What’s Important to New Gardeners? Find Out in This Study

By Greenhouse Grower staff|February 9, 2024

New gardeners are bullish on gardening in 2024, according to a new study completed by Axiom Marketing.

“New gardeners are highly satisfied and feel successful with their 2023 gardening pursuits,” says Mike Reiber, Axiom CEO. “Seven in 10 respondents will plant more and expand their gardens in 2024. One in two respondents will spend more time gardening and more money in 2024.”

Key Axiom study findings about needs, desires, and shopping habits of new gardeners for the 2024 shopping season include:

Desire to buy plants that produce lots of blooms, vegetables, and fruits: 53% say this is the most important characteristic about the plants they purchase.
Willingness to drive long distances and pay more for the plants they want: 41% will drive 6 to 10 miles to find their desired plant, and 75% will pay more for the specific color of flower or specific variety of vegetable plant.
Organically and locally grown plants important: 70% 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 at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart and 81% purchased most of their garden supplies at these same retailers.
Brands remain important: 39% say national brand is the most influential purchase factor for plants.

Axiom recruited 300 new gardeners who’ve gardened four years or less, who own a home and who purchased a garden plant in 2023. Of these respondents, 74% were between the ages of 19 and 41; 74% reported having gardened two to four years; and 26% reported gardening for the first time. One in two characterized themselves as casual gardeners, and 39% described themselves as beginning gardeners.

To download the 2024 Axiom New Gardener Study, click here.