Chris McKeown
| Special to The Enquirer
Cincinnati Zoo’s bears, red pandas and cheetah enjoy a snow day
Cincinnati was covered in snow Tuesday, Dec. 2. But that didn’t stop the bears, red pandas and cheetahs at The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Cincinnati Zoo
New gardening trends for 2026 include concepts like “lemonading,” “catios” and “barkitecture.”Lemonading is a psychological concept about reframing gardening challenges as creative opportunities.Catios are enclosed outdoor patios for cats, and barkitecture involves designing pet-centric features into a home and garden.
While I am stuck inside in the winter, I, like a lot of other gardeners, find myself in front of my computer, looking for things considered to be new and different in the world of gardening. For full disclosure, I am very cautious about the information available online. This is because the information is unlimited, unedited and, for the most part, unfiltered.
I go in looking for information from the perspective of the average person for whom gardening is truly a hobby. I do this in an effort to be somewhat prepared for what customers might be looking for in the upcoming season.
I started my search with the phrase “new garden trends for 2026.” Now with artificial intelligence being used, the first section of the results is the AI overview. Here are the trends to look for in Ohio, according to my search.
Lemonading your way through gardening
The first suggestion I received was called “lemonading.” This is a psychological concept, based on “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” that describes a playful, creative approach to reframing adversity as opportunity, allowing you to find positive possibilities and build resilience rather than getting stuck in negativity.
From what I read, I concluded lemonading is a concept that can apply to many aspects of life. When your garden isn’t performing to your expectations, it might be time to change your expectations.
“A wilted plant, a patch of bare soil or a self-seeded flower isn’t failure – it’s part of the story,” Country Living magazine wrote of lemonading.
I am still trying to understand why this is a gardening trend. The next two were just as puzzling.
Catios are not for everyone
Next was a “catio,” which is obviously combining cat and patio. What is it? Well, it is a safe, enclosed outdoor structure or space that allows cats to enjoy fresh air, sunshine and stimulation without the risks of being outdoors. It protects them from cars, predators and disease while also safeguarding local wildlife from their hunting instincts.
The National Audubon Society calls a catio a safe “enclosed oases” for your cats.
These might fit and be interesting in a garden. In my life, we have had many cats. Many here at our store. I cannot see this being worthy of becoming a trend. People who love cats do not want to keep them in a cage.
Barkitecture is for the dogs (and cats)
The “barkitecture” trend is described as home design focused on integrating stylish, functional and pet-centric features into a home’s architecture (a catio may actually be a prime example).
It is about making spaces comfortable and enriching for pets by incorporating custom pet suites, built-in feeding stations and pet-friendly materials. It’s about elevating pet care with thoughtful design by using things like mudroom wash stations, hidden tech and nature-inspired elements.
“‘Barkitecture’ is about creating gardens where our four-legged companions are not just welcome but considered from the very start,” Country Living wrote.
Using tech to garden smarter
There were other suggestions in my search that included adding more “data and tech” into the garden. This is so we can garden smarter. Now there are some pretty cool apps that can help identify plants, including weeds. There are also some for identifying insects. These can all help you with controlling those insects and weeds.
For me as a traditional gardener, I found the results of this search a bit disheartening. There were also more traditional search results focused on different types of plants that will be trending in this new year.
But, as you may sense through my frustration, I was surprised lemonading, catios and barkitecture were included in this search. I did find them interesting, as I am glad that I am now aware of these concepts.
I also think they demonstrate the distance between the online world and real life. I’m not sure I know anyone who might be interested in these. With so few people interested in them, how could they possibly become a trend? The results of this search were an example of attempting to create a trend rather than something actually becoming one on its own.
Comments are closed.