As our top votegetter for Gardens and Flowers, Brad and Chris Olson of Olson’s Garden Shoppe know how to piece together gardens.
“I love color,” Chris says. “We only have a few short months we’re outside, so it’s fun to be able to have as much color and make our gardens as beautiful as we can to enjoy the time we do have out for the summer.”
The Olsons have seen yard trends come and go, but they always know the hottest plants and yard products. Here are three popular pieces to consider for your 2017 yard.
1. Succulents
In a busy world, Chris says people are having less time to dedicate to their yards, which is why succulents are becoming a more popular plant.
“Our yards are getting smaller and people have less time,” Chris says.
Succulents aren’t time demanding. In fact, even those with a black thumb have a chance at keeping them alive. Succulents only require misting and can be kept on a patio, porch or in a sun room.
2. Hanging Plants
Olson’s Garden Shoppe provides a foolproof way of adding color to a yard without spending a lot of time on hands and knees digging in a bed of dirt. The garden experts start preparing their popular hanging plants in February.
“We have four greenhouses dedicated to containers that are already pre-sold,” Chris says. “With hanging plants, you buy a beautiful plant and take it home to have instant beauty in your yard.”
3. Fairy Garden
A growing trend over the past few years has been incorporating fairy gardens — think “gnomes” — into gardens.
“It’s something a grandma can do with her granddaughters or a mom with her daughters,” Chris says. “There are all different kinds. It just depends on what you like.”
Chris says there is a wide variety of fairy gardens including trinkets representing a traditional fairy or camping fairies.
“I just marvel at all the creative minds,” Chris says.
See all the 2017 Best of Utah Valley winners here.
