The coming year will be the best of times and the worst of times, trend spotters say, especially in the home and the garden.The worst-of-times part, of course, is due to the uncertain economy.

"Households will be making major lifestyle adjustments," said Ann Mack, director of trend spotting at the marketing communications firm JWT, "and many of these changes are likely to last beyond the recession.

"Consumers will find more value in what they already have, seek out products that give the most bang for the buck -- whether that means home-entertainment systems or solar energy -- and take up money-saving hobbies such as cooking and DIY projects."

The best of times? That will come in the trend toward going green, partly driven by the worsening economy but also driven by the heightened awareness of climate change.What's up for 2009? Here are some of the top developments.

Going green-"The No. 1 reason consumers look to go green is that it decreases operating costs," said Patti Prairie, chief executive of Brighter Planet, a company that helps consumers and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

"Green homes use 40 percent less energy than comparable homes."While some of the green movement affects new homes, even existing homes can become greener with better insulation, more efficient lighting and Energy Star appliances, she noted.

But going green doesn't just mean energy-efficiency."The whole ecologically friendly green movement is very much coming into the world of home furnishings," said Jaclyn C. Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations at the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

"For instance, there have been some incredible new sustainable materials recently, one where the foam in cushions is going from oil-based material to a soy ingredient that reduces the impact on the environment."There's a company that is taking beverage bottles and using that plastic as a fiberfill for cushions. Surprisingly, the cost is not extraordinary; it's right in range."

Making repairs-Homeowners will save money by becoming more practical, doing their own repairs and undertaking more ambitious do-it-yourself projects.In an October JWT survey, half of Americans said they were more likely to undertake a renovation project themselves now than they were a year ago.

"Rather than hiring a specialist for a leaky pipe or to paint the baby's room, you'll do it yourself," said Mack of JWT.Pushing that DIY trend, she said: "It's important to remember that this is the first recession when we have all these resources online for do-it-yourselfers.

"Now there are YouTube videos where you can watch someone actually doing that repair."Turning to solar-Solar power is finally getting price-competitive, with ventures such as SolarCity expanding throughout the United States and SunRun Solar Service of California installing and maintaining panels on homes.

But more builders will work all angles in taking advantage of the sun's rays, Prairie said.New-home builders are paying more attention now to orienting homes on-site to bring in natural daylight," she said. "That reduces lighting requirements and helps homeowners take advantage of breezes in the summer."

Buying efficient furniture-"If there is any overriding trend, it's functionality," Hirschhaut said. "Consumers want space in their home maximized with efficiency."When buying new pieces, the emphasis will be on furniture that can do more than one job."For people who need storage . . . there is an incredible range that offers great design and great functionality," she said.

In particular, "The home office category is really taking off in a variety of directions. There almost isn't a home today that doesn't include a computer."To that end, in small settings such as apartments, new coffee tables double as laptop ports, with tops that lift to become work surfaces, she said.

"Another manufacturer came up with a family communications center," Hirschhaut said. "It's a nice piece of furniture that I see being used inside the back door of a house as a central place to keep everybody organized."

Entertaining at home-A recent JWT survey found that 72 percent of Americans are spending more time at home entertaining themselves because of budget reasons; and 22 percent said they plan to invest in home entertainment during the next six months.

"We're not talking about people buying the fanciest entertainment systems but renting or buying a DVD rather than going to a movie," Mack said. "When you take into account what you pay for tickets and popcorn and soda, it adds up. So why not rent a movie?

"Games also will do well," Mack said. "A lot of people who have already bought a gaming console will look to add a little freshness to their arsenal with the latest greatest games.Choosing 'nativars'-As home gardeners become more informed about environmental concerns, one coming trend is toward the nativar, a variety or hybrid of a native species.

The Garden Media Group predicts that popular new hybrids will include the Grand Bleu caryopteris and the Little Joe joe-pye weed.Adding waterworks-Whether in fountains, waterfalls or fishponds, water will continue to turn more backyards into private oases in the coming year, the Garden Media Group predicts.

Water features such as fountains are showing up not only in the garden but also on tabletops, with the feng shui craze adding further impetus to the trend.SEEKING safety in celebrity-The popularity in celebrity branding on a host of household items shows no sign of slowing. The popularity of celebrity items isn't just because of homeowners identifying with their favorite celebrity, however.

"When names like Martha Stewart and others coordinate a whole home collection, consumers can be confident that the bed they've picked out mixes with a range of dressers and nightstands, and a chair or bench goes with it, too," Hirschhaut said.

"The room may have an eclectic feeling by mixing materials, surfaces and colors, but it feels as if it's professionally done. Consumers don't have to worry about making mistakes."Planting gardens-"The Greatest Generation" might feel nostalgic about victory gardens as they watch a repeat of the trend. According to a recent survey of garden writers, more than half of Americans planted vegetables in 2008, and seed sales have more than doubled.

A recent National Gardening Association survey showed that do-it-yourself lawn and garden activities were up more than a billion dollars from the previous year, to more than $35 billion.That means 2008 was the first year since 2002 in which lawn and garden sales have increased, the gardening association said.