Gardening is a hobby, craft and lifestyle that dates back thousands of years. Over that time, the act has taken on different forms and garnered wavering interest. What was once a mandatory way of life to provide food for the family transitioned into an option as global transportation and supermarkets took center stage in providing meals. But there’s something primal about gardening that makes it rewarding, whether that takes shape as growing your own food or simply cultivating a patio of natural decor from a combination of potted and planted foliage.
The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has changed the way many of us spend our days. Having more time at home, voluntary or not, has encouraged bread baking, language learning, and even instrument playing. Additionally, there’s been a significant uptick in interest around all things gardening related. Google data reports a 39% increase from last year to this year on the topic — a good indicator of what’s on people’s minds. With this information, the experts at Love the Garden analyzed over 100 different garden-related hashtags on Instagram to uncover those growing in popularity and representing likely trends for 2021.
Related: Make the most of your late summer garden with these tips
Ten trends topped the list, with #balconygardening, #wildgarden and #insideoutside coming in for the top three. Balcony gardening offers a compact way to liven up a space or even grow food, so it makes sense as a popular topic, especially during lockdown. People used this hashtag 96,817 times, showing an international interest. Meanwhile, #wildgarden garnered 91,777 posts, indicating another popular gardening technique in the desire to not tame the wild. Unsurprisingly, #insideoutside saw 83,731 posts. After all, when it comes to plant life, a major goal is surrounding ourselves in nature. Think greenhouse living rooms on your back patio to bring this idea into perspective. Organize the couches and tables in a space with fresh air and naturally growing greenery to bring the indoors outdoors.
The next most-populated hashtag was #tinygarden, with an impressive 80,752 posts. This trend illustrates how even urban locations and tiny home lots can use a small space to add natural appeal. In the middle of the top 10 was #raisedbedgarden (78,910), outlining ways areas with less-than-desirable soil conditions can still grow food and other greenery. In addition to what’s grown inside the raised beds, designing and building the beds is another hobby to tap into during social distancing.
The 76,576 posts related to #permaculturegarden prove that the design theory is alive and well. Permaculture gardening is a practice that takes into account all the features of the gardening system. It creates a permanent garden that respects the natural forces of wind, sun and water. Basically, this approach centers holistic gardening and appears to be an ongoing trend to watch.
The number seven spot goes to #whitegarden with 51,750 posts. There’s something minimalist about an all-white space; a cleansing palette for the eyes and calming spot to relax. Color coordinating the garden space is not new and going classic with all-white blooms is still an obvious favorite.
Even smaller than the patio or remote section of the yard, using what’s available takes gardening indoors with #windowsillgarden, mentioned 48,432 times. After all, if you live in an apartment with no balcony, a sunny windowsill may be the only garden space up for offer. Especially during quarantine, finding any way to bring green design into your home not only sparks joy but also provides the added benefit of natural air filtration for cleaner air that is higher in oxygen and lower in carbon dioxide.
Going back to color-themed gardens, #greygardens comes in ninth place with 45,124 mentions. Grey has sat at the top of the interior design color palette for the past decade so it’s not surprising gardeners want to keep the trend alive in outdoor spaces too. While most plants don’t fall into the grey category, furniture, stone walkways, water features and decking set a slate foundation for the surrounding landscape.
Finally, rounding out the top 10 most popular gardening related hashtags for 2020 is #cottagegardens at 37,021 posts. Again, this doesn’t seem too outlandish considering the ongoing love for cabins and tiny houses, which fit the cottage vibe. Even Victorian architecture or farmhouse structures can easily take on a cottagecore interior design style, so bringing those elements into the garden makes sense.
Having a vision of what piqued interest in 2020 serves as a solid indicator for what trends will continue into 2021, but the team at Love the Garden further took the guesswork out of what to expect by seeking out other popular gardening trends. The hashtags they analyzed covered the topics of Zen, urban, and container gardening and also focused on sustainability. The top 15 hashtags include #growyourown, #urbangarden, #organicgardening, #urbangardening, #vegetablegarden, #succulentgarden, #indoorgarden, #japanesegarden, #containergardening, #gardentotable, #verticalgarden, #outdoorkitchen, #countrygarden, #citygarden and #zengarden, proving that whatever type of gardening you’re considering, there’s a plant for that.
Images via Love the Garden and Pexels
