Gardening Trends for 2021

About this time last year, I sat down to write a blog post about trends for the coming gardening season. Who could have predicted that a global pandemic would sweep in and have such a profound effect on every aspect of our day-to-day lives? 

Here in Ontario, we emerged from that initial lockdown right around the time that most nurseries would kick into high gear for the spring season. Even though masks and social distancing made everyday errands, like trips to the grocery store, feel strange, I remember how happy I was to find myself strolling down the nursery isle on a fine June day looking at annuals that were literally fresh off the truck. That bright sunny morning, I snatched up as many plants as would fit in the trunk of my car, vowing to make a return visit to pick up a few more to round out my container plantings. 

Boy was I disappointed! When I finally made it back the following week the place looked like it had been ransacked. Most of the annuals were gone and the seed racks stood empty. Even the perennials, which I usually pick up on clearance much later in the season, had been sold out. 

In the midst of a global pandemic, while everyone was stuck at home worrying about future food insecurity and toilet paper supplies, so many people discovered a new passion for gardening. Mailorder companies and nurseries experienced record sales. 

As the CBC reported last May, many seed vendors had to suspend internet sales to deal with the backlog of orders. Canadian supplier, Vessey's Seeds, saw an unprecedented increase in sales of 450% and that's with over 80 years in the business! 

It's interesting to note that the demographics for Vessey's mailorder sales are typically consumers in the 50 to 65-year-old age group (with the second most popular group being in the 65+ bracket). In 2020, the majority of digital consumers were between the ages of 25 and 35. In other words, a whole new generation discovered gardening in 2020.

So what does 2021 have in store for us?  

Trend #1 More Backyard Food Gardens 

As we all know, the economy has taken a beating and we aren't out of the woods yet. Here in the Toronto area, our lockdown (with its strict stay at home orders) has been extended into March. Depressingly enough, there is still talk of a third wave of infections. Vaccines are rolling out at a glacial pace. 

I think it is safe to say that, in Canada at least, many of the factors that drove last year's sales of vegetable seeds and seedlings will still be in effect.  

Two books on vegetable gardening– one old, one new this spring: The Art of Vegetable Gardening by Matt Mattus from 2018 and the New Heirloom Garden: Designs, Recipes and Heirloom Plants for Cooks who love to Garden by Ellen Ecker Ogden.

New to vegetable gardening? Get inspired by Youtube gardening channels and learn some of the basics:

Garden Answer a very popular channel that needs little introduction

Growing your Greens growing vegetables organically

Epic Gardening vows to help you grow a green thumb

MIGardener Channel organic gardening in Michigan 

Lovely Greens  both backyard and allotment gardening set on the Isle of Man

Roots and Refuge Farm a small family farm in central Arkansas

A new series from Lee Valley Tools hosted by Canadian author Niki Jabbour. 

In this video, Niki talks about planning your vegetable garden.

Trend #2 Raised Beds

Raised vegetable garden beds have become hugely popular and will continue to be so this gardening season. 

It's no wonder – they elevate the humble veggie garden by making them seem tidy and organized. Raised beds also allow you to garden in a small footprint.  

The soil in raised beds thaws drains and warms up earlier than soil in the ground making it possible to get a head start on cool-weather crops like peas, lettuce and beets. Because you fill a raised beds with fresh, nutrient-rich soil, you can garden almost anywhere; on top of gravel, clay or poor soil, pavement and even rooftops.

Raised beds make it easier for those gardeners who may have trouble bending over or kneeling down to plant and weed.

Thinking of adding a raised bed? Here is a video with some design inspiration:

Trend #3

What is the"it" flower that everyone seems to want to grow in 2021? It's the dahlia. No surprise – they're showy and come in such an amazing array of flower forms and colors. 

Looking for some inspiration? Floret's newest book, Discovering Dahlias: A Guide to Growing and Arranging Magnificent Blooms.

Discovering Dahlias is available for preorder now.

Trend #4 Backyard Greenhouses and other Season Extenders 

When I watched a popular thirty-something British influencer, who usually covers fashion and interiors, excitedly give her viewers a tour of her new Hartley Botanic greenhouse I was a bit shocked.  It was hard to imagine those perfectly manicured fingernails potting up plants in her new white and red brick greenhouse. I was less surprised when she announced at least half of the space was to be set aside for entertaining (lunches for all her girlfriends –  after COVID of course).

Laura, another well-known Youtuber (Garden Answer) is about to get a Hartley of her own. The over one million subscribers to her channel will watch the installation playout this spring with wonder mixed with a little bit of green envy. (I can't think of anyone who works harder and deserves a deal on a greenhouse more than Laura!)

There is a greenhouse in my future as well– though a much more modest, scaled-down, DIY version.  It won't be constructed using old windows, as you so often see. We are going to use painted 2x4's for most of the main structure and plexiglass for the exterior.  It won't be ready for use this spring, but I hope it will get lots of use going forward.

These examples may hardly seem like the basis of a trend, but I think there is a general desire to get more out of our outdoor spaces and extend the use of backyards into the colder months.

Private garden, Toronto, ON.

Thinking of adding a cold frame/greenhouse? Watch this Garden Answer video.

And speaking of season extenders, Niki Jabbour has a new book out on the topic. Growing Under Cover is an in-depth guide on how to use small cloches, row covers, shade cloth, cold frames, hoop houses, as well as protective structures like polytunnels and greenhouses to grow amazing vegetables. 

Look for a book review and giveaway in the coming months.

Trend #5 Unusual or New Varieties of Common Flowers

Serious gardeners have always loved unusual plants, but these days just about everyone has more time on their hands to pour over seed listings looking for something different. 

All seeds are in high demand, but I see rare or unusual seeds of common flower varieties becoming much sought after items in 2021.

These are just a few flowers that piqued my own interest: Rudbeckia 'Sahra', Borage 'Alba', Orchid Cream Nasturtium.

ProCut® White Lite and ProCut® Plum Sunflowers. Pro-cut® Sunflowers are a pollen-free, single stem series that was bred for the cut flower market but might make an interesting addition to any garden. They flower in as little as 50 days.

Sunflowers are a good example of this trend. Yellow flowers are classic, but interesting options, like the two shown above, offer gardeners something a little different. 

Trend #6  The Backyard as a Multifunctional Outdoor Living Space

Money that once went into a vacation is now being poured into making the backyard a destination.  With nowhere to go, homeowners are seeing their outdoor spaces with fresh eyes. A garden is a perfect place to read, relax, exercise and dine. 

Expect sales of pools, solariums and fireplaces to continue to soar in 2021. 

Private garden in Hamilton, ON.

Private garden, Hamilton, ON.

Private garden, Hamilton, ON.

Trend #7 Earth-Friendly Gardening

I am loath to think that nature and eco-friendly practices might ever be considered "trendy", but I do think environmental concerns are important issues for most gardeners. Improving the soil, composting and using organic weed and pest controls are practices most gardeners want to follow.

Declining populations of songbirds, Monarch butterflies and bees have been dominate environmental issues in recent years. As a result, pollinator gardens have become hugely popular. 

The issue I see moving more to the forefront in 2021 and beyond is single-use plastics. At present, it's confusing which plastic pots can and can't be recycled. Black plastic pots are not recyclable, while pots marked 1, 2 and 5 on the bottom are (trying to find the designation isn't always easy). Any pots that go into the recycling bin must also be clean and free of any metal or handles. Sorting pots that wind up in recycling programs is time-consuming and therefore expensive. 

Single-use plastics are a huge issue that has nursery companies looking for creative solutions. Expect to see more discussion of the problem going forward.

Trend #8 The Cut Flower Boom

It's not surprising more people will be interested in growing flowers in 2021. When everything around you feels grim, flowers are such a great pick-me-up. Homegrown vegetables are practical. Flowers are for the soul. 

Two older books you might find at the library to inspire your floral creations: The Flower Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Ruzzo from 2013 and Vintage Flowers by Vic Brotherson from 2018.

I treated myself to this book at Christmas time. Canadian Christin Geall is a gardener, floral designer. photographer, writer and teacher. As one reviewer wrote, "It's floral design as an art."

Arranging what you grow is both fun and creative. Normally, we might not have the time to devote to displaying flowers, but our restless energy needs a creative outlet these days.

Trend #9 Themed Gardens

It's going to be a while before many traditional gardeners (the over 50 age group) feel comfortable enough to travel overseas. Introducing touches of faraway places into our humble backyard spaces is a way to travel without packing a suitcase. I can see themed gardens inspired by faraway places becoming increasingly popular.

For more novice gardeners, choosing a particular style or color theme gives selecting hardscaping, decorative accessories and plants a helpful focus.

The look of an English cottage garden reduced to suit a small backyard in Rosedale, ON.

A Japanese inspired pond in a private backyard.

I hope you've enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments if any trends are inspiring your spring projects this year.

10+ Ideas to Borrow for your Garden This Spring (Keppel Croft Garden Part 2)

Visiting other gardens has become one of my great passions. My resources for travel are limited, but I don't need to travel to distant shores to just see stunning gardens. They are right in my own backyard so to speak. It never ceases to amaze me what other gardeners have managed to create.

There is nothing like seeing a plant in a garden setting to give you a true sense of how it grows, what shape it takes and how it mixes in with other plants. And you're bound to come home from your visit with lots of ideas and projects in mind. I certainly came home from our trip to Bill and Dawn's garden on the Bruce Peninsula with lots of ideas, many of which I'd love to share with you today.

Idea 1: Make your own artwork. 

You don't have to be an 'artist'. A little creativity is all you need. 

Throughout Keppel Croft, you'll find examples of Bill's handiwork. "Not wanting to waste extra concrete, I poured it into waxed juice containers. When I peeled off the wax cardboard, I noticed a neat folded design on the bottom of the concrete blocks. Then I had a 'light bulb idea' to make the blocks into a miniature sculpture by setting them into fine, local beach gravel," says Bill.

The tall sculpture you see on the right was inspired by travels to Asia.

"This sculpture celebrates a week my daughter and I spent touring South Korea a few years back. We admired all the pagodas there. I bought a book on Korean culture in a folk museum in Seoul," Bill recounts.

"The finial represents a lotus blossom, which in turn represents the Buddha. It sits in a prominent spot in the rock garden. The tier overhangs make perfect sheltered nest bases for wasps."

Idea 2: Frame a view. 

Here the path directs the eye, while two upright shapes (Bill's sculpture and the tall, columnar evergreen) create a frame that funnels your attention toward the distant view. There is a hint of what is to come, but plantings on either side obscure a complete understanding of what lies ahead. 

A sense of mystery is always a great draw for the curious garden visitor.

Bill and Dawn have a large country property, but you can use this design trick in any sized garden.  Find an existing frame and make use of it or create a brand new one. Here's an example of using an existing frame:

Open the gate to your backyard. Think of the gate as the sides of your frame. Now take in the view. What is at the centre of your line of site? If it's not something interesting, make a change. Add a bench or an attractive object like an urn filled with flowers.  

And here's an example of how you might go about creating a brand new frame:

Create a doorway from one area of your garden to another with a wooden arbour. 

The pathway channels your attention while the sides of the wooden arbour frame the view you see. 

Here the plantings and the two teal pots partly obscure the full landscape and create that all-important sense of mystery. 

Idea 3: Repeat a color without using the exact same plant.

Blue-green is a color seen both in the low evergreen in the foreground and the blue spruce trees in the distance. The type of plant is different, but the color is the same. 

Red is also repeated in the Barberry shrub in the middle foreground on the right and also in the distance. The shrub is the same, but the cultivars are different.

Repetition helps unify the garden into a cohesive whole.

Idea 4: Start a collection. 

As any collector will tell you, it's fun to have a focus and a mission when you're shopping. To start a collection choose a plant that speaks to you. It could be absolutely anything you love: miniature hostas, roses, clematis, heuchera, native plants or maybe even different types of iris. Search out and grow all the examples of that plant you can possibly find.

Over the years Bill and Dawn have gathered a terrific collection of peonies that they have scattered throughout their country property. The use of a single plant unifies a big space. And when all those peonies are all in bloom, they make a dramatic statement.

A nice play of texture and leaf color.

Idea 5: Play up the contrast of color and texture. 

As any experienced gardener will tell you, flowers come and go, but the foliage is around for the long haul. This spring, make a point of choosing at least one plant for its foliage and not its flower.

Idea 6: Make use of found metal machine parts and decorate metal objects. 

Here an old machine part is hung on a wall and a metal butterfly has been set into a concrete stepping stone. 

You may remember the notes on Bill's unique way to edge his flowerbeds from part 1. He's used that same basic technique to do something fun in a nondescript expanse of lawn.

Idea 7: Make a swirl in the grass.

Again Bill's made use of concrete and stones to create this swirl in the lawn. If you don't want to go to the bother of laying forms and mixing concrete, you could use a simple line of bricks or small pavers to create something similar.

Idea 8: Make your own stepping stones.

"These stepping stones were formed from an old piece of lawn edging in the shape of a circle. Bits and pieces were set in the concrete and stamps were used for letters," says Bill.

 Here's a link to one of the many Youtube how-to stepping stone videos. Be sure to wear gloves and use safety glasses and a dust mask when working with concrete.

Idea 9: Make a hypertufa plant pot.

"The planted (landscaped) pots are placed about the garden in strategic spots to create focal points.

This particular trough was made using a hypertufa mixture over a huge soup pot which someone donated to the cause. It has been used several times and was reinforced with hardware cloth during construction," says Bill 

Hypertufa is a mix of peat moss, perlite and Portland cement (do not use pre-mixed concrete or mortar). Here's a link for a full how-to from Fine Gardening magazine. 

Idea 10: Take advantage of unique and interesting natural objects you found in your garden or in your travels.

"The troughs are a wonderful place to showcase 'special' rocks. This rock has a hole in it", says Bill, "Some have crevices in them which hold tiny rock plants such as Sempervivums, Sedum and Draba."

Idea 11: Create a grouping of plant curiosities. 

Hardy succulents and textural groundcovers can be so odd and intriguing! Display them in a container where they'll get noticed or elevate them up closer to eye level in a birdbath planter. 

Here's a link to making a birdbath planter.

Idea 12: Make an inukshuk or an inunnguaq.

In the snow-covered regions of northern Canada, everything can look the same. Inukshuks served many purposes. They were used as a point of reference for navigation and as a signpost to mark good hunting or fishing spots. Inukshuks often marked a cache of food and were sometimes used as animal blinds when hunting for caribou. Women would case caribou toward the inukshuks where the hunters lay hidden with bows and arrows.

In its simplest form, an inukshuk can be an upright stone. Balance was key to making these stone markers. No mortar or glue hold the stacked stones together. Each stone supports the one above and below it. 

Stones piled up to look like a human figure are called inunnguaq and have a more spiritual significance. After they were married, Bill and Dawn spent a number of years living in the Eastern Arctic. An inunnguaq now stands on the edge of their garden and looks out onto a field of wildflowers and grasses and the forest beyond.

I hope you have enjoyed these two posts on Keppel Croft Garden. 

If your lucky enough to find yourself exploring the Bruce Peninsula this summer, I am sure Bill and Dawn would be happy to welcome you to their garden.

You might even want to buy a little souvenir of your visit. I know I did.

For directions, hours of operation and other details check out the garden's listing on the Rural Gardens of Grey-Bruce website. You can also visit the garden's website for more information.

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A Pretty Cottage Garden

Not far from the lakeshore in Mississauga, there is a old neighbourhood where the streets are lined with majestic trees. Though Lorne Park is not far from the busy city centre, it still manages to feel quiet, remote and lushly green. 

Properties in this area have become so valuable that many of the neighbourhood's original homes have been torn down and replaced by million dollar mansions. You can spot the new builds in an instant. Their grand scale dominates the private lots. They lack both charm and character. 

Thankfully, a few of the neighbourhood's older homes remain. 

Sweet Rocket

Keith and Mary Ellen's Lorne Park home was built in 1914 by John Birch Canavan, a wealthy fur and woollen trader. At the time that the house was constructed, the area was still largely farmland, but it had already begun to be popular as a summer retreat for wealthy Torontonians, the Muskoka of its times.  

"Like most of the other summer homes in the area, Canavan’s house was built in the bungalow style" says Keith,"It has a steeply pitched roof and a wrap around glass-paned porch on two sides. Originally the house would have been situated on a large lot (now much diminished) with an abundance of trees that would have complemented its cottage demeanour."

"Despite the fact that the house has only changed hands a few times over the past hundred years, it still retains many of its original Edwardian features. In 2002, the City of Mississauga gave the house heritage designation to recognize its unique architectural character." 

While the different home owners managed to maintain the character of the house over the years, it seems that their interests didn’t extend to the surrounding land. 

"When we bought the house in 1992," says Keith,"the gardens consisted of scruffy lawns, untended areas of ground cover (mostly Lily of the Valley) and an overgrown cedar hedge that had seen better days. The house called out for the grace and charm of a traditional, informal cottage garden."

One area that need to be addressed was the damp area near the road.

"The road in front of our house still has the feel of a country lane," says Mary Ellen,"Without a sidewalk, the only thing separating the garden from the road is a shallow drainage ditch. When we bought the house, the area was shabby and neglected. The ditch was full of weeds, the old cedar hedge along the front of the property was leggy and spare, and the lawn was thin and sparse. The only redeeming feature was the line of black locust trees along the ditch and a large stately black walnut tree, a little bit closer to the house."

Spring flowers in the "ditch" garden include Bleeding Heart, spring bulbs and Sweet Rocket (seen in the centre).

Once the area was cleaned up, Mary Ellen was able to begin to plant. 

"After we took out the hedge, we needed to give the front some definition so we settled on day lilies, which provide much needed colour and grow well in the wild in similar conditions. In fact, our first plants were given to us by some of our relatives who live in the country in south-western Ontario." 

"While the shade from the trees doesn’t seem to bother the day lilies, it certainly had an adverse affect on the lawn, so over time I dug out around the trees and started introducing hostas, flowering shrubs, Shasta Daisies and red Monarda. Fortunately, even though the ground is sandy, the trees provide some much needed natural compost so the soil never needs amending. The plants have all self-sowed quite happily, so much so in fact, I have taken out some of the day lilies and replaced them with peonies, irises, tulips, sedum and a few judiciously placed flowering shrubs."  

"The garden can get quite moist, but there is still lots of sun and the soil drains well. Over time the beds have gradually expanded displacing more and more of the lawn which gives it the look that I was after. It does make keeping things under control quite a chore, so now that I am getting older, it’s time to downsize the flowers and put in more shrubs." 

The planting along the front walkway and along the front porch makes extensive use of hosta.

Hostas are the backbone of any garden and they seem to do particularly well in our area," says Mary Ellen, "I now have about two hundred mature hostas– almost all of which came from the few hostas that were here when we bought the house. We bought a few specimens over the years, but the vast majority have come from dividing the plants as they mature. "

"Because the house is raised, the lawn originally came up a small embankment about two metres high to meet the ground floor, which made it very difficult to mow and didn’t look particularly attractive so I decided to put in terraces instead using stone found in the garden to build a dry stack retaining wall." 

Yellow Fumitory, Corydalis lutea has wonderful bright green, ferny foliage. The plant's tiny flowers appear in late spring and blooms for months without any deadheading. Yellow Fumitory likes well-drained soil and cool, part-shade. This perennial is a ready self-seeder, but unwanted seedlings are easy to remove. Height: 20-40 cm (8-16 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

"Someone gave me a piece of yellow corydalis and since it likes to fill in cracks and crevices. It was a natural choice to soften the hard edges of the wall and provide some colour. The fact that it contrasts so nicely with the green of the hostas was just a happy coincidence," says Mary Ellen.  

I know many readers will look at these pristine hosta leaves and wonder what Mary Ellen does to control slug damage.

"I don’t do anything to control the slugs. I just let nature take its course. They are not much of a problem and, for the most part, don’t do very much damage. We have a lot more difficulty with cutworms and grubs," she says.  

Next we'll head into the backyard where there is a picturesque courtyard and pond.

"The shed at the back of the garden was probably built about the same time as the house. It certainly looks like its been around for a hundred years, but it was never really integrated with the rest of the garden,"says Mary Ellen.

"I remember reading in a book written many years ago by Beverley Nichols, the English gardener and writer, that a garden tells you where things should go. The trees and bushes point to where the flowers should be. It’s the same with the paths. If you follow the natural flow that leads you from one garden area to the next, that’s where the walk goes."

"All the paths are built with old bricks and flagstone that I recovered from various parts of the garden. A few years ago, I came out to find that one of my shrubs had sunk about two feet almost overnight. It turned out that, unbeknownst to me, I had planted it where the old well used to be and the soil that had been used as backfill had settled. That was a great source of bricks. The rest came from the retaining wall that was taken out when we rebuilt the old concrete patio at the back of the house."

  

"I have added more paths and small patios over the years. They provide a much needed balance to the softer elements in the garden and, as an added bonus, they cut down on the amount of lawn I have to mow." 

Some hamburgers, sausages and a few cases of beer lead to the creation of a pond in the back garden. Keith tells the full story:

"About ten years ago, a landscaping company asked us if we would be willing to host their “Build a Pond Day”, an annual event that they held to teach local contractors how to build a garden pond. We had a small pond that we had built in the back yard where the old well had been, but it didn’t really work, so we said “Why not?” 

"A few weeks later, about twenty contractors arrived bright and early with wheelbarrows and shovels in hand. By the end of the day, they had excavated the pond, wrestled several large boulders into place, installed the recirculating lines and built a small waterfall at one end. Considering that it would have taken a landscaper a week or two to complete the job (it’s a substantial pond about eight metres long and two metres wide) it was no small feat. And the cost? A couple of cases of beer and enough barbecued hamburgers and sausages to keep the workers happy."

The only thing that remained to be done was the planting.

"The landscaping company’s generosity however didn’t extend past the pond. They left it up to us to put in the plants and integrate the pond into the rest of the garden, which gave us a whole new area of garden design to explore," says Keith.

1. Bleeding Heart 2. Climbing Rose (white) 3. Peony 4. Bleeding Heart 5. Deutzia 6. Hosta 7. Rudbeckia 8. Bearded Iris 9. Spirea Goldmound 10. Spirea Goldflame

Mary Ellen's List of Plants for Spring Color:

Bleeding Heart, Spring Bulbs, Creeping Phlox, Lamium (groundcover)

Plants for Early Summer Color:

Peony, Climbing Rose, Bearded Iris, Hosta, Spirea, Miss Kim Lilac, Beauty Bush, Japanese Iris

Plants for Late Summer Color:

Phlox, Pink Diamond Hydrangea, Forever Hydrangea, Brown-eyed Susan or Rudbeckia, Annual Flowers

Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum is a member of the lily family and is a bulb that blooms in late spring. Star of Bethlehem is pretty, but be warned–it can be very aggressive. It should only be planted in an area where its invasive tendencies can be carefully contained.

Deutzia x lemoinei 'Compacta' (on the left above) has an upright habit and white flowers in spring. Plant it in sun to part-shade in average garden soil that is on the moist side. Prune in spring after flowering. Height: 4-6', Spread: the same. USDA Zones: 4-8. 

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 'Alba' (on the right and in closeup above) has bright green foliage and white flowers. Height: 70-90 cm (27-35 inches), Spread: 70-90 cm (27-35 inches). Light shade to full shade. Average to moist soil. Hardy: Zones 2-9.

"The round metal sphere decorated with entwined vines and leaves provides a lovely counterpoint to the shrubs and flowers in the rest of the garden, but while it looks like a piece of garden sculpture, it actually started out life as a shade for a chandelier that we bought on a whim at a garage sale. When we looked around the house we realized that it really didn’t work as a light fixture, so we threw away the electrics and stuck the shade on a metal tripod. It’s been a feature of the garden ever since,"says  Mary Ellen. 

I think you'll agree that the work Mary Ellen and Keith have done on the landscaping really enhances the style and character of their century home. It may not be the grandest house in the neighbourhood, but it is certainly one of the nicest.

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