Gen Z’s Martha Stewart Moment: Why Young People Are Going Back to the Garden
Move over, overpriced matcha and avocado toast — Gen Z is swapping out their screen-saturated lifestyles for something a little more pastoral. Instead of doomscrolling, they’re deadheading dahlias. Instead of espresso runs, they’re making elderflower syrup. Welcome to the rise of the Martha Stewart Aesthetic.
This movement — equal parts nostalgic and revolutionary — is blooming faster than backyard zinnias. It’s defined by backyard hens, fresh-baked sourdough, floral-print aprons, compost bins, and farm-fresh dinners served on thrifted china. The vibe is “Home & Garden meets TikTok,” and it’s quickly become the new blueprint for Gen Z’s idea of fulfillment and self-care.
Searches for “urban gardening,” “beginner homesteading,” and “cottagecore decor” have exploded by nearly 3,000% in the past year. Surprisingly, it’s not retirees or suburban families fueling the trend — it’s 20-somethings in urban apartments, cultivating potted tomatoes on fire escapes and sewing their own table linens from vintage fabric.
From Scroll Fatigue to Soil Therapy
What’s behind this sudden shift toward the homemade and homegrown? Experts say it’s the result of digital burnout.
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| Gen Z’s Martha Stewart Moment: Why Young People Are Going Back to the Garden |
“Gen Z was raised on screens, but now they’re looking for ways to unplug and reconnect — with themselves, with nature, and with tradition,” explains cultural trend analyst Maya Rutherford. “Climate anxiety, post-pandemic isolation, and constant online noise have created a longing for something slower, tactile, and emotionally grounding.”
In other words, they want more compost and less content.
But this return to simplicity isn’t exactly old-fashioned. Instead, it’s being reimagined through a digital lens. TikTok is overflowing with cozy garden tours and herbal tea tutorials. DIY homesteaders with large followings are turning skills like pickling and quilting into monetized brands. Etsy has seen a spike in sales of handmade beeswax wraps, botanical prints, and bread-proofing baskets.
It’s the slow life — curated, filtered, and perfectly postable.
Martha Stewart: Gen Z’s Surprising Muse
At the heart of this domestic renaissance is none other than Martha Stewart, once the ultimate symbol of Boomer homemaking, now reborn as a Gen Z icon.
Stewart’s trademark blend of elegance, resourcefulness, and unapologetic attention to detail has become aspirational once again. Young people are embracing her ethos — not as a return to outdated gender roles, but as an empowering form of self-sufficiency and self-expression.
“She makes domesticity feel powerful, not passive,” says Lila Thompson, 24, who transformed her tiny Brooklyn balcony into a thriving herb garden. “For me, growing my own food or sewing my own curtains isn’t about being traditional — it’s about reclaiming control over my space and time. It’s almost radical now.”
Even Stewart herself is in on the resurgence. “Homemaking has always been an art,” the 83-year-old recently told reporters. “I’m thrilled to see the next generation embracing it.”
Cottagecore Meets Capitalism
But as with all trends, the market has taken notice.
Major retailers are cashing in: Anthropologie recently launched a countryside living collection, IKEA rolled out compact gardening systems for small spaces, and Home Depot reports a noticeable bump in compost bin and raised bed sales — much of it coming from customers in their 20s and 30s.
Influencers are also getting their cut. Monetized content around “slow living,” DIY projects, and homegrown wellness routines are becoming full-time businesses. From Patreon-exclusive fermenting guides to brand deals for linen apron lines, the Martha Stewart Aesthetic has evolved into an aesthetic and an economy.
Some critics argue this monetization cheapens the original intent, turning authenticity into performance. But fans don’t mind the blend of beauty and practicality.
“Why can’t it be both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing?” Thompson shrugs. “If I grow tomatoes and they look good in golden-hour light, I’m posting them. That doesn’t make the tomatoes any less real.”
More Than a Trend — A Cultural Rewriting
What makes this movement stand out from past lifestyle fads is the deeper value system at its core. This isn’t just about pretty gardens and sourdough starters — it’s a quiet rejection of hustle culture, fast fashion, mass consumption, and digital overload.
Gen Z is planting roots — literally and figuratively — in a way that emphasizes sustainability, creativity, and mental health. Practices like shinrin-yoku (Japanese forest bathing), community gardening, backyard beekeeping, and zero-waste kitchens are all part of a broader cultural shift toward intentional living.
“It’s not escapism,” says Rutherford. “It’s reconstruction. Gen Z isn’t trying to flee modern life — they’re reshaping it to include more care, connection, and calm.”
Conclusion: Romanticizing the Everyday
In a world that feels increasingly chaotic, the Martha Stewart Aesthetic offers a welcome counterbalance — one that blends timeless domestic rituals with modern values. It celebrates the beauty in the mundane and the power of small, slow moments.
So whether you’re hand-washing vintage linens, drying lavender bundles, or harvesting your first cherry tomato, you’re not just participating in a trend — you’re reclaiming a lifestyle. And if you look great doing it? All the better.
Gingham apron on, garden shears in hand — Gen Z is romanticizing reality, one homegrown habit at a time. And Martha would absolutely approve.
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