The new year is here! 2025 at the Garden has been full of thrilling exhibits, beautiful blooms, and even a bit of critter chaos… but what’s in store for 2026?
At the Garden
For starters, next summer Green Bay Botanical Garden will center around “Woodland Wonders,” an exhibition that will feature a year of nature, imagination, and discovery — rooted in the magic of trees! Follow along later this spring to learn more about this exhibit as it comes to life.
The Garden will also be celebrating its 30th anniversary this fall. The Garden officially opened to the public in September of 1996, and over the past three decades the Garden has flourished into 47 acres full of natural Wisconsin scenes and features more than 120,000 breathtaking plants and flowers.
Looking beyond the walls of Green Bay Botanical Garden, marketing experts have a few predictions of gardening trends that will take center stage in the upcoming year.
“Smart”er Gardening
One upcoming trend predicted for 2026 is a continuation — and increasing development — of intertwining technology into gardening practices. According to the Garden Media Group, gardeners across the world are using new technologies (like pollution tracing and GIS mapping) to promote eco-friendly gardening practices and embrace “hyperlocal, site-specific strategies” rather than broad practices.
Other market experts agree with this prediction, claiming that “smart” gardening will also become more popular in the next year. PR Newswire reports that AI tools and other technology features will help “simplify and automate gardening tasks,” such as sending a reminder when plants need to be watered, or using robotic lawn mowers to alleviate physical labor during maintenance (and make gardening more accessible to individuals with limited mobility).
When Life Gives You Lemons
Another trend coming soon to the gardening world is a phenomenon called “lemonading,” coined from the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The spirit of lemonading is based on turning a sour or unfortunate situation into something sweet and enjoyable — much like turning lemons to lemonade!
Recently, many Americans are experiencing burnout from their personal or professional lives, and are disinterested in the once-prominent “hustle” culture. Instead, people — especially younger generations — are embracing things like simplicity, beauty, and self-care, investing more time in mindful hobbies like gardening.
Gardening and lemonading go hand-in-hand, as each gardening challenge has the potential to evolve into something beautiful and fruitful. Lemonading is all about turning the chaos into curation, and the Garden Media Group predicts that this will manifest itself through self-expression in creating aesthetic plant displays, extensive collections, and “bento” gardens tailored for small spaces.
Gamifying Gardening
“Digital” gardening is also on the rise for 2026. Over the past year, many gamers have gravitated towards “cozy” and relaxing games, many of which embrace gardening and the natural world (such as Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley).
Many digital gardeners also care for their own real plants or gardens, too — so you might start to see your favorite video game featured on the packaging of fertilizer! In fact, MiracleGro recently partnered with Stardew Valley to promote gardening both within the game and in the real world.
From Green Bay Botanical Garden to the gardening world at large, there seems to be one thing in common for the upcoming year: providing a safe space for people to exist among nature. Whether it’s through technological advancements to make gardening more accessible, or curating a whimsical garden that brings you joy, next year’s gardening trends are predicted to embrace our mission of connecting people with plants.
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