SG593: The 2018 Garden Trends: Nature’s RX for Mental Wellness with Katie Dubow

Katie Dubow is back on the show today and she’s sharing the 2018 Garden Trends Report released by Garden Media Group. It’s their 17th annual Garden Trends Report for 2018, Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness - nature is the best medicine!
“We already know gardening works wonders for our health,” says Garden Media Group founder Susie McCoy. “Now we’re looking at the ways people are transforming their gardens to further improve their mental and spiritual well-being.”
Being in public relations trends is really one of the keystones of the Garden Media Group. Their approach to trends, is to look at what is happening globally with the consumer trends - not just what's happening in the gardening world.
For example, what they’ve seen in architecture and in-home buying was that people were moving outdoors. Lately, the “bonus room” is becoming the patio or the deck. Clearly, outdoor living is a big trend. By looking at what's happening in fashion, home, decor, and health, they can better anticipate how things are going to affect the consumer at the garden level.
With the exception of color, all the trends featured in the report are not necessarily what's going to be happening next week. Trends are a long game. Consequently, the trends listed in the report show what's going to be happening 2 to 3 years from now.
For garden professionals, paying attention to trends is important, Getting ahead of the curve, means you can be a leader for your customers looking for new ideas in the gardening space. Plus, today’s customers are super savvy. Like everyone else, they have access to the internet and they are becoming quick to adapt to new trends; making them even more eager to know what's hot and what's new.
In the past, Garden Media Group has talked about gardening for the soul and gardening for the body. This year is an extension of those earlier predictions because they are looking at gardening is a mental escape to help achieve mental health and mental well-being. As a result, the seven trends for 2018, all relate back to mental wellness and helping gardeners relieve stress and mental fatigue.
As Katie likes to say, “The rising trend of wellness isn’t just about keeping the body healthy anymore; it’s about keeping the mind and spirit healthy, too.”
The 2018 Garden Trends Report highlights new ideas, new garden structures and new colors to help clear our mind and step away from the infinite connectivity that is wearing us out. The central theme, ‘Nature’s Rx for Mental Wellness,’ introduces seven trends that inspire a cleaner, more relaxed state-of-mind. It shows that when we disconnect from media and reconnect with Mother Nature, we can take positive steps toward rebuilding our mental wellness.
Thanks for Listening!
Still Growing,

Guest Update
Sustainability
Continuing Ed
How to / DIY
Plant Spotlight
In the News
Dream Guest
Science
Shopping
Inspiration
Recipes


Chante Colley
Katie Metz de Martinez
Julie Salinas
Chhay Pin
Diana C Hanna Kirby
Vicki Sain Shinick
Rennie Ann
Anne Sharma
Dalton Wagman
Sally Harper
Jodi Rushing Gustafson
Bonita Braden
Mary Lou Guerrina

Help a gardener + their garden grow... Please Share this Episode
“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson.

What Listeners Are Saying...
I never write reviews but this is the best gardening podcast out there. Jennifer has interesting topics and guests and is not one bit annoying like some others are. I love that she involves her kids at the end of the podcast - usually with poetry or music. Really good podcast.
- Barbcfc, Mar 23, 2016
Still Growing is one of the reliably informative gardening podcasts from North America. The format consists of an intro (personal gardening status chat, seasonal remarks), an extended interview with a guest, and an outro with funny outtakes, side remarks, and some chatter (poems, readings) from the host's children. The podcast is focused on reliable knowledge - the guests are typically experts like academics, master gardeners, gardening entrepreneurs or public garden leaders. The intro and especially the outro give it a homey feel. Given I live in the high northern region, just a little below the Polar Circle, I'm always looking for more cold-weather oriented gardening information. Jennifer Ebeling is in Minnesota, so that's helpful to me! Vegetable gardening (my main interest) gets a good share, but is not predominant. Most topics transcend your specific gardening interest and are applicable to many styles: landscaping principles, vermicomposting, greenhouses. The episodes are typically an hour long, which is just fine for me.
- cwaigl, May 29, 2014
Best gardening podcast out there. Her preparedness leads to a good interaction with the guests and brings out the best in them. Very informative and yet personable.
- Corn bug, June 15, 2016
This is a great podcast. Really well produced and organized with good sound quality. I love the mix of information and personal touches. Jennifer has great guests and asks the best questions. You can tell she really does her homework. I listen to several gardening podcasts and this is my absolute favorite!
- So Cal Gardengirl, June 19,2016
You can always find Still Growing on iTunes or on my favorite app: Stitcher Radio.
