2017 Garden Trends Report: Grow 365 highlights eight trends that inspire clean gardening

The backyard and kitchen counter have a lot in common this year; they’re both ideal places to grow.

New changes in indoor gardening technology combined with an ever increasing demand for clean food means it’s easier than ever to garden 365 days-a-year. 

Our annual Garden Trends Report for 2017, Grow 365, introduces eight industry trends that inspire gardening year-round. It reflects consumers’ increasing desire to access healthy food, fresh air and clean medicine no matter the season.

The 2017 report mirrors what modern technology has known for years: Mother Nature doesn’t have jurisdiction indoors.

Pumpkin Spice Your Space with Homegrown Fall Scents with Tips from Associa

Fall is here, which means it’s time to prepare for brisk weather and changing leaves. It’s also time to enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider and the other delicious flavors we associate with fall. And these wonderful reminders of the season are only one step away when you grow seasonal spices right on your kitchen counter top.

You don’t need a yard to cultivate a garden — you can have it all indoors.

To “pumpkin spice” your home, all you need to do is pick your favorite fall-scented plants, find a space and choose your growing medium; soil, coco coir, sand, gravel or water.

Almost any plant can be grown indoors, as long as the growing environment is suited to the plant’s needs. And you’re not limited to herbs that love cold weather. Common herbs such as dill, parsley and rosemary thrive under grow lights and can provide flavorful flair all year long.

Starting an indoor fall herb garden is simple. Maintaining a healthy growing environment is the key to success.  Read these tips from Associa and Sunlight Supply to get started.

Modern Homesteading Open House at Homestead Gardens Offers Glimpse into the Future of Gardening

Most gardeners have the same wish — to keep growing their favorite plants all year long. Wish granted with indoor gardening systems found in the new Modern Homesteading.

On Friday, August 5 from 10AM – 3PM, Brian Riddle, owner of Homestead Gardens, invites his industry peers to an open house at their Davidsonville location. A quick two-hour drive south from the IGC East show, this must-attend event will tour Modern Homesteading and show how indoor gardening supplies help IGCs connect with new customers and boost traffic.

By implementing the products and education components of Modern Homesteading, independent garden centers will be fast-tracked into the exploding indoor gardening market. Through Modern Homesteading, garden centers can attract a new customer — the year-round gardener.

Bringing Gardening Indoors

It’s amazing what can happen when three forces join together with a mission to inspire people to garden indoors!  

Lawn and Garden Retailer spoke to Brian Riddle, owner of Homestead Gardens near Annapolis, Maryland, about his decision to open the Modern Homesteading department – a yea-round indoor gardening department –in his store.

GMG's Friday Find: Grow Fresh Produce In This Cool Hydroponic Container

Photo Credit: Modern Sprout

Are you starting to miss the herbs and veggies you grew this summer?  All those herbs spilling from your containers, the tomatoes, beans and other delectables, a distant memory. Would you like to have access to fresh herbs, produce and flowers all year long, growing inside your home or apartment without soil? 

"The cutting edge of countertop cultivation" is how the folks at Modern Sprout describe their product.  This stylish container is the result of hydroponics and ingenuity.  Chicago based founders Nick Behr and Sarah Burrows are city apartment dwellers who love to cook and eat organically and wanted to grow their own food.  After stuffing every conceivable light-filled space in their home and on their balcony with botanicals, they unsuccessfully found that their enthusiastic efforts resulted in dry, withered, and frequently dead plants.

GMG's Friday Find: Hydroponic goes High-Tech!

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using a nutrient-rich solution instead of soil. There are many advantages to growing hydroponically--no soil is needed, water and nutrition levels are controlled and plants grow healthier. Bitponics, a new high-tech hydroponic system, helps even the brown thumb be successful with indoor gardening.

A Brooklyn start-up, Bitponics takes gardening into the digital age with a device that lets you manage your plants, produce and flowers from the web. It is made up of two parts: a sensor and an online account. The sensor, connected to the device, collects readings on water and air temperature, humidity, brightness and pH, and is compatible with already existing hydroponic systems.

The online account is where you plug in your information on what you're growing and what system you're using. This generates a growing plan which is a road map for taking care of  your plants. You then receive tailored information on how many hours of light your plant needs, when to change the lighting schedule (as in the flowering stage), what pH range is safe for your plants, when to replace your nutrient solution and how often to run your water pump. The readings from your Bitponic device are automatically logged into your online account, or you can opt to manually log the data and even upload photos. The device also has two power outlets that can be set up on timers via the website to control lighting and water pumps.

Another major benefit of the Bitponic system is becoming a part of an online 'growing' community where plans and results are shared.  This community is where members can share their growing plans and successes with each other, from 'easy' tomato plants to more complex plant production. As an educational tool, this device is ripe with opportunity for schools and other gardening communities gaining knowledge on collaborative experiments.

Bitponic's goal is to allow more people to grow plants, no matter where they are or how much experience they have.  The urban apartment dweller, the suburban weekend gardener, or the seasoned farmer, all can experience the ease and bounty of hydroponic gardening.  Would you be willing to try  hydroponic gardening with your personal gardening assistant ready to advise and assist  you along the way?  We'd love to hear your thoughts.  Happy gardening!

~Peggy
Garden Media Group