GWAF Survey Reports Summer Gardening Trends
The Garden Writers Association Foundation (GWAF) has released the 2007 Summer Gardening Trends Research Report with insights on consumer gardening attitudes and expectations for the current gardening season.
In early spring, the GWAF asked consumers where they planned to buy most of their spring plants. More households indicated they planned to shop at garden centers and local stores (47 percent) as compared to DIY and mass merchants (44 percent). This change in planned shopping patterns represented a significant shift from prior years.
In a June survey, the GWAF asked consumers where they actually purchased most of their spring plants. Consumers confirmed that garden centers or local gardening stores got 43 percent of their business, while mass merchants and DIY received 39 percent.
Some of the other summer gardening trends include :
- One in four consumers (23 percent) want more information about annual vs. perennial flowers, 22 percent want information on vegetable gardening, 20 percent on pest control, 19 percent on weed control, and 19 percent on organic gardening.
- When comparing 2006 to 2007, more Americans have no plan to save water this year (31 percent in 2006 vs. 39 percent in 2007).
- Almost half (47 percent) do some form of container gardening.
- This summer, about half of consumers will use their garden for relaxation or as a spiritual retreat (48 percent). More than a quarter of consumers are planning to use their garden or yard for food production or as a children’s area (28 percent and 26 percent, respectively).
The summer gardening survey was conducted in June and covers consumer expectations and attitudes for activities and purchases planned for the next few months. The survey was conducted by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, a national consumer polling organization, and statistically represents the attitudes of 110 million households with an accuracy of 95 percent (+/- 3.1 percentage points).
The 2007 Summer Gardening Trends Research Report is now available online for free to all GWA Members. For more information visit the Garden Writers Association website at www.gardenwriters.org and select the Gardening Trends Research tab. Choose 2007 reports and follow the online instructions. For further information, contact the GWA at 703.257.1032 or info@gardenwriters.org.
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