups and in places where houseplants are sold.
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Monstera, also known as Swiss cheese plant, is a good example of trending houseplants, and the leaf openings give the plant an exotic, tropical look.
The eighth and final Garden Media Group’s trend for 2025 is all about the color teal. Described as being “a bold color with synthetic quality that bridges the realms of fantasy and reality, evoking the serene blues of Caribbean waters, the expansive freedom of vast skies and the immersive depth of virtual spaces.”
The color teal is said to align with evolving wellness trends, offering a calming effect that is both soothing and sophisticated. It would be difficult to renovate our landscapes and perennial gardens whenever a new color is trending, but there are some beautiful plants that fit the teal color scheme, especially for the perennial garden, including blue fescue ornamental grass and many cultivars of allium and Brunnera.
Do you see yourself in any of these trends? Time will tell whether Garden Media Group’s predictions become reality for 2025.
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