Why the Prospects for Container Gardening in 2023 Are a Mixed Bag

By HC Companies|February 18, 2023

The horticulture container industry has seen rapid growth in the grower and retail segments over the last couple years, driven by the insatiable demand from consumers to beautify their outdoor spaces during the recent global pandemic. While the need for plant containers was encouraging for the garden industry over the last few years, many wonder if its longevity will extend into the spring of 2023.

A recent blog post from HC Companies notes that homeowners perceived their ability to customize and beautify their outdoor spaces as a true lifeline during the pandemic’s quarantine restrictions. These gardening trends continued to flourish well into the spring of 2022, with a Sullivans Home Décor Consumer Behavior Survey revealing that 82% of participants were planning on further enhancing their outdoor spaces, while 59% had increased the usage of their outdoor spaces dramatically over the last two years.

Moving into 2023, new data released by the University of Georgia (UGA) suggests that the demand for plant containers, and other products associated with the garden industry, will probably decrease in popularity. Benjamin Campbell, the study’s lead author, and an Associate Professor at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, says, “You had low interest rates, so you had a lot of people refinancing, which gave them money to invest in their homes. You had people at home looking for something to do, whether by themselves or with their kids. That led to a huge demand for plants.”

The horticulture industry is already seeing signs of decline for plant containers as the gardening trends which once helped popularize the entire garden industry begin to normalize. One bright spot for the industry, however, is a growing concern over food security. About 14% of respondents from the University of Georgia study said they planned to garden more to help lessen their anxiety regarding food shortages while combatting rising costs. Many are turning towards container gardens for their food crops as they require less space, are ideal for novices, allow you to bring plants indoors, save on water, and make it easier to manage pests and diseases, to name a few.

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