25 Mar Get in the Garden!
The future of gardening is here. At Axiom, we’ve been researching what homeowners will be planting and enjoying this season. Here’s what we’re looking forward to right now, so get in the garden and let your imagination grow.
Gardening is not just something we do as part of our work here at Axiom, it’s something we practice in our daily lives. For most of us that means gardening in the northern part of the country. Although it may seem like the frozen tundra, Midwesterners spend a great deal of time, effort and money on gardening. Maybe time is the motivator. Our time in the garden is constrained by harsh winter weather, something I believe makes us all the more grateful for the days we are able to spend planting, picking and harvesting.
Here’s a glance at what a few of us are looking forward to in our 2021 gardens.
Fresh Food
“I’m looking forward to Heirloom tomatoes,” says Mike Reiber. “They are so much more flavorful. This year I will be planting Gold Medal, Black Krim, Amish Paste. I’m also looking forward to harvesting monster raspberries as big as your thumb. I planted Fall Gold Raspberry from Monrovia last year.”
“We are planning to stagger plantings so we have fresh produce all summer,” says Stacy Einck. “For us gardening is all about cooking. We’re looking at more tomato varieties for salsa and marinara. Arugula (need I say more?!), and we are starting some trenches for asparagus.”
“Mike is the gardener in our home,” says Linel Reiber. “But, I always look forward to fresh herbs. They make everything taste better!”
More Space in the Garden
Like many gardeners, 2021 will see at least one Axiom team member expanding his garden space. Our Axiom Gardening Survey found that 86 percent of homeowners plan to garden as much or more this season. “I’ll be building more garden beds for veggies,” says Matt Main. “And, more hops! More grapes! And golden raspberries!” He’s also putting in a new garden space for a sunflower section of the garden, with varieties that will range in colors and sizes. Perfect timing, as the National Garden Bureau has named 2021 the Year of the Sunflower.
Connecting with the Past and the Future
“My wife and I intend to revitalize some perennial beds that my Mother helped us get going years ago,” says Ben Marion. “Life got complicated, and these beds were criminally neglected. Weeds ran amok and we lost most of our lovely perennials. My Mom was a perennial purist, speaking mostly Latin when referring to her flowers and filled our immense yard in Keokuk, Iowa. My wife was the only daughter-in-law who had the green thumb like Mom.” Ben says they’re looking forward to re-planting favorites such as Maltese cross, Nicotiana, Peruvian Daffodils and much more.
Starting Something New
Foundation plantings are on Craig Dick’s agenda. “We built a new house two years ago and are still in the process of adding plants to the beds,” he says. “This year we have a little area in the front where we’ll be planting trees and perennials. I found a cool landscaping software that let me design the planting beds.”
All. The. Plants.
For me, well, all of the above and more. I could devote about an hour to the things I’m excited about. I’m a confessed Hydrangea and Rose collector, (addict might be a better term). So, I’m always excited about beautiful blooms that decorate the garden and make stunning cut flower arrangements. I was able to test out a few new introductions last year and I can’t wait for the return of Seaside Serenade® Cape Hatteras hydrangea and Grace N’ Grit™ Pink BiColor shrub rose. I’m also looking forward to the instant color from annuals. When you’re visiting your local garden center, keep an eye out for the AMORE® Petunia line. These beautiful annuals have bicolor blooms featuring five distinctive heart shapes on the petals. AMORE® Queen of Hearts and AMORE® Heart & Soul are two of my favorites.
For more gardening inspiration, read this post on Gardening Research.
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