Tag: #Trends

All the Big Garden Trends for 2023

I feel it’s my duty to tell you what the garden and landscaping trends of 2023 are going to be tout de suite. After all, gardens don’t grow in a day, and winter is the best time to plan.  

What’s Going to Be Hot in 2023

Miranda Estes

Sowing Sanity

In Monrovia’s most recent study, homeowners who strongly agree with the statements “Gardening is good for my mental health and well-being” and “Gardening helps me feel hopeful and positive” increased over last year. “At the beginning of the pandemic, gardening was more about freshening up the areas where we were spending more time,” says Katie Tamony, Monrovia CMO and trend spotter. “Now homeowners are maximizing and personalizing their outdoor space. Gardening, and just spending time in an outdoor space that you have created, relieves stress and makes us feel more positive.”  

Chad Mellon

Maximal Materials

The Maximalist look is gaining steam outside, according to Kristin Swenson, the communications manager at Yardzen. “Customers are asking for more bold and playful decor details—think a pop of handmade tile on a patio or around the edge of a pool,” she says. The idea is to use a variety of tones, volume, and texture. If you do it right, the look will be intentional, but not overly messy. 

Caitlin Atkinson

Abundance Abounds

The Garden of Abundance trend is all about making your garden a bit wild, more productive, and connected to the earth. Monrovia says it’s time to mix in edible plants with the rest of your landscape, rather than containing them in raised beds. “We’re seeing gardeners appreciating the ornamental beauty of edible plants and mixing them in with their other trees and shrubs,” says Tamony. “An abundant garden incorporates the usefulness of edible plants with the love of pollinator plants. It also includes providing a season-long habitat for birds.” 

Jennifer Yakey-Ault/Getty Images

The New Victorians

“Blame it on Bridgerton,” says Tamony, referring to the Netflix series. Nostalgic plants like roses, lilac, hydrangea, and hollyhock are back. Think of this trend as an elevated version of a cottage garden. To make it work, the look is casual but not disorganized with a palette of pink, purple, and white, and pretty, delicate foliage. White fences, gravel or brick pathways, and birdbaths are also de rigeur.  Article by Deanna Kizis.

More 2023 garden ideas are available to view at the link below:

The 9 Garden and Landscaping Trends of 2023 to Know About (sunset.com)

Micro Miniskirts Are About To Take Over In Summer 2022

We’ve seen lots of skirts as a significant trend during the spring season, and, although some people can’t wait to ditch mini skirts, they’re still trending — even to the point where a sexier variation of them is going to be everywhere: the micro miniskirt. According to Vogue Britain, Miu Miu inspired this trend with their tiny, low-rise, super-short mini skirts that would be every strict parent’s nightmare.

© Christian Vierig/Getty Image

Anyone considering experimenting with the micro miniskirt trend and looking for some style inspiration can find a plethora of looks on Instagram. Although a few examples are on the borderline of being NSFW, there are many provocative yet appropriate looks (depending on where you’re going). 

For instance, a fitted white micro miniskirt with a chunky belt and a fun T-shirt makes an excellent going-out outfit. Or, if you want to wear a girly, preppier spin on this trend, try a pink pleated option. Furthermore, a tiny black or denim skirt will match countless summery tops in your wardrobe.

Not sure how to style such a low-rise skirt? PopSugar explained which pieces look fashionable with these seemingly promiscuous skirts. For instance, wearing a shirt in the same color or pattern as the skirt will come across as cohesive and sleek. 

© Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

And, since this trend is only appropriate for warm or hot weather, why not tap into the spring or summery spirit by pairing it with a flowery piece for some floral fun? Although you may first associate miniskirts with date nights, partying, or brunches, PopSugar noted that you can rock this look with a more professional spin, too, styling it with a blazer or a button-up top and more serious shoes.

By Zoe Nolz for The List©

(I just want to add this to the story. “They” say that when skirts get shorter, the economy starts booming. Just sayin)

More Gardening Trends For 2022

The Outdoor Office

If you’ve been following all the trends, then you’ve put in a lot of work to create a beautiful, stress-relieving place full of interesting sights, scents, and sounds. Are you only going to use it when you’ve got time off on the weekends? Many people are saying absolutely not to that idea! With more people than ever before working from home, outdoor offices are starting to trend.

What does it take to build an outdoor office? If you’ve built an outdoor living room, then you likely already have most of what you need. The key elements are a workspace, which will consist of a table and chair within Wi-Fi range and near to power outlets, shade to keep the glare off your laptop, and privacy in the form of hedges, fences, or lush trellises so that your neighbors don’t accidentally interrupt your Zoom meetings.

Gardening For Climate Change

As the effects of climate change become more extreme, people have started to respond with the way that they garden—though this means different things in different areas. Areas that are experiencing record-breaking wildfires are doing what’s known as “firescaping.” Firescaping means fireproofing the landscape as much as possible by doing things like:

  • Planting water-retaining plants, which are slower to catch fire.
  • Creating defensible spaces around the home, which often means moving wood-mulched beds away and creating fire-resistant beds immediately around the house instead.
  • Using stone, brick, or concrete paths or walls to create firebreaks within the landscape.

Elsewhere, where people are experiencing record rainfall, popular gardening trends include planting water-loving plants in lower areas where water collects or protecting against erosion with groundcovers and other things that have root systems to keep soil in place.

One part of this trend defies regional conditions, and that is the rise of low carbon gardening. Low carbon gardening places an emphasis on purchasing locally produced plants, materials and products for the garden, thereby reducing the carbon emissions created via long-distance shipping. Many also choose to reduce their environmental impact even further by not only purchasing local goods, but also by purchasing renewable or easily recyclable things such as wood or metal patio furniture instead of plastic.

Ready to get growing? Use these trends as your roadmap to create a gorgeous outdoor space for the summer! 

Article by Amber Kanuckel for Farmer’s almanac.com©

Source: Gardening Trends for 2022 – Farmers’ Almanac (farmersalmanac.com)

For more gardening trends, click here: Gardening Trends For 2022 – TUTORING YOU

You Won’t Be A Wallflower In These 18 Colorful Spring Dresses

As much as we love sweaters, coats, and scarves, there is just something special about finally breaking out your spring dresses. They’re breezy! They’re romantic! They’re fun! A delicate, vivid dress is the perfect reflection of the way that spring makes us feel after a long winter, and we are ready to break out all the 2022 trends, from maxi dresses to mini dresses and everything in between.

Cleobella Luna Mini Dress 

Add this dress to your sustainable closet for a colorful and cute outfit any day of the week. Equal parts feminine and bohemian, this is the perfect dress to wear until summer ends.

H&M+ Tie Belt Shirt Dress 

If you need something breezy and comfortable for your weekend trip to the farmer’s market, we have the perfect solution. The relaxed, airy design of this dress is complemented by a bright color that will catch everyone’s eyes.

UO Samira Satin Slip Dress 

Whether you use it as a bikini coverup or pair it with a structured jacket for date night, a slip dress in a vivid pattern is the perfect mix of casual and flirty.

Hutch Floral-Hem Maxi Dress 

If you’re looking to splurge for a wedding or a formal event, consider a cranberry number with straps that look like strings of roses! Romantic, chic, and also appropriate come holiday season.

Puff Sleeve Ruffle Collar Dress 

A bright shade of mustard turns you into a walking ray of sunshine, even on rainy spring days.

UO Hansel Heart Print Strappy-Back Mini Dress 

Old school gingham gets a modern upgrade with a strappy design, plunging neckline, and printed sunbursts. Your spring break dress found.

Article by Chloe Williams​ for Brit.co

What is ‘Stashing’? The Latest Dating Trend That’s Honestly Worse Than Ghosting

It’s been four months since you started dating Jim. You’ve gone hiking, binged the entire second season of Fleabag together and eaten at his favorite pizzeria so many times you feel like the staff knows you’re together. But you haven’t met any of his actual friends—let alone any family. Wait, you did run into his college buddy on the street, though! And they chatted for a bit…but now that you think about it, he glazed right over an introduction, didn’t he? And when you posted a pic of you two, he asked you to delete it. Welp, take a seat. We’re sorry to say it, but it sounds like this Jim character is stashing you.

© ‎Apatow Productions

Hold up. What is “stashing” exactly?

Stashing is when one person in a relationship makes the conscious decision to hide the other person from his or her inner circle, and yes, that includes both in real life and on social media. (Deep breaths.) Of course, this is so much more a reflection of the stasher than the stashee, but c’mon, it’s downright rude and hurtful as hell.

Great, the person I’m seeing is stashing me. Why is this happening?

There’s no one reason why stashing happens, but we spoke with marriage and couple’s therapist Irina Firstein about it. She told us the stasher may be stashing you because they 1) are embarrassed by or have issues with their family, 2) don’t see a serious future with you or 3) are carrying on another relationship simultaneously. None—we repeat, none—of these reasons (or any others) are good enough to justify making you feel like dirt but having a little bit of insight might take the edge off.

How do I bring up stashing to the person I’m seeing?

“Ask them why you haven’t met anyone important in their life,” Firstein says, “and follow up with questions if they give you the runaround.” (Psst: “There hasn’t been a convenient time” can be filed under “runaround.”) The conversation might bring you closer together over some shared vulnerabilities—maybe the so-called stasher is not on speaking terms with certain family or friends after a falling-out—but there’s also the potential for the opposite to happen.

What if I’m met with backlash?

If this person is doing something hurtful to you and they respond in any way that’s not supportive, understanding or at least curious, it’s time to reevaluate the relationship, because let’s be honest, that wasn’t that tough of a question. Sidestepping your feelings is a major red flag. And, as Firstein sees it, “If they play ignorant, that’s a form of manipulation.” Tough love, people.

Remember that a caring partner will not want you to feel this way, and if they really do have a good reason for keeping you stashed, like a family matter or they just weren’t “there” yet, they’ll be receptive to the conversation and interested in moving forward. If not, then you deserve to be with someone who wants to roof you. (That’s the term we just made up that means “shout from the rooftops that they get to be with you.”)

By (Ariel Scotti for PureWow©

Source: What is ‘Stashing’? The Latest Dating Trend That’s Honestly Worse Than Ghosting (msn.com)