August 2020 - 39

MARKET TRENDS
the vegetables for you! So, it's a combination sale:
vegetables and the pollinator plants to go with them.
This means the need for on-staff or on-site garden
coaches will continue to " grow " as we attract more
and more new gardeners to our beloved hobby. We do
want them to be successful so they
come back for more!
BEAUTY FOR DWELLINGS
We in the industry know what
a nice landscape can bring to a
home's value. It seems like, as the
population ages, they too place
more importance on adding beauty
to their homes.
When asked about the top reasons
why they buy plants, those under
the age of 35 buy them for their food
value, with beauty being the second
reason. Those over 35 said they buy
them for the beauty they bring, with
food value being the second reason.
Take home: There is certainly
an opportunity for providing more
plants that offer both beauty and food. There is a term
being used called " Ornamedibles " and that might be
a fun promotional and/or educational opportunity.
Show how something like oak leaf lettuce or Swiss
Chard can be used mixed in with annual or perennial
ornamentals. Or offer elegant containers for a front
yard that mix annuals and herbs.
VICTORY GARDEN 2.0
When the " Victory Garden Manual " was written in
1943 (by NGB founder James H. Burdett), reasons
to grow your own vegetables were obvious - it was
wartime and food was scarce. Statistics show that in
1943, nearly 40% of all fruits and vegetables grown
in the U.S. were grown in home and community
Victory Gardens.
As NGB celebrates its 100th anniversary, part of
the celebration includes the reintroduction of victory
gardening with quick and easy steps to plan and grow
your own vegetable garden. Dubbed " Victory Garden
2.0 " this blog and social media series interprets key
gardening tips from the 1940s for today's new and
amateur gardeners.
Take home: Look to Instagram hashtags to stay
on top of trends and look to programs like those
that National Garden Bureau and other non-profit
organizations offer to let us do the work for you! No
need to reinvent the wheel.
GARDENERS OF THE FUTURE
It may seem like younger people are somewhat
less active gardeners currently, as 11% of the
survey respondents under 35 said they've never
gotten their hands dirty - as compared with only
4% of those over the age of 35. Commonly it was
lack of time and space as their two biggest hurdles
to gardening.
But many younger gardener wannabes
hope to graduate from growing just
houseplants and succulents indoors to
becoming gardeners in the future: 58% said
they plan to graduate to growing flowers and
No matter which
demographic you serve,
be on the forefront by
offering herbs, fruits,
vegetables and other
edible plants.
over 65% said they plan to grow fruits and
vegetables in the future.
Take home: Offering new gardeners a
series of classes or products that easily take
them from " indoor succulent " to " outdoor
osteopermum " (sounds impressive, right?!)
might take the fear out of making that leap.
WHERE THEY GO FOR INSPIRATION
Is the internet responsible for more people
spending time indoors?
Maybe so, but it can also be a great source
of inspiration for future gardeners. While
gardeners over 35 look to magazines, books
and garden retailers for ideas, those under
35 largely browse Pinterest, Instagram, and
YouTube for information and
tips about developing their
green thumbs. However,
both groups talk to friends
and family for ideas and
inspiration about what -
and how - to grow.
Take home: Why not
provide a way for the two
groups to meet up and learn?
Pair up newbie gardeners
with your best customers
who have experience to
share so the newbies have
their own local mentor. After
all this social separation,
we're willing to bet that
people will crave community
and human interaction.
What do you think the garden of the future
will look like? Stay tuned as NGB presents
more results from this survey as we crossreference
consumer results with those from
industry participants.
For more information, tips, blogs and lots of
inspiring gardening ideas, visit ngb.org.
Diane Blazek is executive director of the
National Garden Bureau. She can be reached at
blazekdiane@gmail.com.
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GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 39
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August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2020
