Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press - Jan 2, 2025 / 6:57 am | Story: 525477
Photo: AP
This image provided by Homestead Gardens shows attendees participating in a foraging workshop at the garden center's Davidsonville, M.D., location on June 8, 2024.
What will our gardens look like in 2025? The thing about opinions is that everybody’s got one. The same can be said about predictions.
One group with a pretty good track record is Katie Dubow's Garden Media Group, a public-relations company serving plant breeders, nurseries and others in the green industry. Its annual Garden Trends Report forecasts how environmental, fashion, food, retail, media and other trends will trickle down into the gardening realm.
In 2006, GMG foresaw the beginning of the native plants movement; in 2009, it predicted a surge in vertical gardening; and in 2018, the mainstreaming of forest bathing.
So, what’s in store for gardeners this year? I talked with Dubow and other experts:
Living Fences
In the U.S., 84% of newly built single-family homes sold in 2022 were part of a Homeowners’ Association, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So, it follows that Dubow foresees more homeowners trying to differentiate their HOA properties from their neighbors’ without running afoul of the rules.
Planting living fences that incorporate various plant types, including native species that support wildlife, will impart an eco-conscious individuality to cookie-cutter property borders.
Foraging
Floral foraging is another naturalistic trend predicted for next year. That means going into your garden or into the wild to gather shrub and tree branches, stems and flowers, and using whatever you find outside to create something beautiful to bring inside.
“People are craving a connection to nature,” Dubow said, “and foraging helps them do that.”
Most people don’t have designated raised-bed cutting gardens, said Megan McMullen, learning and development manager of Homestead Gardens, which has three store locations in Maryland and Delaware. “But they do have landscaped garden spaces, and we wanted to help them think about those spaces in (untraditional) ways,” she said.
So, over the past year, the nursery offered customers a series of foraging workshops, during which participants learned how to select wild elements and prune shrub parts to use in homemade bouquets.
To ensure a steady supply of foraging materials, McMullen recommends giving careful thought to interesting year-round elements like seedpods, cones and twigs when selecting garden plants, rather than just planting for summer flowers and foliage.
“There was a lot of interest for something that’s a new-ish garden trend,” McMullen said. “It was the right time to be talking about this because people are starting to think about it.”
Tyrannical cuteness
Citing the prevalence of unnatural scenes created by artificial intelligence, coupled with a Pinterest trend toward “tyrannical cuteness,” Dubow predicts a preference among home gardeners for plants with “never-before-seen colorations” and “surreal pastels” as they attempt to replicate those over-the-top, “cute” AI images at home.
One example is the genetically engineered Firefly bioluminescent petunia, which glows in the dark. Introduced earlier this year by the biotechnology firm Light Bio of Sun Valley, Idaho, the effect was created by inserting genes from luminous mushroom into a petunia plant.
It follows that whimsical plants that appear to have emerged from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book, like alliums, cardoons and sea holly, may also grow in popularity.
Fairy gardens may see a resurgence, as well, Dubow said.
Lived-in gardens
A $600 pair of dirty-looking Golden Goose sneakers. A $3,800 Balenciaga “worn and aged” concert wristband bracelet. And a report that vintage Rolexes are outselling new ones. What do these cultural trends imply?
“They show us that people want the idea of something that’s had a lifetime,” Dubow said. And a typical pristine, symmetrical landscape doesn’t provide that.
Next year, she predicts a move toward “lived-in gardens” with rambling roses, bulb lawns, native plants, mature trees and densely planted, layered garden beds.
Holy Moley plants
Finally, Dubow draws a parallel between the celebrity “cutout” dress fashion trend and fenestrated plants --- those with holes in their leaves, like split-leaf Philodendron and Monstera. Although those plants have been wildly popular for the better part of a decade, she cited a 600% increase in Google Trend searches for Monstera in the first half of 2024.
But I have to ask: Is this plants imitating life or life imitating plants?
The Canadian Press - May 15, 2024 / 5:52 am | Story: 487499
Photo: The Canadian Press
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in April edged down one per cent compared with March. A new housing development is shown in Belleville, Ont., on Friday, March 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in April edged down one per cent compared with March.
The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in Canada came in at 240,229 units for April, down from 242,267 in March.
The overall drop came as the annual pace of starts in urban centres amounted to 220,123 units for April compared with 220,358 in March.
The pace of multi-unit urban starts in April fell one per cent to 178,462, while single-detached urban starts rose two per cent to 41,661 units.
The annual pace of rural starts was estimated at 20,106 units.
CMHC says the six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate was 238,585 units in April, down 2.2 per cent from 243,907 units in March.
The Canadian Press - May 6, 2024 / 7:46 am | Story: 485956
Photo: The Canadian Press
A "sold" sign is shown in a new housing development in Lasalle, a borough of Montreal, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says Montreal-area home sales surged 25.5 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, with levels returning to historical averages for this time of year.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says Montreal-area home sales surged 25.5 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, with levels returning to historical averages.
The association says home sales in the region totalled 4,688 for the month, up from 3,734 in April 2023.
The median price for all housing types was up year-over-year, led by a 6.5 per cent rise for the price of a single-family home at $575,000 last month.
Meanwhile, the median price for a plex rose four per cent to $754,000 and the median price for a condominium rose 2.7 per cent to $400,598.
QPAREB market analysis director Charles Brant says there was a "very reactive recovery" in April due to the expectation of an "imminent return to a downward cycle in interest rates" and price growth in the market that could follow.
Active listings for April jumped 19 per cent compared with a year earlier to 18,932, while new listings rose 33.1 per cent to 7,099.
The Canadian Press - May 2, 2024 / 7:07 am | Story: 485330
Photo: The Canadian Press
Houses are seen on a hillside in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday, April 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Greater Vancouver's real estate board says the number of homes that changed hands in April rose 3.3 per cent from the previous year, but total sales were still well below the 10-year average for the month.
Greater Vancouver Realtors says there were 2,831 home sales in the region last month, compared with 2,741 sales recorded in April 2023.
That came as the number of Metro Vancouver homes listed for sale rose 42.1 per cent year-over-year to 12,491, which is 16.7 per cent above the 10-year seasonal average. It marks the first time that figure has exceeded the 12,000-threshold since the summer of 2020.
The composite benchmark home price was $1,205,800, up 2.8 per cent from a year ago and a 0.8 per cent increase from March.
In April, there were 7,092 detached, attached and apartment properties newly available — a 64.7 per cent increase compared with the 4,307 properties listed in April 2023.
Andrew Lis, the board's director of economics and data analytics, says it's a "surprise" to many that demand has remained strong, along with the fact few homeowners have been forced to sell in the face of the highest borrowing costs in over a decade.
Real Estate Wire (REW.ca), the leading Canadian real estate portal for listings, new home developments, and agent connections and insights, today announced the launch of its nationwide availability.
The company is building upon its long-standing success established in British Columbia and expanding REW’s reach across the country.
The expansion covers major Canadian cities including Vancouver, Calgary, Greater Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Saskatoon. Consumers across Canada get a variety of search and filter options for condos, detached homes, townhomes or new construction projects.
With nearly four million visits per month, 70,000 listings and 35,000 daily listing alerts sent to active homeseekers across Canada, REW.ca has become the go-to online hub for anyone in the real estate market. Since REW’s national expansion, the number of sessions on the site has increased to 25 million so far.
"We’re very excited about the national expansion of REW and what this means for all Canadians looking to buy, sell or simply stay connected to the real estate market,” says Allen Moon, General Manager at REW. “Building upon our many years of success and learnings in B.C., we believe we can provide the optimal property search and insights experience for consumers and agents everywhere."
REW gives consumers access to full listing details, local market insights and agent directories, as well as open house and school catchment information. REW also offers a full suite of products for real estate agents and residential home developers to reach their target audiences. The company currently delivers over 40,000 leads per month to over 70,000 agents from 4,000 brokerages across Canada.
About REW
Real Estate Wire​ (REW) is a real estate marketplace and information hub throughout Canada. Whether you're buying, selling, learning, or simply perusing, REW provides you with a fast and easy home search experience, and arms you with the information and connections you need to take on your real estate goals.
Castanet - Feb 14, 2018 / 10:42 am | Story: 218873
Kelowna TV production company Visland Media is back with a new season of real estate themed television.
You may recall we featured Visland's Seller's Market on Castanet this past year.
Now, as a new season of its sister show, Realty Reality, awaits release, we're offering a sneak peek of Okanagan-focused episodes from the show's first two seasons.
We've also added a video player to our Real Estate page and have included a real estate section in our video archive, so you can catch up on the episodes in one handy location.
The series has also featured homes across B.C., and as the new season unfolds, you will see episodes from Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
Castanet - Feb 14, 2018 / 10:40 am | Story: 218871
​Kelowna TV production company Visland Media is back with a new season of real estate themed television.
You may recall we featured Visland's Seller's Market on Castanet this past year.
Now, as a new season of its sister show, Realty Reality, awaits release, we're offering a sneak peek of Okanagan-focused episodes from the show's first two seasons.
We've also added a video player to our Real Estate page and have included a real estate section in our video archive, so you can catch up on the episodes in one handy location.
The series has also featured homes across B.C., and as the new season unfolds, you will see episodes from Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
Castanet - Feb 14, 2018 / 10:38 am | Story: 218869
Kelowna TV production company Visland Media is back with a new season of real estate themed television.
You may recall we featured Visland's Seller's Market on Castanet this past year.
Now, as a new season of its sister show, Realty Reality, awaits release, we're offering a sneak peek of Okanagan-focused episodes from the show's first two seasons.
We've also added a video player to our Real Estate page and have included a real estate section in our video archive, so you can catch up on the episodes in one handy location.
The series has also featured homes across B.C., and as the new season unfolds, you will see episodes from Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
Castanet - Feb 14, 2018 / 10:35 am | Story: 218867
Welcome to Realty Reality.
Kelowna TV production company Visland Media is back with a new season of real estate themed television.
You may recall we featured Visland's Seller's Market on Castanet this past year.
Now, as a new season of its sister show, Realty Reality, awaits release, we're offering a sneak peek of Okanagan-focused episodes from the show's first two seasons.
We've also added a video player to our Real Estate page and have included a real estate section in our video archive, so you can catch up on the episodes in one handy location.
The series has also featured homes across B.C., and as the new season unfolds, you will see episodes from Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
Wilden’s brand new neighbourhood, Rocky Point, will hit the real estate market on July 11th, 2015, offering the closest to downtown lake view building sites in Kelowna. There will be a total of 83 lots at Rocky Point; 35 are being released in this first stage. The majority of the sites impress with spectacular views of Okanagan Lake, downtown Kelowna and Knox Mountain. Families living at Rocky Point will only be a 10-minute drive from downtown Kelowna and 15 minutes from the airport and university.
To get to Rocky Point you drive up to the Wilden Skylands, either from Union Road in Glenmore or from Clifton Road, then take a left turn into Wilden’s Lost Creek Neighbourhood. From there, Rocky Point Drive winds up Wilden’s west ridge offering a beautiful panorama of Wilden, neighbouring communities and finally the downtown area and Okanagan Lake. The road continues along the ridge, following the shoreline of the lake, until it ends in a cul-de-sac. The area is not yet open for public traffic but visitors can book a tour with the Wilden Sales Team.
Wilden has spent considerable time and effort incorporating a number of design and construction innovations in the development of this premium neighbourhood. Lots are arranged in a tiered style, offering the majority of homeowners an unobstructed view of Okanagan Lake – some of the best the valley has to offer. All lots are tucked away in a quiet, natural setting, and being a cul-de-sac, there is no through traffic.
Rocky Point lots are designed to accommodate home widths up to 70 feet. Many of them are level lots, allowing the main floor to flow directly to the backyard, pool and outdoor living space. Building guidelines allow for a wide range of home styles from classic to modern while still ensuring the nature-inspired, warm and inviting look that shapes the Wilden streetscape. To give buyers some inspiration, the Wilden team has been working with some of the best designers in the Okanagan to develop fresh new home styles that will blend harmoniously with the surrounding area. The new home design program called “Okanagan Modern” is currently being finalized.
All four of the Wilden Select Builders are well prepared to work with lot buyers on exceptional new homes. The Showhomes in Skyland Drive and Sky Court offer a wide array of inspiration. On July 11th, the day of the Rocky Point introduction to the public, a new Showhome in the Wilden Sky Parade will be opened as well. It is built by Chatham Homes, Wilden’s latest addition to the Select Builders program. Wilden Showhomes and Presentation Center are open daily from 1-5 pm except Fridays.
Ragnar Haagen - Dec 6, 2014 / 5:00 am | Story: 128210
Photo: The Canadian Press
The real estate market continues to hum along in the Okanagan, with sales activity in November up four per cent over last year.
It has shown no signs of slowing down as we get ready to enter 2015, with year-to-date improvement already up 24 per cent compared to 2013.
“While an early cold snap dampened sales activity last month and demand edged back after accelerating for most of the year, Okanagan-Shuswap home sales have already outperformed 2013 and we will finish the year off on a positive note,” says Darcy Griffiths, OMREB President.
“We experienced an extraordinarily busy summer and fast paced fall, and are now moving into the holiday season when activity typically slows down as winter sets in.”
The North Okanagan lead the way in November, with a 10 per cent improvement over the same time last year. That was followed by small growth in both the Central Okanagan (three per cent) and the Shuswap (one per cent).
The north zone also saw a 27 per cent rise in single family residential sales compared to last year, with levels remaining the same in the Shuswap and declining by eight per cent in the Central Okanagan.
“We are seeing more balance in our board area, but conditions in the Central Okanagan are still somewhat split between balanced and sellers’ markets with more demand than supply for homes priced below the $500,000 mark due to declining inventory,” Griffiths says.
“The North Okanagan market remains stable for both buyers and sellers, while the best value for buyers is in the Shuswap.”
She also reports that active listings have been on the decline for the past eight months and are currently 13 per cent lower than last November, meaning there have not been enough new listings added to keep up with demand.
The numbers continue to be hot in the Kelowna housing market, with sales activity up 15 per cent in October compared to 2013.
Overall property sales in the Okanagan-Thompson area (stretching from Peachland to Revelstoke) saw 706 units change hands last month, with 636 of those being residential sales.
“While October numbers were lower than the September highs, they were still well ahead of the seasonal average as home sales in the Okanagan-Shuswap market continue to outperform last year,” says Darcy Griffiths, President of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board.
“Spurred by pent-up demand, robust consumer confidence, and a steadily improving provincial economy, the strong upward year-over-year and month-over-month trajectory in our board area has continued for seven consecutive months. We are cautiously optimistic that this trend will carry onward and into 2015 as confidence builds, especially with the variety of positives in the region and their multiplying effect on our market.”
The market area is made of up three zones: Central (Peachland to Lake Country, North (Predator Ridge to Enderby), and Shuswap (Salmon Arm to Revelstoke) and each tend to fluctuate month to month among property types.
During the month of October, the Shuswap zone led the way with a 27 per cent improvement over 2013. It also saw a 50 per cent rise in single-family residential sales with 45 units changing hands, compared to 30. Sales in the Central (14 per cent) and North (12 per cent) were also well ahead of numbers from last year.
“The best value for buyers is still in the Shuswap, where there is more supply than demand and prices remain relatively low, despite confident local buyers coming back into the market,” Griffiths notes.
“Conditions in the Central Okanagan are in sellers’ market territory with more demand than supply in some areas – especially in homes priced below $500,000 where inventory is short – and a buyers’ market in the higher price category. On the other hand, the North Okanagan market remains stable for both buyers and sellers.”
According to the OMREB, the price of single-family homes is fairly steady in most areas, with modest gains seen in some locations where supply is tightening. They specifically point to the Central and North Okanagan where new listings are scarce with active listings currently 12 per cent lower than in October 2013.
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