A majority of consumers (58 percent) plan to grow edible plants next year, according to a report recently published by the Garden Writers Association Foundation (GWAF). The organization’s 2014 October Gardening Trends Research Report goes on to state that, of those not planning to grow edible plants in 2015, over one-third (37 percent) said it is because they simply do not garden.
Nearly one in five Americans (17 percent) reported that they will not grow plants because they moved to a home where gardening is not possible, while 9 percent said it is too much work. Other challenges cited include time, cost, irrigation, and insect, disease and wildlife control.
On the positive side, among the 75 million gardening households in the U.S., this year more than two in five consumers (44 percent) said that they grew edible plants in the ground, while 15 percent used containers. Almost one-third (32 percent) grew edible plants both in the ground and in containers.
While the edible gardening trend remains strong, these survey results show that there is still much room for growth. To help convert non-growers into gardeners, OAN members can use the resources provided by the Plant Something campaign to promote the health and lifestyle benefits of gardening.
