The quarterly consumer surveys sponsored by the Garden Writers Association are always enlightening, and the 2011 Early Spring Gardening Trends Research Report is no exception. One trend that stood out for me was the continued downsizing of the vegetable garden. While 64% of survey respondents who have a garden plan to grow their own vegetables this year, nearly half of them will do so in a small plot of 10’ x 10’ or less.
In a similar albeit anecdotal vein, I’ve been noticing more and more searches for keywords like “elevated planter boxes” that signal an interest in easy-access gardening.
Even though vegetable gardening is enjoying renewed popularity, bear in mind that long-standing customers may be reducing their garden size and looking for less physically challenging options. At the same time, new gardeners are likely to start off tentatively, trying a few things in small plots or containers.
Keep an eye out for such shifts in your market. While the vegetable gardening category may be as strong as ever, modifying your marketing and merchandising strategies may still be called for.
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2 Comments
doesnt the reduced size in garden plots indicate that more vegetable gardeners are urban/city dwellers? As opposed to long-standing customers reducing their garden size, maybe it is more new gardeners with smaller yards.
Good question, Mary. I’m sure a fair number of the small plots are urban/city dwellers, and newbie gardeners are undoubtedly part of that group. But the same study reported that 5% fewer people were planning to add vegetable gardens in 2011, as compared to 2010 … so I’m guessing that newbie gardeners aren’t the primary driving force in the trend towards small gardens.