Our resident “plant lady” and Selling Partner Rachel Frazier is taking over the blog today to share her take on garden trends this summer with a little help from some of her green-thumbed Chantilly neighbors. Take it away, Rachel…

 

Although homeowners have long prioritized gardening and outdoor living space, the pandemic has influenced yet another aspect of our lives: people are emphatically embracing their own personal green spaces, to make them an extension of their homes as well as giving them a fun project to do.  If you are looking for some inspiration, here are several top trends in the outdoor world this year:

 

1. Food Gardens

Almost 70% of surveyed adults said they were planning to or already are growing a food garden in 2021, per a report from Garden Media Trend. According to my Chantilly neighbor, Jocelyn Chrisley, her family started a food garden last year because, “It feels good to try something new and set the table with something yummy we grew ourselves.” As occurred last spring, experts are predicting a shortage of seeds and starter plants, so you may need to be a bit flexible in your garden planning.

 

2. Yards = More Living Space

Open-air living is certainly embraced throughout our neighborhood and it has never more appreciated than over the last year. Being cooped up at home for months has really inspired people to capture or create more living room in their outdoor spaces. One backyard addition that may come as a surprise to some is the dramatic interest in pool installations, which jumped after the pandemic hit. Traditionally, pools have only added a nominal value to the resale value of homes, but there’s reason to think that mindset could change, due to popular demand.

 

3. Sustainable Gardening

A sustainable garden is one that sustains itself with the use of minimal natural resources and minimal human intervention. Sustainable gardens can go in a multitude of directions, but general practices include using organic methods and no chemicals, little water needed other than natural rainfall or collected rainwater, using native plants, and utilizing every renewable resource that nature provides. It seems as though many of my clients and neighbors are already trying their green thumb at sustainable gardening. Jill Risberg, owner of The Whole Blooming Landscape, said she’s definitely noticed the movement: “there is also a trend now for people to be more responsible with their plant choices and less reliant on irrigation systems and horticultural chemicals. We are getting requests for native plants and are trying to guide people to non-invasive pest and disease resistant cultivars that fit into our ecosystem.”

Garden of GW Real Estate Recently Sold Chantilly Home