What with the concern over the younger generations seeming lack of interest in gardening this prediction would seem out of the blue, but I think vegetable and fruit gardening is going to become quite fashionable over the upcoming years. Vegetable gardening would seem the obvious area of interest in gardening for most people, including the younger generations. It’s will just take the right series of circumstances for it to go viral.
The interest in organic food would seem to indicate that organic is likely to go mainstream, if it hasn’t already. The next step from buying organic would be growing organic. In the not so distant future it will be a source of pride to have a dinner party with organically grown food from the garden. What with the interest in eating local food, you can’t get any more local than that. “Those delicious squash we’re organically grown, BY ME!”
So you have two big trends that will work toward the resurgence of vegetable gardening, the organic movement and the “buy and eat local” movement. There is another movement, the “slow food movement”, which advocates eating our meals slower and savoring the flavors of the food and enjoying the company of friends. Its more about the process than the end result, food in our stomachs. In addition to the slow food movement there is the whole eating healthier movement which means eating more fruit and vegetables. As people realize that home grown tastes better they will have more reason to grow their own since you can extract he greatest flavor from home grown.
There is also the self-sufficiency idea of vegetable gardening which is quite empowering once experienced. “I can grow my own food” is a big draw for many people who feel they have lost the ability to fend for themselves. It empowers. I am not talking survivalist thinking but more like someone that installs solar panels so they don’t feel be-holden to the utilities. Its liberating.
From the interest in growing vegetables will flow an interest in gardening in general. Once people realize that they can change the world by growing their own food they will gain an interest in landscaping the yard. They will find that by planting this or growing that they can impact peoples emotions. It will become fashionable to have areas in the garden that are designed to affect how we feel and react. Meditation areas, inspiration areas, energy areas, calming areas, play areas, romantic areas, etc.
I feel we are on the verge of a whole new renaissance in growing our own food. Not just for survival, but for the aesthetic, social and physiological benefits that growing our own food organically brings. When it’s all said and done, it will be the outstanding flavor and pride that comes with growing your own that will really get people on the bandwagon. Until you have tasted the difference between a home grown tomato and store bought one you wont understand.
Hi Trey, great post. getting more people involved in gardening via growing their own food is a very worthy endeavor.
I hope you are right in assuming we are on the verge of a renaissance. I would love to see more neighborhood farmers markets or trade fairs popping up all over the country. People can specialize in growing tomatoes or rhubarb or exotics and trade them for other produce. Sounds pretty exciting to me.
Comment by Greg W — January 28, 2008 @ 8:23 am
I hope that you are right about this. I also hope that the gardening bug truly takes hold and becomes a way of like and not something that is trendy for a few seasons.
Comment by kate — January 28, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
I enjoyed reading this post. I liked the idea of the tomato challenge at the end it would be a good way to get the wheels in motion.
Comment by Correy — January 28, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
I really, really hope so, Trey!
I’ve just started a challenge to my readers to grow at least one new fruit or vegetable from seed this year. So far I have nearly 40 takers. Not bad (especially since it’s still January)!
Several of them are locavores who are starting to plant their own kitchen gardens, or even just windowsill gardens. And a lot of them are doing it - at least in part - because they want their kids to have a part in growing their own food. Pretty fabulous.
Many new garden blogs have surfaced in the last year, which is also a promising trend. And as the economy takes a downturn I think we’ll find more people growing food for their own nutrition.
Here’s hoping us Generation X’ers can help create a fashion that sustains itself for the long term. ; )
Comment by Melinda — January 28, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Hey Trey,
Thanks for all of the recent posts! Good to see you around again.
I can’t wait for the day that I can mix California natives and vegetables in my front lawn and be accepted by my suburbanite neighbors! Better yet, that day comes this summer I hope!
Creating community rebelliously!
Katie at GardenPunks
Comment by Katie — January 28, 2008 @ 8:11 pm
It is interesting to see how everything is coming together - to bring the increased interest in gardening. It is certainly happening in the UK
Comment by TopVeg — January 29, 2008 @ 3:30 am
I really hope you’re right Trey. I found a wonderful local farmer last year who brought me her organic vegie seedlings and quart and gallon herbs. They did not sell well. I’m hoping it’s just because it was new. I will keep trying of course, but when I talk to people ‘out in real life’, people are complaining of how expensive food is. I try not to go ballistic and explain about big agribusiness and our government subsidizing certain crops and the true cost of our food…blah, blah, blah, but still most of my customers will buy the regular seedling to save .25. In my heart, I want to sell nothing but organic (not necessarily certified) vegies and herb plants, and no chemicals at all. (No more 4-Step!!!) But I still get the people walking in and asking for Malathion for their tomato plants because their grandchildren love them so much! Ugh!
Comment by Jodie — January 29, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
Trey, I think you might just have the Food Network to thank for some of this. People are learning how to cook better, and therefore want better ingredients, and a lot of that is because they’re being exposed to cooking in a way they hadn’t ever before. It’s pretty amazing, and I hope it’s a trend that continues. Growing one’s own vegetables can be heartbreaking, but can also be so very, very satisfying!
Comment by Genie — January 29, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
Urban farming is a lovely notion. When I go out and about and see “unused” space like a little plot with grass, I think what a great spot for some edibles. I am experimenting with growing veggies, herbs, shrubs & trees in order to ultimately create an “edible backyard.”
Not only do I have different plantings of different ages - some well established, some tender and new - I feel as if I myself am a sortof nursery item - in other words, knowledge of gardening is seeded and growing within me - at different levels or “ages” if you will, and from different sources. Does that make any sense?
I may be an old and gnarly piece of ground but I am still fruitful, thanks to folks like you who take the time to spread the seeds and tend the garden
Comment by Amy S — June 8, 2008 @ 11:32 am