February is a restless time of the year for gardeners who are waiting impatiently for the upcoming planting and growing seasons to get underway.
Some signs of spring have begun to appear, although the season won’t officially begin for several more weeks. Seed catalogs are arriving in the mail, and online sites are filled with gardening products and ideas.
The days are slowly getting longer, and on a recent walk a promising patch of hardy winter aconite was blooming against a sunny bank of earth.
With a new gardening season getting ready to unfold, and gardeners anxiously waiting, we reached out to some area garden centers and greenhouses to talk about upcoming trends for the 2023 season.
We learned that gardeners — increasingly concerned with the effects of climate change — are embracing native plants that help sustain pollinator and wildlife habitats, turning toward organic seeds and plants and seeking out water-saving tools and devices.
They also continue to be enthusiastic about growing their own vegetables, herbs and fruits, whether it’s in containers, raised beds or in-ground gardens.
And while people everywhere are anxious to get outside, the trend toward collecting indoor plants that started during the pandemic continues, even prompting some garden centers to establish houseplant clubs.
Beyond gardens, the trend of repurposing outdoor spaces to create at-home sanctuaries is still going strong, with many people finding ways to turn previously little-used space into comfortable areas for being together.
Native plants and pollinator gardens
According to Aleah Salks, garden center manager at Riverview Garden and Gifts in Alsace Township, Berks County, an increasing number of customers are looking for native plants and wildflowers to attract pollinators to their gardens.
“People like the thought of providing pollinators with food, water and shelter,” Salks said.
Casey Schmidt, engagement coordinator at Colonial Gardens in East Pikeland Township, Chester County, said the garden center recently created a designated native plants section to accommodate the growing interest of customers.
“Our customers are really motivated to plant natives to attract bees and butterflies,” she said. “We’re getting more and more native plants to keep up with the demand.”
That interest in butterflies prompted Colonial to stage a Monarch butterfly release last summer, with another release scheduled for Aug. 29.
Popular native plants include milkweed, which is the only host plant for Monarch butterflies; Joe-Pye weed, which attracts bees and butterflies; wild geranium and wild bleeding heart; Virginia bluebells; Jacob’s ladder and Solomon’s seal.
Growing fruits, vegetables and herbs
Interest in gardening — particularly growing food — took off during the early months of the pandemic. Bonnie Plants, a nationwide supplier of plants and gardening supplies, conducted a survey that revealed more than 20 million Americans took up gardening for the first time in 2020.
Schmidt said she expects the high cost of food in 2023 will encourage even more people to start growing their own.
“With the price of food being so turbulent, we’re expecting that to continue,” she said.
The beauty of growing vegetables or herbs, Salks explained, is that it can be done in small spaces, such as in containers on a deck or porch.
“Not everyone has property that allows them to plant a big garden,” she said. “But most people can find the space for a large pot where you can grow tomatoes or herbs.”
Indoor gardening
Schmidt cited a trend toward indoor gardening, especially among younger people who live in apartments and may not have outdoor space for planting.
“We see a lot of younger people coming in for houseplants,” she said. “And they’re proving to be quite capable plant parents.”
Houseplants are so popular, in fact, that Colonial Gardens built a new greenhouse last year specifically to accommodate and showcase them.
The strong interest in indoor growing prompted Riverview to start a houseplant club, said Mary Lauer, events coordinator. The club meets on the first Sunday of every month at 1 p.m.
In addition to live houseplants, customers are looking for dried plants and flowers to use in arrangements, and interest in pressing and drying flowers has increased, according to Salks.
Outdoor living space
Vince Del Vacchio, the owner of Del Vacchio Landscaping in East Goshen Township, Chester County, said clients are constantly looking to improve their outdoor living spaces, whether it is by planting wildflower gardens or installing outdoor kitchens.
Del Vacchio employees recently attended a hardscape trade show to learn about the latest innovations in walkways, water features, outdoor kitchens, paver patios, decks and other hardscaping features.
“The interest we see in outdoor living spaces mirrors an industry-wide trend,” Del Vacchio said. “People are looking for everything from outdoor spa or movie areas, outdoor kitchens, and fire and water features.”
Outdoor LED lighting also is popular with homeowners.
“LED lighting is beneficial not just for safety purposes, but because it increases the resale value of your home,” Del Vacchio explained.
Low-maintenance gardening
Salks observes an increasing number of customers seeking low-maintenance gardening methods, whether through the use of raised beds, low-maintenance plants or tools that make caring for a garden easier.
“We educate customers on a regular basis about the basic needs of plants and what will work best for their spaces and lifestyles,” Salks said. “Most people love the beauty of a garden but would prefer to have as little work as possible to maintain it.”
Regaining a sense of control
Eric Schmidt, the owner of Colonial Gardens and father of Casey, believes that growing their own food, controlling the use of chemicals and creating hospitable environments for animals and insects assures people they are working to make the world a better place.
“I think people discovered that growing their own food and planting and tending to flowers gives them a sense of control in a world we can’t control,” he said.
Ongoing gun violence, increasing threats from climate change, vulnerability of wildlife and other factors have many people feeling that there is little in the world within their power to change, Schmidt asserted.
However, he said, taking small steps like planting milkweed or growing without the use of chemicals can provide a sense of doing something that’s useful and helpful.
“We can’t control the extinction of polar bears, but we can plant to attract butterflies to our yards,” he said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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