Study Shows New Gardeners Will Continue to Plant and Spend More in 2024
Various industry sources including the National Gardening Association estimate that 15 to 18 million people have begun gardening since 2020. Will the gardening industry keep these new entrants? A study released by Axiom Marketing earlier this month shows positive signs that new and novice gardeners will expand their gardens, plant more, spend more money, and spend more time gardening in 2024.
The study surveyed 300 new and novice gardeners who’ve gardened four years or less, own a home, and purchased a garden plant in 2023. Of these respondents, 73.8% were between the ages of 19 and 41. Seventy-three percent reported having gardened “two to four years,” and 26% reported gardening for this “first time.” Forty-nine percent characterized themselves as “casual gardeners,” and 39% described themselves as “beginning gardeners.”
Key findings of the new study include:
- 83.1% of respondents were highly satisfied or satisfied with the quality of their flowers, fruits, and vegetables
- 70.8% of respondents felt very successful or successful in their garden activities
- 69.7% of respondents said they will plant more and expand their gardens in 2024
- 52.1% of respondents said they will spend more time gardening in 2024 compared to 2023, and 34.5% said they will spend the same amount of time in 2024 as in 2023
- 48.3% of respondents say they will spend more money on gardening in 2024 compared with 2023, and 40.5% said they will spend the same amount of money in 2024 as in 2023
“Feelings of success and satisfaction are integral to keeping new and novice gardeners involved in gardening,” says Mike Reiber, Axiom Marketing CEO. “It’s great news for the industry that our respondents plan to expand their gardens, plant more, spend more money, and spend more time gardening in 2024. This bodes well for 2024 and beyond; however, it will be important to continue to learn more about their needs, desires, and shopping habits.”
According to Reiber, several key findings relating to needs, desires, and shopping habits include:
- Desire to buy plants that produce lots of blooms, vegetables, and fruits – 53.6% say this is their most important characteristic about the plants they purchase.
- Willingness to drive long distances and pay more for the plants they want – 40.8% will drive 6 to 10 miles to find their desired plant. 74.5% will pay more for the specific color of flower or specific variety of vegetable plant.
- Organically and locally grown plants important – 7 in 10 respondents say organically and locally grown plants are extremely important or important.
- Shop national retailers, not independent garden centers – 72% say they purchased most of their 2023 garden plants and 81.3% purchased most of their garden supply purchases at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart.
For more information on the 2024 Axiom New and Novice Gardener Study, download the report here.
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