Prep for Your 2023 Garden With These Expert Insights

One local garden center expert gives the dirt on creating your most beautiful outdoor space yet.

The beautiful weather is in full swing, which means outdoor entertaining and relaxing are back—with gorgeous gardens and spaces to do so, of course. Here, Primex Garden Center’s (primexgardencenter.com) garden coach Tom Horn chats this year’s outdoor trends, pollinator gardens and native plants to incorporate now.

What are some of the top trends you’re seeing right now in the gardening space?

People are really focused on pollinator gardens. I’ve gotten a lot of questions this year about how to attract more wildlife and pollinators to their gardens, as well as adding some beauty and interest—which there is a way of doing both. … I’ve also had a lot of people interested in adding edible plants to their garden as well. Not only are they functional, but edible plants do have some beauty evolved with them and you can mix them with ornamentals too, to kind of break things up.

According to Horn, spending more time in the garden will provide more benefits than just a pretty space. “Gardening should be enjoyable, so don’t stress out over the things you can’t control. In a strange way, working in the garden will help you relax by giving you an escape from the everyday stress of life,” he says.

What is a pollinator garden?

Native plants are key to pollinator gardens—more plants that are indigenous to this area and will attract more beneficial insects and butterflies, hummingbirds and things like that. The best way to do this is to understand the light situation that you’re working with, and what kind of soil you’re working with.

What are some native plants to the Pennsylvania area?

Coneflowers are a really popular one. It hits the trifecta where you will see bees, butterflies and birds all feeding off that plant, and they’re a daisylike flower. They’re a little taller, upright… but if you’re a bird lover, goldfinches especially love the seed heads on those, and they will spread the plant for you with distributing the seed as well. The other thing a lot of people use a lot are the rudbeckias; people call them black-eyed Susans. … And asters too. A lot of people forget about asters until the fall, but that is something that is a great utility plant and flowers late in the season into the fall, and gives you that extended season.