Every year there are new landscaping ideas, popular plants and fresh décor colors. And although 2021 is a year of unexpected potential, it’s the best time to start your first garden, add a houseplant to your home office or create a welcoming outdoor space to sit with friends and family.
Let’s talk about plant trends!
Create an Outdoor Space to Safely Visit with Others
It’s a great time to set up and use outdoor community spaces. Arrange outdoor furniture and create a safe gathering area in your yard or on your balcony. These ideas will help make the outside area cozy and welcoming for socializing with your friends and family.
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| Outdoor Room Design Ideas | Watch Movies in Your Backyard |
Houseplants are Trending
Whether you work from home or socialize on video conference calls, it’s nice to share your office space with indoor plants. Besides their good looks, houseplants:
- Reduce stress and boost your mood.
- Raise humidity levels in your home, reducing dry skin.
- Speed up recovery from illness.
- Increase your productivity.
To find an indoor plant that suits you:
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| What is Your Houseplant Style | Plants as Art |
Color Trends
Interior decorating and fashion trendsetters selected their “color of the year.” Pantone provides a color matching system for the design and printing industries. They decided 2021 is all about two colors, “illuminating” (yellow) and “ultimate gray.” These colors convey happiness with a firm foundation of hope.
You can bring yellow and gray into your garden with:
- Cushions, pillows and umbrellas to combine with your outdoor furniture.
- A painted trellis or wood lattice screen.
- Colorful or patterned pots.
- Accents of yellow flowers: pansies, marigolds, sunflowers, lysimachia, rudbeckia and gerbera daisies.
Grow Your Own Food
Tomatoes and peppers are the most popular vegetable plants. If you don’t have a lot of space, then look for tiny plants to grow in pots or a small-space garden.
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| Roma Tomato | Patio Tomato |
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| Baby Bell Pepper | ‘Basket of Fire’ Hot Pepper |
Focus on Wellness, for Yourself and the Planet
At a time when many of us have extra worry, gardening is a great way to reduce stress and improve your wellness. More people are choosing to garden for nature. If growing plants more sustainably is one of your 2021 goals, check out our list and pick one to try:
Best Plants to Grow in Your Garden in 2021
The 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year is Nepeta (Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta). Here’s what is great about nepeta, aka the lesser calamint:
- Grows 18-inches tall and wide.
- Fragrant leaves are deer resistant.
- Low maintenance and tolerates drought.
- Attracts bees and other pollinators.
- Small white to pale blue flowers from early summer to fall.
The top plant picks from the National Garden Bureau for 2021 are:
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Bulb – Year of the HyacinthHighly fragrant flowers in a range of colors |
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Annuals – Year of the SunflowerGreat for first-time gardeners |
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Edible Plants – Year of the Garden BeanHarvest as soon as 50-60 days after planting |
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Perennials – Year of the MonardaPollinator plant that also resists deer and rabbits |
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Flowering Shrub – Year of the Hardy HibiscusFast-growing native plant that tolerates wet areas |
What are your plant goals for 2021? Will you create a balcony garden or maybe you will add a new houseplant to your home office? Share your goal with us in the comments below.
