Discretionary dollars may be down, but interest in gardening is up. To capitalize on this, growers need to become better tuned to the ayes and nays of the end consumer.
“Growers may feel far removed from end-users, but they certainly have a stake in every sale a landscaper or retailer makes,” said Bridget Behe, professor of horticultural marketing at Michigan State University.
2010 saw a strong interest low-maintenance landscapes, native plants, drought-tolerant plants and rain gardens, according to a survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Native plants also ranked high in a survey commissioned by the Garden Writers Association (GWA). The group asked consumers who have a lawn or garden to rate their interest level in organic gardening, water conservation, native plants, web-based gardening information, sustainable gardening and garden blogs.
See more of our January story here.