Gardening trends change every year — but not all of them actually work. In this video, we break down the best garden trends for 2026 using plant science, soil science, and real-world growing experience.
From low-input gardening and climate-adaptive plant choices to why Pinterest’s 2026 cabbage trend actually makes sense, this isn’t about buying more stuff — it’s about growing smarter.
You’ll learn:
• Which 2026 garden trends are worth your time
• Why soil structure matters more than soil products
• How edible and ornamental plants are starting to overlap
• What trends actually improve yields, resilience, and burnout prevention
This is science-based gardening — no gimmicks, no hype.
🌱 If you want the trends to avoid in 2026, that video is linked next.
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👩🏻🦰 A B O U T M E:
Ashley has had a passion for plants since she was a small child. In the long summers as a child, she would garden alongside her grandmother and it was then that she realized her love for greenery. With years of great studying, Ashley had begun her post-secondary education at the University of Saskatchewan.
At first, her second love, animals, was the career path she chose but while doing her undergrad she realized that her education would take her elsewhere. And with that, four years later she graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor’s degree in science and a major in Soil Science.
Some of Ashley’s interests are YouTube, in which she posts informative videos about plants and gardening. The focus of Ashley’s YouTube channel is to bring science to gardening in a way that is informative but also helpful to others learning to garden. She also talks about the importance of having your own garden and the joys of gardening indoors. Ashley continues to study plants in her free time and hopes to expand her YouTube channel as well as her reach to up-and-coming gardeners.
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32 Comments
Happy New Years My beautiful GIC Crew ❤ Let’s rock 2026 and make it the best year yet!!🎉
Happy new year!!
I have been growing my own for many years, without any serious problems. I now have an allotment plot which is surrounded by green hippy dreamers! Every pest and mould, blight and disease imaginable is being carefully incubated, by those that think doing nothing is natural!!! Jeez!
Happy new year xx
When I amended 15 grow bags this fall, I used native soil and my homegrown vermicompost, have not touched these bags in three years. I do get better yields from saved seeds in most cases, at least with peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions. Last year I was very happy I planted a couple early girl tomatoes, they produced late into the fall when most of my larger favorites were toast. Failed miserably at cabbage a few years ago, perhaps it is time to revisit.
A trend I would like to see is to try and mimic nature. I know a veggie garden does not exist in nature, however, I believe we can go a long way by copying as much as we can. Happy New Year to you and yours, Stay Well !!!
Thanks for another awesome video Ashley, didn't see this one coming today! 😅 Happy new year neighbor to the north!🎉🎉🎉💚 *GIC crew don't forget to hype Ashley's video today, she brings alot of knowledge and smiles to us 😊
What seems to be a mainstay trend is working with the extreme climate changes. Last summer was the worst humidity and dew points EVER! It was so bad I was stuck inside because of sauna conditions. You can’t protect against mosquitoes in that kind of environment unless you douse yourself in chemicals and a headnet which was too hot to wear.
I’m considering planting some veg farther apart like tomatoes for better air. I still have no answer for harvest of onions, potatoes, ect at end of season—finding the temperatures Way too hot and the outdoor root cellar hasn’t cooled down—it’s a dilemma. Not much can be done short of A/C in the root cellar and that’s not happening.
I can only hope we don’t have a repeat, but seems we are warming up—our avg temp in WI was about 2F degrees higher all year except for December. I am looking forward to better soil next year because of my effort to cover crops and manure from the farm. I will never buy that bagged manure again—it’s not manure and did absolutely Nothing for the melons and pumpkins. I’m aiming to help the garden run on autopilot again this year in case I can’t tolerate the weather. Just need more mulch on the inground part to suppress weeds better. I do have drip irrigation thankfully. And yes, to changing up varieties to cope with this weather.
Happy prosperous new year!🎉
I’ve always added some sand but I added a lot of sand this last year with great success, both raised beds and in ground…
My biggest focus on the gardens this year will be figuring out how to get things to grow better in my high clay soils. Compaction is constantly a problem and had killed off two seasons of crops this year. 😢
Snail seeding is great way to grow seedlings with deep roots and take much less room in the greenhouse or ponder lights. Check it out Ashley. It was all over YouTube this year and is so worth trying.
Soil microbiology is key!! We took dirt – compacted and never grown in – and added good biology. The outcome was phenomenal. You need good biology to allow uptake of nutrients and therefore healthy plants and people who eat them. And! They taste better!
One thing we've found with cabbage (in southern Manitoba) is that red cabbage seems to be less pestered by insect pressure. It isn't that they don't take any damage, but when we've had red and green varieties near each other, the green ones took more damage. With added colour in the garden and the nutrients that come with the colour, I think it's a win-win.
I don’t follow trends, I like to change it up each year. In 2026 I’m going to try Fennel, plant more carrots, hopefully my 2025 yr carrots will produce seed and work on not over crowding my raised beds. Happy New year everyone.
Cabbage all the way! Won’t be growing because it’s just too hard in our temperamental weather with pests galore. So cheap to buy. I’m focusing strictly on things that grow well, easily. More of less. That’s my personal trend.
I can't predict the future but last year I planted as many varieties of tall shelling peas as possible as I was fed up with the low yields of the sugar snaps etc. And I shall stick with them as the peas were super delicious and produced over 5 to 7 weeks, despite the 3 month drought we had in NS in 2025 The taller the plant the more peas I got. When the tops of the plants died I left them alone and soon they sprouted right along the soil and I had more peas there. It was all experimental. The frozen pea industry reasonably makes sure most peas are medium to low growing for ease of harvesting mechanically etc but the home gardenr can deal with the tall ones. IF you can find them as there are few left these days. Mackenzie seeds sells Tall Telephone aka Alderman , Heritage Harvest seeds in Manitoba has Champion of England, both 6 to 8 ft if you are lucky. There are some tall varieties left in England still. And loaded with the most delicious peas you can get! You have to scour seed catalogues for the tallest plants you can find and it is hard to find those which grow more than 4 ft. But more than worth the effort. They are decorative too. I think finding tall peas would be a worthwhile trend!
Even after two decades of hobbyist gardening, I admit to being pretty lazy. In the last few years I've been doing no till and chop and drop gardening. I also started using shade cloth on some plants. I remember to use a slow release organic fertilizer twice each New York Summer. I hand water the plant bases when they're dry. I never get the picturesque abundance of The Millennial Gardener or James Prigione, but even if I think I failed, I always get something.
I love learning about gardening, and I try new things from time tot time, but be careful about obsessing over every variable or it will drive you nuts.
Growing more herbs for making healthy cool teas instead of sugar laden cold drinks. (Rabbits deciding they like chamomile and Russian kale so I'll have to grow way more and protect).Trying root veggies. Setting up basic shade support in case of high heat and drought. Planting out a few early tomatoes with temporary protection frame so grows faster roots in warmed soil. Skipping peas which can't handle the new heat in spring but sowing leaf lettuce in shady area. Will make sure I check for dangerous weather alerts and stay away from derechos to stay safe. Will continue growing plants bees love such as sage, anise hyssop, and catnip. Adding more Dutch clover to back yard lawn.
So many of us are dialing gardening back. I think we all ramped things up in 2020 and 2021 and kept going. We learned a lot, tried all the things, expanded our gardens and now some of us are tired. I love my garden. She's my mental health, my peace. But she's gotten a bit too big for her britches. I am dialing it back.
Planting my favorites, fewer New Things.
Have a Great Growing New Year to everyone!
I am not one to follow trends as a rule, so unlikely I will start now. I do a lot of experimenting and this will continue. But I do find that the trends that often get predicted are a reflection of the direction and well being of society as a whole. I am not so sure about your last trend – I am not so sure you are right on that one. Perhaps there will be more incorporation of organic matter rather than simply putting on top. That I could see, but I am pretty sure the desire for not commercial fertilized food will be maintained if not become more important. Wishing you a blessed 2026! Happy New year!
I think these are all great trends I hope they really do happen. I think it's easy to forget about intuition and moderation when looking at trends so my resolution this year is to be a better listener to my garden. Also I'm getting new irrigation. The drought is supposedly over here but I'm not messing around anymore. It takes way too long to water by hose
Since the voles seem to be okay with the gopher and vole deterrents I'm working on getting more of my vining things off the ground this year
Echo a lot of what you mentioned as a trends. Leaning away raised garden beds because I find them more work (pest management, nutrient deficiencies than planting in the ground. Cabbage and Brussel sprouts plants are so pretty in the garden when they aren't netted. Trying out some more coloured brassicas like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts.Different coloured carrots and beets as well. Happy New Year 2026!!
Happy New Year 🎈🎊
I have a large ornamental garden (plus vegetables). I just happened to look recently at a receipt from plants bought in 2019 and, wow, that brought home the inflation in plant prices. My plan for 2026 is to plant more from seed (indoors and winter sowing) and to use the plants I already have to propagate more plants, whether from division or cuttings. Those activities are rewarding in any case! Thanks for all the informative videos.
Low input gardening and improving soil structure are trends? Yay! I'm ahead of the trend.
Have a happy and productive 2026 everyone!
I just watched a YT video extolling stone powder/rock dust for raised bed gardens. How long does it take rock dust to be in a form useful/bioavailable to plants? Is an intermediary organism, fungi or bacteria necessary?
All of my 2026 fertilizer came from 2025 end of season clearances, part organic and part conventional.
All of my 2026 fertilizer came from 2025 end of season clearances, part organic and part conventional.
Thanks, Ashley! Just shared this in "Tomato Lover's Collective & Swap" so our members can hear this oh-so-interesting ideas and thoughts! Thanks, my friend!
Happy New Year 💚 I like your rundown of gardening trends and similarly hope these do take off – particularly planting for current and future weather trends, and planting more native plants that can grow stronger now to be more resilient in the years to come 💚
Tried fish fertilizer, raccoons dug up everything!!! Musta been the smell?