Top gardening trend for 2021 is, well, just gardening

It is common at this time of year to see lists predicting hot trends for the new year. Gardening is subject to the same treatment, although I often wonder why anyone bothers.

Some of these lists are clearly meant for gardening in climates where little things like sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms aren’t an issue. Veranda Magazine’s “trends” included setting up outdoor living spaces for year-round use, which should only to be considered by those who were smart enough to buy a propane patio heater before they could only be found for quadruple their usual selling price on the black market.

It also decreed that we’d all be creating “seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors.” This is a lovely concept, and one that I’ve enjoyed in places like New Zealand that offer ideal climates for such a design, but shoveling snow out of a living room that opens onto a patio and swatting mosquitos on your couch seems like it might be a buzzkill (pun intended).

The same article also predicted we’d prioritize outdoor lighting in 2021. They obviously didn’t consult the Garden Media Group, which has been publishing its Garden Trends Report annually for the last 19 years and listed dimming outdoor lights as one of its trends. White outdoor lights are a major cause of insect decline, according the report, which based the information on a book called “Nature’s Best Hope” by Doug Tallamy.

Garden Design magazine, which ceased print publication a little over a year ago but continues to publish articles online, didn’t exactly have to reach too far for its trends, which include growing food in a variety of spaces and container gardening. If these are trends, then consider me a garden trendsetter along with nearly every gardener I know.

When I saw that House Beautiful magazine’s list included cottage gardens as a 2021 trend, I wondered how something so ubiquitous and classic could also be considered a trend.

One of the more interesting trend lists I found was by British horticulturist and garden designer David Domoney and included a resurgence in growing herbs (I hope so, more people should), vertical gardening (make every space count) and water harvesting, which is not such a big deal in our area but is in plenty of areas.

Based on my casual study of these myriad trend reports, I’ve come up with my own trends report and it matches an item on Garden Design’s list. It is, simply put, just plain gardening.

Gardening was the perfect pastime during a year in which most people found themselves at home much more. Time was spent differently, new creative outlets were sought. People by the thousands discovered the joy of growing something along with the solace even the smallest garden can offer.

Once the gardening bug has bitten, it’s not easy to shake. So my trend prediction for 2021 is that the people who discovered growing this year will continue to garden and many more will follow. Where, and in what style they do that, is far less important than just doing it.