Open Register

Gardening success hangs by a string

It’s done. All my vegetables are planted: onions, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro. Heck, my 5-year-old even planted some old potatoes in the front flower bed, and they’re coming up. Yep. All is well in my little urban produce patch. But, it never fails, we’re expecting a freeze tonight. Ah, the joys of Texas weather.

It’s no big deal for me. I’ve been doing this gardening thing for a while. I know the precautions I need to take to protect my seedlings. But that’s probably not the case for the novice gardeners out there who have been sucked into the “recession garden” trend. If they’re lucky, they bought their veggie starts from a progressive garden center that will send them an e-mail alert listing steps they need to take to protect their plants. But I suspect quite a few will be scratching their heads a few days from now wondering why their new veggie patch is performing so poorly.

It’s a timely reminder that gardening success hangs by a string. Getting customers in the door is one thing, but enticing them to return is quite another. It only takes one bad experience, one failure, to make people think that gardening is a waste of time and money. Garden centers have to make sure they provide advice — a reality check, if you will — to counter the hoopla surrounding the latest fads.

Consumer trends change like the weather. Retailers have to do what they can to generate real interest and dedication to a hobby before the winds shift. It might freeze here tonight, but the day after tomorrow it’s supposed to be 80 degrees. Let’s cultivate new gardeners while the sun shines.

-- Sarah

Even more news from the veggie front

OK, folks. I know we’re all fully aware that vegetable gardens are the “in” thing this year. But I just had to pass along this article on “recession gardens” that was posted on CNN.com.

As the mother of two young children, I really appreciate this quote from the story:

Susan Hopper, a 41-year-old elementary school teacher in Tampa, Florida, said she started a garden last year, partly to teach her family and her students about the food chain. “I have three children of my own, and they think chicken comes in tenders and nuggets,” she said. “I was concerned about their health, and I wanted them to understand that food is a process that we’re a part of, and it just doesn’t come in neat packages.”

While we’re on the subject of vegetable gardening, you might want to cruise over to view this report from the National Gardening Association. It’s a comprehensive look at the association’s “Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America” survey. Lot’s o’ good stats and insights on consumer behavior.

Happy Spring!

-- Sarah

Slow Gardening movement saunters ahead

Felder Rushing, a horticulturalist and radio-show host, has become the face of the “slow gardening” movement, The New York Times reported. The term comes from the Slow Food movement, whose adherents believe in using local ingredients harvested in an environmentally responsible way. The Slow Gardening doctrine calls for gardeners to relax, take their time and follow seasonal rhythms, instead of doing everything at once — an urge that’s especially prevalent in early spring.

-- Sarah

Food gardening is hot now. Is the trend here to stay?

The consumer and trade press have been saying vegetable gardening will be the in thing in 2009. Now we’ve got some numbers to prove it.

Yesterday I sat in on the 5th annual Garden Writers Web Teleconference—The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America. The session opened with Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association (NGA), who provided some facts and figures that will be of particular interest to garden retailers.

NGA conducted a survey in January asking about 2008 food gardening activities and plans for 2009 activities. Here are some highlights:

• In 2008, 36 million households (31%) had a food garden. In 2009, 43 million households (37%) plan to have a food garden.

• 21% of households will start food gardening in 2009.

• Among households that plan to start a food garden in 2009, 11% intend to start growing herbs; 10% will start growing vegetables in containers; 5% will start a vegetable garden; 4% will start growing fruits or berries.

• 1 in 3 households surveyed were motivated to grow food because of the economy. However, the recession is just one of the many trend-drivers, suggesting the interest in food gardening may continue to increase, even after the economy improves.

Craig Humphries, director of consumer research for Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., has drawn a similar conclusion based on research conducted within his company. Calls to the Scotts Miracle-Gro’s consumer helpline regarding vegetables spiked considerably in 2008. He’s also seen other indicators that point to long-term interest in food gardening.

Consumers are still paying high prices for fresh produce, even though costs in that realm have stabilized a bit over the past year. The ability to raise tasty, fresh produce for a fraction of what you pay in the grocery store still has a lot of appeal. Plus, gardeners can feel secure from E. coli and other food-borne pathogens that have made headlines recently.

You’re also seeing more people looking for home-based activities, Humphries said. He noted that the trend-watcher/futurist Faith Popcorn has seen the emergence of “ubercocooning”—the next iteration of the cocooning phenomenon seen after 9-11.

There’s hope that the increase in vegetable gardening will lead to more interest in community gardening and initiatives to pass along surplus produce to food banks (through programs like Plant a Row for the Hungry).

OK. We’ve laid out a bunch of facts, figures, assumptions and conclusions. Now let’s hear what you’ve got to say. Do you think the resurgence in food gardening is more than a one-year fad? What are you doing to keep the momentum going? Leave us a comment below.

-- Sarah

Speaking of seeds…

Retail nurseries in the Grand Valley area of Colorado are anticipating strong sales of seeds and vegetable starts, the Grand Junction Sentinel reported. Bookcliff Gardens nursery retail store manager Dennis Hill said he plans to bump production of vegetable and herb plants by 15 to 20 percent. “We think folks are going to be a lot more interested in it this spring. When the economy is like this, people tend to hunker down,” Hill said.

-- Sarah

NRF predicts decrease in Valentine’s spending, overall retail sales

National Retail Federation’s 2009 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey found that consumers plan to spend an average $102.50 on Valentine’s gifts and merchandise, down from last year’s $122.98 per person. Total Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $14.7 billion.

Most people will still buy traditional favorites even though they plan to spend less. Over one-third (35.7%) of people will buy flowers, nearly the same as last year’s 35.9%, and 16 % will buy jewelry, compared to16.6% in 2008.

NRF also released its 2009 economic forecast, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will decrease 0.5% from last year.

“Most of the consumer behavior we saw in 2008 will continue well into this year,” said NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. “Shoppers will be seeking value and trading down to discount and off-price retailers in order to stretch their purchasing power.”

-- Sarah

Color of the year popping up everywhere

Mimosa yellow, Pantone’s color of the year is popping up everywhere it seems. The Washington Post recently reported that this hue should be popular in home furnishings. Even plant producers are hitching onto this bandwagon. Anthony Tesselaar plants recently noted that its Flower Carpet Amber rose is practically a spot-on match with Mimosa yellow. And Proven Winners is touting several container combos that prominently feature this hot shade.

-- Sarah

Food contamination feeds locavore movement

The recent salmonella scare tied to peanut butter and the desire to “eat local” should increase interest in backyard vegetable gardening, according to a Chicago Tribune article.

Reporter Beth Botts spoke with several green-industry experts who are predicting strong sales for vegetable seeds and garden supplies. “The increase in interest is a warning to all gardeners to get their seed and transplant orders in early,” the story said. “Last year, in catalogs and garden centers, "There was a run on seeds, and vegetable plants were the first to go off of garden center shelves”

-- Sarah

Is this what outdoor rooms have come to?

I had a rare quite moment on Saturday, so I flipped the TV to DIY Network where I was treated to an episode of “Indoors Out.”

I was sucked in, watching the contractors create a beautiful stonework patio and fireplace surrounded by stately arborvitae. A comfy outdoor couch and chairs were the finishing touch. Or at least that’s what I thought.

I didn’t see the first part of the show, so I didn’t realize the designers were striving to create an outdoor media room. My mouth hung open as the contractors placed an $8,500 specially made outdoor TV atop a beautiful marble-topped table.

A mondo big-screen TV. Outside. What?

It seemed way over-the-top and downright decadent to me. Sacrilegious even! How could you ruin a peaceful outdoor retreat with an obnoxious TV? I’m sure the neighbors will love overhearing strains from "Shrek the Third" as they try to relax by their water garden.

I believe the entire project cost around $30,000. Which, in my neck of the woods, would almost cover the costs to add a room to the house. Where a less-expensive TV could be safely ensconced out of earshot.

-- Sarah

Consumer attitudes on organics reported in winter survey

News from the organics front, courtesy of Garden Writers Association Foundation:

Not too long ago, organic gardening was just beginning to attract public attention. Its dedicated followers represented an estimated 8%-10% of the lawn & garden market -- far from the mainstream of gardening products and activities. Even when the organic foods industry began gaining public attention and support, organic gardening maintained a small, but vocal, presence in the background until recent years. As environmental, economic, social and other issues change public attitudes on a variety of topics, the organic gardening movement has grown.

As part of its ongoing efforts to identify gardening issues and story opportunities for gardening communicators, the GWA Foundation conducted a national consumer survey to determine current attitudes on organic gardening and organic gardening products. Here is a brief summary of the survey results:

• Generally speaking, consumers equate the term "organic" as having some real meaning or value; however, 70% equate it with being "costly to buy."

• About one quarter (26%) of consumers think that "natural" products are not as good as organic products. One in five consumers (18%) think natural products are the same as organic products, while 5% believe that natural products are better than organic products.

• Most (80%) consumers say they would use more organic products if they knew that they could get an effective result for no additional cost.

• Sixty percent (60%) say that they would use more organic products if they could be convinced that organics are just as effective as non-organic products.

• A sizable number of consumers (55%) say that they would like to use organic products more if they could simply find them in a store. A similar number (53%) say that they would use more organic products if they understood what to buy and how to use it.

Overall, topics that have the highest level of interest for consumers (that is, topics rated as either "very high" or "high") are those that involve buying organic products in stores and those that involve growing their own organic products.

• Buying organic products in stores (44%)

• Growing your own organic products (36%)
• Doing organic lawn care (31%)
• Growing non-edible organic flowers and shrubs (29%)