Recently, I headed to Atlanta for the Southeast Flower and Garden Show where I would be on stage with my first ever cooking demo. Let's just start by saying that the old adage "a watched pot never boils" is 100% accurate. Forty-five minutes in to my hour-long demo, the pasta water still wasn't boiling. Thankfully, I had a very understanding audience who laughed along with me.
Afterwards, I toured the show to check out hot gardening trends for 2010. Here's what I found:
• Heavy emphasis on edible gardening again this year. We are still knee-deep in our passion for growing our own food.
• Edibles move into the ornamental landscape. Plants that give us double bang for our buck, beauty, and taste.
• Small space/apartment/container growing is big... or small... you get the gist. If you have a balcony and a spot of sun, this is your year to start a mini-garden.
• Succulents and low-water perennials are a welcome trend for those of us who have water-restricted gardens... and lack of water doesn't mean lack of beauty.
• Outdoor seating areas surrounded by a variety of evergreen trees and shrub, particularly conifers with soft textures and beautiful color variations.
• A bigger focus on bringing children into the vegetable garden. New kid-friendly designs, tools, and varieties make gardening fun and accessible.
I suspect that I will see some of these trends as I travel to the next three shows in Chicago, Iowa, and San Francisco. Look for corresponding trend updates as I work my way through the spring shows. If you have requests, questions, or suggestions, just shoot me an email and I will be sure to get back to you!