7 Popular Gardening Trends For 2014

Gardening itself is becoming a more and more popular trend among homeowners and those with any available outdoor space.  Even people living in the city and in apartments have found creative ways to get into gardening by growing on their balconies or on the rooftops of their buildings.  Community gardening is on the rise as well, with communities making use of public areas, abandoned land, or undeveloped spaces in their neighborhoods.  Gardening can be a relaxing and rewarding experience, with people feeling more connected to nature and by the pleasure of harvesting your own food.  This article will examine 7 popular gardening trends for this year.

1. Raised Bed and Container Gardening

This method of gardening has become popular because of the space it saves, the ease of maintenance, and the neatness of appearance it has.  It also has the ability to produce higher yields due to the geometric patterning of plants to fit more into the same area as opposed to conventional row gardening.   The management of the soil becomes easier as well as watering, and weeds are reduced if they are designed and planted properly.

2. Edibles and Herbs

While flowers and perennials make for some beautiful gardens, more and more people are looking to get something back from the hard work and time they put into their garden.  Planting edibles can still have an aesthetically pleasing look because your stomach also responds to seeing a bunch of delicious fruits and vegetables growing on robust plants.  Herb gardens can be conveniently grown indoors also, saving space while yielding usable food.  You can also intersperse flowers and perennials in your garden with your edibles to create a balanced design that pleases the eye and your belly.

3. Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom seeds have been growing in popularity for some time, and this trend has continued.  Many people are resistant and skeptical of growing GMO or hybrid seeds, and seek to avoid this by planting heirloom seeds.  Many claim that the produce from heirloom seeds taste superior, as well as having a higher nutrient content.  Heirloom seeds are also sought out because the plants produce fertile seeds of the same variety year in and year out.

4. Chemical-Free Gardening

Gardening without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides has been growing in popularity as well.  This is especially true of people growing edibles in their garden.  For obvious reasons, many people would like to avoid consuming chemicals that are present in many conventional fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.  These chemicals have been linked to numerous health problems, and many claim that their use is also detrimental to the overall health of the plants and soil in your garden.

Check out this link on tips for chemical-free gardening:

http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/7-steps-to-a-chemical-free-yard-and-garden/pictures/index.html

5. Composting 

Although it is nothing new to experienced gardeners, composting has been on the rise.  Many people new to gardening are staring their own compost piles because of its obvious advantages.  Compost is probably the most beneficial thing you can add to your garden.  Its use promotes healthy plant development and increases the yield of your edible plants.  A compost pile is also a great way to dispose of kitchen and lawn waste, and even newspapers and coffee filters.

6. Beekeeping and Bee Gardens

Backyard and urban beekeeping, as well as bee gardens, are increasing in popularity because of the heightened awareness of the massive reduction in the wild bee population.  For debated reasons, the wild bee population has been dying off in massive numbers, so gardeners are becoming more concerned with ensuring that bees are attracted to their gardens.  Of course, bees are crucial to pollination, and therefore crucial to healthy agricultural production.  So gardeners have resorted to keeping beehives in tandem with their garden, or by planting their gardens in a way designed to attract as many bees as possible.

The following link is a great resource for learning more about urban and backyard beekeeping:

http://charearl.com/bees/

7. Upcycling and Repurposed Materials

Upcycling and using repurposed materials in the garden and outdoor areas of your home is currently trending.  Reusing wooden pallets for example, is a really popular activity this year.  Pallets can be reused for container gardening, vertical gardening, fencing, and basically anything a person could imagine being used in the garden.   Old doors, window frames, picture frames, tires, and many other items are being repurposed for use in the garden.  Old furniture is great to use as well.