Shoppers check out the American Beauties Native collection which supports the National Wildlife Foundation's Backyard Habitat program.

(ARA) – Change has come to America. The pop culture phrase “show me the money,” boiling throughout business and industry, has cooled down and is forcing people to take a hard look at what is really important in life.

Landscape designer Margie Grace pots up an edible container garden.

“Just look around you,” says Susan McCoy, trend spotter and outdoor living expert. “Our relationship with money has changed. Hard work, common sense and a return to small-town values are causing a shift in priorities from boardrooms to backyards.”

According to GMG’s 2010 Garden Trends Report, “The rewards of growing your own – from basil to berries to flowers – are boundless,” says McCoy.

Here is a glimpse of what McCoy and her team of trend spotters see for 2010.

* Edible gardens are in. Lawns are out.
Growing your own groceries is hotter than ever and is transforming homes and communities. A recent survey by the National Gardening Association shows a 19 percent burst of new hobby country farms and urban edible gardens over last year.

“It’s time to reclaim our land for our greater good,” says Margie Grace, the 2009 International Landscape Designer of the Year, awarded by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. “Take that food-producing garden from the back 40 and put it wherever we want. Reunite the ornamental with the edible – roses beside tomatoes, beds edged with herbs, and veggies used as annuals.”

Try easy-to-care-for mini orchids, which come in an array of colors.

Grace is one of many wanting to “de-lawn” America. Front lawns are being transformed into vegetable and rain gardens. “Hell strips” – the patch of high-maintenance lawn or dirt between the sidewalk and street – are being planted with sustainable flowers, grasses and shrubs that need little to no care.

Gardeners with limited space are finding ways to have fresh herbs and vegetables in their kitchens. Innovative plant systems like Fertile Earth’s new Simple Gardens come with soil, seeds and a how-to guide packed in stylish square containers that make it a snap to grow kitchen gardens in any bright spot. Just add water.

* Slow gardening is in. Instant gratification is out.

With the rising demand for locally-grown food, organic and energy-efficient products, people are gardening for the greater good. According to Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, (LOHAS) seed sales are up 30 to 50 percent and canning saw a whopping 45 percent increase. Along with vegetables, people are planting and picking fruits and berries – especially blueberries and raspberries – for their nutritional value and ornamental good looks.

Many new products on the market are designed to help sustain the environment. Revolutionary technology saves gardeners time and water. Aqualok, a sustainable hydration system from Costa Farms, allows you to grow healthy plants with less water and fertilizer plus reduces your watering needs by more than half.

For the do-it-yourself gardeners, add just a little GeoHumus, a new soil additive made from volcanic rock combined with state-of-the-art super absorbents, to all your containers and new plantings. It stores water and releases it to the plants on demand.

* Eco-boosting is in. Chemical-dependent gardens are out.

Demand is up for earth-friendly, sustainable and organic garden products, like the first OMRI-listed compost-based premium blend potting soil from Organic Mechanics Soil Company. The caviar of potting mixes, the all-purpose premier blend is easy to use for all your planting needs.

For all-natural garden products and animal and insect repellents that are environmentally safe for people, pets and plants, turn to innovative companies like The Liquid Fence Company. The company just released FreezePruf, a revolutionary spray that helps plants withstand fall frosts and spring frosts, extending the growing season by a couple of weeks in fall and spring.

* Multi-tasking is in. Single-purpose gardening is out.
Roofs are no longer just for parties. Green roofs are springing to life in cities and small towns, transforming barren space into lush gardens that help cool buildings, absorb rainwater, filter air pollutants, and create wildlife habitats.

Folks are bringing the outdoors in with houseplants. Mini orchids from Costa Farms are affordable, easy to care for, and come in a wide array of colors that are perfect for decorating rooms and gift-giving. Indoor plants are living art accents that provide oxygen, and remove carbon dioxide and harmful volatile organic compounds, 24/7. Check out these natural air-cleaning machines at www.o2foryou.org.

* Perennials and shrubs are in. Divas are out.
Sustainable landscapes, water conservation, perennials and small edible shrubs are hot as gardening with natives attracts needed pollinators and birds, critical for the balance of nature. Consumers are looking for plants that are easy care, have great color, and are pest- and drought-resistant, like the new hardy early and repeat blooming daylily – Jersey Earlybird ‘Cardinal’.

Add long-blooming color to your garden with Jersey Earlybird 'Cardinal' daylily.

Demand is up for sustainable hybrids like rhododendrons and grasses that provide great impact with little fuss. Look for a new hardy hybrid rhododendron and the first-ever tri-colored Hosta from Briggs Nursery. Rhododendron ‘Trocadero’ is a compact grower with bright red trusses and Hosta ‘Trifecta’ is a drought-tolerant stunner that helps shape landscapes with striking good looks and easy care.

Look for Rhododendron 'Trocadero' this spring at your local garden center.

Proceeds from The American Beauties Native Plant collection help support the National Wildlife Foundation’s Backyard Habitat program. Families are connecting with each other – and the earth – as purposeful gardening for wildlife catches on. For a complete GMG 2010 Garden Trends report, visit www.gardenmediagroup.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. How to conquer problems in your organic garden Gardening is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to a...
2. Tips for growing easy care orchids Think orchids are just for those with green thumbs and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Wildflowers and their dependents -- insects and birds -- work together in harmony with local climates.

(ARA) – At a time when “green” is the color of thoughtful lifestyles, gardening practices are going greener, too. Some gardens awash in the biggest, brightest, newest flowers are sadly lifeless, lacking the buzz of the bees, the fluttering of butterflies and the zip of hummingbirds. To make these creatures welcome, gardeners need to go a little wild themselves, setting aside their visions of gardens groomed and sprayed into submission.

Gardeners need to re-imagine their gardens as an outdoor café and build safe havens for birds, bees and butterflies. How? By setting the table with nectar and seeds that are on the menus of local wildlife. This spring, plant a patch of wildflowers and watch the garden come alive.

Wildflowers and their dependents — insects and birds — work together in harmony with local climates. Naturally adapted to soil, sun and moisture conditions, wildflowers offer more than simple grace and unaffected charm.

They represent an earth-friendly, attractive alternative, thriving without fertilizers, pesticides and constant irrigation.

In nature, wildflowers mark the seasons with glorious bursts of color.

In nature, wildflowers mark the seasons with glorious bursts of color. Spring bluebells and columbines might give way to yarrows and rues, which in turn leave the season’s last word to coneflowers and asters.

The wildflower patch is typically an exuberant and ever-changing continuous carpet of carefree blossoms. Since the look is more relaxed than that of formal garden beds, wildflowers can beautify areas that are very difficult to maintain — hillsides, woodland edges, lake borders or that awkward strip between the driveway and the property line.

While the aim is a casual, unstudied appearance, wildflower gardens do require some planning. One key is choosing a seed mix created for your region, taking into account the hardiness zone, elevation and typical soil, sun and moisture conditions.

Wild-flower-seed.com offers a wide variety of blends for nine areas of the country, from the rainy northeast to the dry southwest. The company also has specialty mixes specifically designed to attract beneficial insects and butterflies — as well as a blend deer find unappealing. Each mix includes 10 to 20 plant species, providing flowers season-long and a mix of annuals and perennials for both quick color and staying power.

Site preparation is important and a little up-front effort can pay big dividends. Follow these steps:

* Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Most wildflowers want six to eight hours of direct sunlight and few will tolerate “wet feet.”

* Remove any sod and till to a depth of just 1 or 2 inches. More will only bring additional weed seeds to the surface.

* Weed control is crucial to get wildflowers off to a good start. Instead of using a strong, chemical pesticide to kill weeds, manage weeds naturally. Encourage weeds to grow with regular watering and then pull the weeds before sowing wildflowers, or use a low-toxicity herbicide.

* Sow seeds according to directions — the maximum amount recommended will produce a dense patch, the minimum a more scattered look.

* For easier sowing, mix seed with dry sand, which is more visible against the soil. Blend well, using a ratio of one part seed to one or two parts sand.

* Good seed-to-soil contact encourages germination. A lawn roller is ideal, but stepping across the bed, compressing soil underfoot, will do the job.

* No fertilizer is necessary, but the seedbed should be kept moist for about four weeks until seeds sprout. Then watering can taper off unless conditions are unusually dry.

Once established, a wildflower garden requires little routine maintenance. A once-a-year mowing to 4 to 6 inches in late fall will keep tree seedlings from intruding and spread the season’s crop of seeds.

To see wildflower mixes offered for your region and view details on individual species, visit www.wild-flower-seed.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. How to care for your feathered garden friends year round Your garden says a lot about who you are. By...
2. Gardening is making a popular comeback (ARA) – Change has come to America. The pop culture...
3. New garden superstars blend charm and practicality From hardy hybrids to stylish, smart gardens, spring 2010 promises...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.