This year, gardening is taking on new life. Google Trends shows that people in the U.S. are ditching perfectly manicured plots for something with a little more whimsy. Searches for “chaos flower garden” — that is, a garden with a random scattering of flowers, herbs and vegetables — first broke out in 2025 and have peaked again this year. Search interest for “how to start a chaos garden” rose 140% this spring and interest in “chaos garden seeds” doubled.
People are also looking to maximize small spaces. Searches for “mini garden” hit an all-time high in 2026 and “tabletop garden” just hit a 15-year high.
No matter what kind of green space you’re growing, think of Google as your digital tool shed. Here are five ways Search can help you plant, plan and problem-solve.
1. Visualize a garden in your space with AI Mode in Search
Sometimes it can be tough to see the potential in a patch of dirt or empty corner. That’s where your camera can be your best planning tool. Simply take a picture of your space, upload it to AI Mode in Search and prompt it with something like, “This is my apartment patio. Help me find the best spot to put a mini greenhouse for herbs and show me what that looks like. Note: my patio is south-facing and gets a lot of afternoon sun.”
