As the year draws to a close, trend forecasting is in full swing, from must-have plants to emerging landscape styles. But nothing signals the start of a new year quite like Pantone’s Color of the Year announcement.

And while teal will always be the COTY in our hearts, the Pantone Color Institute has chosen Mocha Mousse—a rich, comforting neutral poised to make its mark in everything from interiors to landscapes.

Pantone describes Mocha Mousse as “a mellow brown infused with a sensorial and comforting warmth.” This shade is a dramatic departure from last year’s boring Peach Fuzz. Its grounding and sophisticated tone feels perfectly on trend. As darker finishes and earth tones dominate both home and garden design, Mocha Mousse is a natural, neutral choice.

Leave the Leaves Month (October)

A growing understanding of the ecological benefits of fallen leaves and the negative impacts of traditional lawn care practices has led to the observance of Leave the Leaves Month in October. This sustainable practice directly benefits a variety of wildlife, including pollinators, beneficial insects, birds, and small mammals, by providing shelter, habitat, and food sources. It can also improve soil health, reducing the need for fertilizer and other harmful chemicals.

Leave the Leaves Month is an excellent opportunity for garden businesses to promote eco-friendly landscaping by sharing their expertise and sustainable practices.

Read on to learn more about Leave the Leaves Month and how to incorporate facts and tips into your fall content.

In such a small industry, any glowing media coverage is a significant win for your horticulture company! At Garden Media, we've learned that it's crucial not to let your hard-earned recognition fade away after a single email blast. By strategically repurposing and sharing this coverage, you can maximize its impact across your entire organization.

These stories not only amplify your company's message but also strengthen your brand reputation within the industry. With a well-thought-out strategy, you can transform a fleeting moment of media attention into a long-lasting asset.

Read on to learn how to squeeze the most value out of those glowing articles:

Ah, spring into summer. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and your inbox is probably overflowing with "spring cleaning" emails, or not...  

As a fellow landscape designer, I know just how challenging it is to land a new client, keep current clients engaged, and keep them both coming back for maintenance after the initial design and installation. Homeowners often interpret "low-maintenance" as "no maintenance," leading to neglected gardens that lose their initial beauty. 

This is a common concern we hear from landscaping businesses. While our services typically focus outside the landscape design-build-maintain realm, we have brainstormed several valuable strategies to help landscape design businesses up their marketing!

Read on for 5 creative ideas from a garden-centric PR firm to help your landscape business blossom.

Pollinator Week (June 16 – 22)

From the bees buzzing in your garden to the butterflies fluttering through meadows and fields, pollinators are nature's essential workers. As they transfer pollen between flowers, they enable plant reproduction, impacting everything from our food supply to the vibrant landscapes we cherish.

Pollinator Week is the perfect time for your garden business to recognize these tiny, unsung heroes that play a vital role in the reproduction of plants that provide us with many things, like coffee, chocolate, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The economic value of pollination services is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars globally.

But that’s not all. Native plants are more than a buzzword. More people than ever are looking for plants, education, and tools to create backyard habitats. 

Read on to learn more about Pollinator Week and how to incorporate facts and tips into your content for June.

I enjoyed attending the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival in New York City this week.

The event brought leaders from various industries together to share their insights and predictions for the future... of everything. From technology and healthcare to entertainment and education, the festival provided a comprehensive look at the trends and innovations that shape our world. 

One consistent theme throughout the festival was AI and its future impact. Every presenter was asked about their views on AI, resulting in a 50/50 mix of optimism and caution. While some saw AI as a revolutionary force with boundless potential, others raised concerns about increased time spent on devices and cybersecurity risks. This diverse range of perspectives set the stage for a thought-provoking and engaging event.

Read on for my key takeaways from

some of the notable speakers:

Today, with over 1 billion websites on the internet and a new one added approximately every three seconds, breaking through the noise and securing a spot the highly coveted first page of Google search results is the ultimate goal for brands. But here’s the empowering part: you have the tools get there. 

Let's explore the process.

It’s that time of year again - Garden Media Group’s trends!

As we quickly approach peak gardening season, we thought we’d give YOU a peek at some of the latest trends that we are seeing in the green industry.

From over-the-tippy-top plants to the most useful dog treats (maybe ever?), the gardening world is constantly developing new and improved additions for the industry. 

As we prepare our 2025 Garden Trends Report, we couldn’t hold back any longer on sharing these amazing new trends. Let’s explore the most unique and unconventional ones here.

Read on to be immersed, inspired, and mind-blown by these upcoming 2025 gardening trends!

Canopy Blooms
There is nothing better than the shaded area of your backyard on a warm spring day – or is there? If you love your properties trees but want to bring more color to the vertical area of your home, then Canopy Blooms are for you! 

Plant these flowers the exact same way that you typically would and feed them the special food that contains Arborflora Ingredients (AI) and watch your blooms sky rocket.


Pup-Post Gardening
Composting was HOT last year, and for our pet owners, it just got even easier. I know, you didn’t think it could get any easier, either. Until now!

Feeding your pet your table scraps may actually come in handy after all! Pass them your tomato slices, carrot chunks and any other vegetable that is safe and non-toxic, and just hours later they will begin the process of growing your new vegetable garden for you – right there in your own backyard.

The best part? This allows you to save coin in multiple areas – dog treats and soil amendments! Just be sure to invest in a really good vegetable wash and brush before enjoying.

Tele-pole Gardens
As homeowners continue to seek vertical elements that combine illumination with a striking sense of scale, we’ve observed the proliferation of telephone poles in yards across the U.S. Hardy in Zones 2-11.

Telephone poles offer a strong vertical growth habit and an on-trend muted color palette of soft beige. The trend of DIY and utilizing what you have available in your area, or even in your own front yard, is surging. 

We highly recommend this trend to folks who live on busy roads that often have telephone poles down – follow the trend and use what is available to you!

Grandpa Core
Garden Like It's 1929! Dust off those heirloom seeds (because vegetables were cooler in grandpa's day), vintage tools (they don't make 'em like they used to), and tweed garden attire (for that "I meant to do that" look) - gardening's going retro with #GrandpaCore! 

Grandpa Core is all about embracing the old-school charm your grandpa swore by, with a twist of sustainability and a dash of nostalgia. Outdated advice? More like time-tested secrets.



If you are still scratching your head and wondering if the GMG staff is okay… APRIL FOOLS!

If you caught on pretty quick and/or looked at the date and didn’t get fooled, doesn’t mean your customers won’t! They’ll likely find it funny to have a harmless prank pulled on them. April Fool’s Day allows companies to break out of their usual professional shell to crack some jokes and make their customers laugh.

You can use our ideas or pull an April Fool’s prank of your own by giving your product an unexpected twist – just make sure it is timing and some-what believable with enough of a stretch. 

The most important part of pulling a prank is to make SOMEONE believe it’s true. Publishing what looks like a real press release or editorial piece takes the joke to the next level, where some may think it’s actually legit. It’s all about timing and not making the joke look TOO fake. 

Understanding the essence of April Fool's Day is crucial, and it's essential to ensure that your pranks are good-natured and inoffensive. The key is to infuse humor into your actions without crossing the line into being mean-spirited or offensive. The primary objective of the occasion is to elicit laughter from your audience, not to make them feel foolish or embarrassed.

How to use April Fools to level up your marketing game?

-- Making people laugh with humor helps your brand seem more human. It tells customers that your business knows how to have fun and makes your brand easier to relate to. Remember, laughter is the best medicine.
--Chance to go viral: April Fool's Day pranks often have the potential to create a lot of excitement. Take advantage of this on social media to boost engagement and attract new followers.
-- Make the most of your creativity. Got a wild idea? Great! April Fool's Day is the ideal time to be outrageously absurd. In the current environment, a little escape from reality is welcome, so go ahead, go all out, and enjoy the fun!


Download our 2024 Garden Trends Report to stay as current as possible, and keep an eye out for ACTUAL 2025 teasers.

In the ever-evolving and expanding landscape of the horticulture and gardening industry, brands must seek opportunities to meet and partner with like-minded individuals. 
One avenue that provides this benefit and other opportunities is attending garden-related trade shows near (or far) you.

From the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) in January to Cultivate in July, these shows offer fertile ground for green businesses to cultivate success from many angles, from sales leads to education and scope out what is new on the market.

Feel overwhelmed? Don’t fret!

Read more about the three significant reasons industry trade shows are essential for growing and establishing green businesses and tips for navigating them!

The idea of manifesting things in your life is not new. However, the concept gained momentum in 2023 due to the plethora of social media trends surrounding it, such as influencers sharing intention techniques, vision board sharing, and #manifestationmonday, to name a few.

Folks are leaning into their wants and desires, stating affirmations, asking the universe for things, and living as though they have already gotten what they wanted. 

What goals are you manifesting for your business in 2024? Many of your goals can be met by shifting your marketing mindset.

Read on to learn 5 ways to manifest marketing success and other goals in 2024.