A good thing — apparently, it's going to be a Martha Stewart summer

Pull on your smartest gardening gloves, round up your backyard chickens and prepare to entertain your guests with a rustic farmhouse-inspired dinner party, because, apparently, it's going to be a Martha Stewart summer.

A new Pinterest trends report says searches for "Martha Stewart aesthetic" are up nearly 3,000 per cent this season, as plugged-in Generation Z, essentially, wants to touch grass. 

"Gen Z specifically is looking to reconnect with the world around them in all aspects of their lives," notes the June 4 report, adding that users are looking to ditch their screens and experience digital detoxes.

"The 'Martha Stewart aesthetic' will take centre stage as people embrace garden-to-table cooking, flower gardens and fresh summer recipes, channeling the iconic tastemaker's lifestyle." 

According to the social media platform, searches for "farmhouse cottage interiors" are up 370 per cent, "farm cottage aesthetic" are up 911 per cent, and "garden cottage aesthetic" are up 657 per cent.

As the Martha Stewart website points out, "Martha's Bedford farm is a cornucopia of good things, so it's not surprising that Pinterest users are looking to her for gardening inspiration."

People are also searching more for harvest recipes, backyard vegetable gardens, flower gardens, summer detox drinks, vintage garden parties and, specifically, "martha stewart dinner recipes" and even "martha stewart chicken coop."

A search for "Martha Stewart aesthetic" on Pinterest brings up pins about cooking fresh asparagus, organizing your (many) woven baskets, serving fresh tartlets on vintage china platters, crafting, growing lilacs, and cottage-core pyjamas. 

TikTok searches produce similar imagery of lush gardens and tutorials on how to achieve Stewart's iconic look (rattan placemats, good china sets and blue hydrangeas — if you were wondering).

'It's a Martha girl summer'

Nostalgia for a simpler time or getting back to basics —  although perhaps not always as extreme as escaping to a rustic cottage to frolic among the lilacs — has been increasingly popular lately, regardless of Stewart and her fresh herbs and brick floor mudroom.

In an otherwise online world, film cameras, flip phones, records, DVDs and VHS have all made a comeback as people crave physical devices and media. People have also been pining for paper maps, stationery and letter-writing, worried they might become a lost art.

Multiple studies have reported that Generation Z wants to unplug, has digital fatigue or feels stressed and anxious by the constant stream of online notifications. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians aged 15 to 24 were the most likely to spend more than 20 hours per week on general internet use in 2022, but also the most likely to report taking a break or reducing their time spent online.

So perhaps it's hardly a surprise that a growing number of them are keen on taking up "cute summer crafts," according to the Pinterest report, as well as looking into homesteading and considering raising chickens.

"It's a Martha girl summer," notes the Martha Stewart official website. "Martha is influencing the influencers."

But as some of her fans point out, the Martha Stewart aesthetic isn't just a trend — it's a way of life. Stewart has been a lifestyle icon and household name since the 1980s, when she published her first cookbook, Entertaining. From there, she's built an empire of magazines, housewares, television shows and books.

"The girls in the know know that Martha has always been that girl," a fan wrote in the comments of a Martha Stewart instagram post.

"I had Martha girl summers way back in the '90s, when it wasn't 'trending' and I couldn't post about it!" wrote another.

"Always said: she is the OG influencer," commented another fan.