Trend 7 Recap 2009

Info Lust is In, Lack of Knowledge is Out (trend #7 2009)

Info Lust
We are told that lack of time and knowledge have been primary reasons people hesitate to garden. Well, that has changed, the Main Stream Media has seen to that.

Oh yes, the much reported recession, along with the talking heads saying no one will be able to afford to eat, has created a major demand for garden information.

Lack of Knowledge
Now some of our clients want small 'no work yards', which should also supply them with a winters worth of food.
Interestingly many are quite surprised when they find out:

• they need more garden space and end up with city plots,
• then have to work to preserve their garden grown veggies.

Others are scouring the Internet on everything from growing practices to home canning. After which they can quite rightly brag and blog about,
   --- their successful gardening season!

Trend 6 Recap 2009

Outside In, Inside Out (trend #6 2009)

Outside is In
Has there been an extreme change in how we view house plants?

I truly believe that there has been a major shift in many of our clients attitude towards plants in the home. This year we have witnessed the full extremes.

First there is the avid small house plant collector. Then we have the big plant type, who changed the entire house, adding eight skylights to a twenty foot high vaulted ceiling. After which they added eight to ten foot plants, creating a virtual indoor jungle.

Inside is Out
Home owners are still adding outside rooms, by moving indoor plants outside along with furniture and accessories. The conversion of large cedars, palms and cactus into potted annuals (which are replaced every year) is becoming more popular. Many are intermixed with traditional containers of traditional patio plants.

Hey, what this does is give an air of respectability to the Big Boxes. Now there is finally a market for the hundreds of excessively root pruned cedars, rated for several zones warmer,
   --- that they bring in every spring!

Trend 5 Recap 2009

Water In and Out (trend #5 2009)
Water Out
"Certain growers are offering plants that drink responsibly like succulents, cactus, yucca and ferns, that are easy to grow, and conserve water."
I'm not sure about all growers, but we have been offering native plants plus the above list since we opened 12 seasons ago. I can honestly say, they are not really big sales items.

When it comes to drinking responsibly, I would prefer we think drinking and driving. Secondly, if you want to save multi-gallons of water, just spend less time in the shower.

Water In
We, along with most of our clients enjoy the soft trickling sound of a water feature in a yard. In fact we designed our patio to contain a small water feature hidden in a corner under foliage.

Why hide it? Hey we wanted the soothing sound, along with the benefit of less evaporation. No we were not trying to flaunt being green, we just wanted to waste less time constantly filling it. The goal was simple efficiency.

Like many semi-rural residents we have a much larger water fountain in a deep artificial pond. This feature replaces the traditional bird bath and local squirrel watering hole.

Why large and deep? Well evolution of intelligence has been slow in the bird population, they still crap in their drinking water,
   --- forcing us to waste time cleaning up behind them!

Trend 4 Recap 2009

Locavore (trend #4 2009)
Locavore, the fancy name of another super-greenie illogical fickle fad. Yep, everything we eat must be grown within a 50 or 100 mile radius. If you can't find what you need within that preset radius, then you should grow it yourself.

Let's be clear, I totally support all local market gardeners, we purchase a multitude of veggies from them for resale every season.

The clients we have talked to think this fad is a joke, as one said, "Do you think Nova Scotia,  Ontario and BC would appreciate not being able to sell their apples in the rest of Canada?"

I want two things:

• that everyone experiences the taste of garden fresh vegetables and,
• that those market gardeners make enough to stay in business.

Regardless, I like bananas, pineapple, sweet potato, salmon, venison and several hundred other foods, which I defy you to find within your little radius. You can bet I for one will not be going without same.

Oh and in case the Locavorites haven't noticed, they will have a super tough time, finding within that 100 miles,
   --- the beans to make their daily latté fix!

Saturday News

Toronta News Today
I was busy scanning the web for my morning news fix when I came accross this cute little story. The actual story is one of those Oh Hum things, it's the prose that is cute.

Only a premier and entourage who spend too much time in the chi-chi coffee houses of midtown Toronto and think nothing of paying with paper currency of large denomination for their double-skim-soy-extra-hot-half-lattes-made-from-beans-picked-by-virgins-in-the-highest-peaks-of-the-most-remote-mountain-plantations could have been so tone deaf.

Sadly even Canada's second most left supporting media mogal is having a Liberal amount of trouble,
   --- supporting their government lately!

Trend 3 Recap 2009

Blended Gardens In (trend #3 2009)
The focus really is back to the land and traditional gardens. Man, I have had more 'food plant' questions this year than ever before. Most from customers who have signed up for a public plot, in order to grow food, not flowers.

They are not thinking of digging up the front yard and planting a victory garden yet, but who knows if this craze continues.

Many have discovered that there are some pretty veggies that can be planted in a flower bed, and not look out of place. The majority of our Bright Lights Chard plants ended up in front yard containers, while Herb baskets were popping up on decks and front doorways.

In the backyard a large number of smaller fruiting shrubs ended up replacing traditional decorative flowering shrubs. The question is why not, they have flowers, colourful fall leaves, hey the fruit is simply a bonus.

Blended gardens are a great trend and I expect to see more of them next year, try using lettuce, celery or even onions for greenery with your petunias and marigolds,
   --- the combination will surprise and delight you!