Garden Media Group 2010 Garden Trends Report

The Who, What, Why & How of Trends
Global Consumer Trends
State of the Industry Trends
“ What’s Hot. What’s Not.”
for 2010 Garden Trends
How to Ride the Trend Wave
GMG Trend Sightings

Why Should Care about Trends?
Position your company as a trend leader
Consumers want what’s new and hot
Trends drive consumers and consumers drive sales

How do I apply these trends
Connect the dots to select or create new products, services or customer experiences
Attract customers “living the trends”
Speak the language in marketing, advertisings & PR

Let’s Look at What Global Consumer Trends Are Shaping Buying Habits And how to use them to motivate your customers

Top Global Consumer Trends
Social
Mindful
A-C-G-Generations
Eco-Bounty
Down-Sizing
Buy Local

Mindful is in.
Bling is out.
The collapse of greed and self-indulgence
A new patriotism of spirit – volunteering has trumped greed.
Shift from ‘Me’ to ‘We’
It’s a healthy consciousness that is bringing us back to the earth to be restored .
Bill Doeckel
Ball Innovations

A is for Ascending Generation
30-to-50 somethings
are redefining adulthood with their young-at-heart lifestyle
Driving demand for products made from recycled materials in sync with their focus on social and environmental issues.
Opportunity: Show them creative ways to sustain their lifestyle and express their individuality in the backyard
The A-Generation

The C-Generation
Content
Creative
Control
Sharing an experience is as valuable – if not more valuable – than the actual experience itself.
Opportunity: Provide personalized products, services, and solution information Offer venues for sharing gardening experiences

The 500 Pound Gorillas
350 million Facebook users – up 600%
50 million Twitter users - up 1,382%
17% “Matures” —63 to 75 — use Twitter regularly
Facebook users post 45 million updates daily
Nearly 28 million “tweets” daily
3 Years of content being uploaded daily to YouTube

The C-Generation: Mommies
Moms are spending time online searching for promotions and sharing opinions,
Of women with children at home
60.3% use Facebook
42.4% use MySpace
16.5% use Twitter.
Purchase Decisions:
93.6% regularly or occasionally seek advice
97.2% give advice
Retail Advertising and Marketing Association

The G-Generation
Reputation Economy
Sharing a passion and receiving recognition has replaced 'taking' as the new status symbol
Service Rocks! More people volunteering
Giving and donating is painless, if not automatic
Opportunity: Let customers co-donate and/or co-decide what causes to support.
Shift from “Me” to “We” Giving is the new taking, and sharing is the new giving!

Eco Bounty
A by-product of the on-line revolution
Save Our Society trend
Ecologically aware
Desire to build up society

Eco-Bounty 9 out of 10 are “green” in some form 59% working for a better environment 84.4% willing to pay more for “green” garden/landscaping supplies Being “green” is defined by personal actions & identified by a lifestyle

ECO-BOUNTY
Shift from eco-elitism to conservation and frugality
Opportunity: Show consumers how gardening is the ultimate “green” activity –
Plants are a good Value that support their environmental Values
The invention of necessity, CowPots now brokers Carbon Credits 2009 Conscious Consumer Study (LOHAS)

Re-inventing Happiness
Personal satisfaction and quality of life
Gardening is part of this ‘happiness trend’
Gardening = Luxury + Relaxation + Peace
Tending a garden helps people achieve higher levels of happiness  self gratification, self discovery

Down-Sizing
Median sq footage of new homes down 9% from 2,300 sq. ft. in 2006 to 2,100 sq. ft. in 2009 (NAHB)
What does this mean for gardening/landscape design-build professionals?
Large porches, decks, trees and flower beds– new bonus room.
Current homeowners staying put and investing in outdoor living spaces.

Housing Opportunity
According to a Gallup poll, landscaping can increase the overall value of a home by 7 to 15%.
A home worth $250,000 has the potential to increase to $287,500+++ with the right landscaping!
Opportunity: Show how landscaping protects and increases the value of their investment

New Homebuyers
All about community
Interested in the community of the whole word.
Instant answers to questions
Companionship
Control over information
Opportunity:
Offer “how to” workshops
Give venues to share success with others

“ Locavore” was first introduced in 2005
New Oxford American Dictionary named locavore the word of the year for 2007
Local is New Organic ‘ Lo-ca-vore’

Local is now the backyard
Clearly, the right plant from the right spot and for the right spot is on the consumer’s mind
Opportunity:
Promote locally grown
& native plants
as ideal for your yard
Local is the new organic

Buy Local
"Buy Local" campaigns increased holiday sales 3%, compared to 1.0% without Buy Local initiative.
80% said public awareness of the value of choosing locally owned businesses had increased in the last year
Opportunity: Position your business as a local provider

Local Marketing Opps
Target customers on line with
Set up Facebook Fan Page
Facebook ads
Use mobile devices and local Internet searches
Use one-to-one e-mail marketing to treat customers uniquely and individually

State of the Industry Things are looking up! Gardening is Back!

Nursery & Garden Stores U.S. Industry Report 2009
Products and techniques have experienced significant change in the last twenty years
Continued shift towards environmentally friendly products
Changes centered around organic gardening, using natural products
Key Industry Figures 2009 Industry Revenue *29,200 $Mil Revenue Growth *-6.7 % Industry Gross Product *4,814 $Mil Number of Establishments *14,892 Units Number of Enterprises *12,063 Units Employment *130,305 Units Total Wages *3,036 $Mil

Industry is promising:
Aging of the population
Increasing need for help
Outsourcing of landscaping services
Continuing franchising of the industry
Landscaping Services U.S. Industry Report 2009 Key Industry Figures 2009 Industry Revenue *52,390 $Mil Revenue Growth *-5.2 % Industry Gross Product *34,261 $Mil Number of Establishments *274,204 Units Number of Enterprises *272,611 Units Employment *1,139,538 Units Total Wages *19,219 $Mil

Product lines likely to do well in 2010?
Most garden centers expect business to be as good as this year, if not better .
Listed in “most cited” order
EDIBLE PLANTS
ORGANICS
Design/Service
Container Gardens
“ Green” Products
Water Garden
Irrigation
Herbs
Fountains
Décor
Composters
Birding
Native Plants
Predictions offered by 211 garden retailers

Main Street is in.
A new priority and the way we veiw $$$
Balancing practicality with comfort and fulfillment.
Responsibility, meaningful relationships and connectivity #1
“ Can-do” truly American spirit powered by a new sense of self-sufficiency

Main Street is in.
Renewed & nostalgic appreciation for our land
Have become caretakers rather than developers.
Certifying our backyard as a wildlife habitat
Sharing yards and gardens
Connecting to the soil . . . and each other
Sharing the bounty
Eating food that’s more nutritious, tastier and less costly

Younger couples embracing domesticity
SHE sews, knits, gardens - and even raises chickens
HE cooks and grows tomatoes
Veggie gardening up 19%
Seed sales up 30-50%
Canning jars up 15%
With LOHAS – Up 45%
Looking for value, price
& performance
Main Street Is In

Edible Gardens
"Instead of mowing your lawn, you should eat it."
Eric Schlosser
FAST FOOD NATION

Edible Gardens Are In.
Lawns are out
Replacing with gardens
Manicured lawns are serving no purpose
Want gardens to be productive, not just grass

Edible Gardens
Up 19% in participation
41 million+ (38%) grew a vegetable garden in 2009
19.5 million+ (18%) grew an herb garden
16.5 million (15%) grew fruits during the same period
7.7 million+ (7%) new edible gardeners

Edible Gardens
37% plans to increase their edible gardens in 2010
29% about the same
1% plant less
Supplement groceries
Why less?
lack of success 14%
cost 13%
loss of interest 8%
and time involved 4%
The Simple Garden makes it easy to grow herbs and veggies anywhere inside or out.

Blended Edible Gardens
Blended gardens are “productive spaces”
Mixing lettuces and parsley with the roses and petunias
“ I grew it myself.”
It’s hip, its cool, and its what gardens started out as!
Ethne Clarke
Editor in Chief, Organic Gardening
Rosalind Creasy Michael Pollan

It’s time to reclaim our land for our greater good.
Take that food-producing garden from the back 40 and put it wherever we want.
Reunite the ornamental with the edible—roses beside tomatoes, corn anchored by geraniums, azaleas under grapevines.
Margie Grace
APLD
2009 International
Landscape Designer of the Year
Blended Edible Gardens

Edible Gardens: Ornamental Fruit
Fruit-bearing shrubs used as ornamental shrubs –
Feed both the birds and the homeowners
4 seasons of color
Perennial – ‘foreverism’

Edibles: Smaller Plants
6-Packs are Back
Vegetables bred for containers--smaller size, less vining, still lots of production.
Diane Blazek
All American Selections

Edible Gardening: Swapping & Sharing
CSA’s increasing and full
Community Garden waiting lists lengthening
Plant swaps on the rise

Slow Gardening
Started with the Slow Food movement from the 90s
People taking more time to enjoy life, enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients and herbs
Burst of new hobby country farms and urban edible gardens
Grow it. Can it. Eat it.

GIY Trend continues -- growing plants from seeds or transplants
Veggie gardening up 19%
Seed sales up 30-50%
Canning jars up 15%
With LOHAS – Up 45%
Looking for value, price
& performance
Slow Gardening

Eco-Boosting 58% of LOHAS segment want to go “ beyond sustainable ” Boost the Environment. Work with Mother Nature. Natural Marketing Institute 2009 LOHAS Research

Eco-Boosting
Consumers think companies should focus on . . .
1 st -- Supporting people
2 nd -- Protecting the environment
Last -- Profitability
Opportunity:
Position your business as an eco-solution
Develop environmental programs families can easily adopt
Natural Marketing Institute
2009 LOHAS Research

Eco-Boosting: Biodiversity
United Nations Declares 2010
‘ International Year of Biodiversity’
A celebration of life on earth and the value of biodiversity for our lives.
Strive for a more sustainable use of natural resources
Preserve and increase natural habitats
Reduce climate change

Eco-Boosting: Chelsea 2010
"Biodiversity will be big this year and a lot of people will be tying in with that, including the RHS, which will have its own stand dedicated to it.”
Alex Baulkwill
Show Manager, RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Eco Boosting: Gardening for Wildlife
Consumers are feeling they have more of a role as:
naturalist
conservationist
and stewards of the earth
Opportunity: Educate, Educate, Educate
Help people fulfill their new purpose

Eco Boosting: Gardening for Nature
2008 NGA Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey
9 out of 10 households said it’s important to manage their lawns and gardens in an environmentally friendly way
53% know how to maintain their home lawn or garden using good environmental stewardship practices
30% don’t know how to care for their landscape in a way that is environmentally sound

Eco-Boosting: Perennials
Popularity increasing from the past decade
Increasing for low maintenance, low water use and low chemical needs
Drought tolerant and long blooming
“ foreverism” trend – the plants are “never done”
Early Bird Cardinal Centerton Nursery FUBUKI Hakonechloa 'Briform' USPPAF Briggs Nursery

Eco-Boosting: Gas vs Fire vs Solar
Gas vs. fire for garden elements. Natural gas burns clean...wood pollutes.
Susan Cohan
Certified landscape designer

Consumers want to telegraph their “green” credentials: hybrid cars and canvas shopping bags
ECO-ICONIC landscapes, living roofs & green walls
Eco-lifestyle satisfies consumers’ need for eco-status
Opportunity: Help consumers “show-off” their eco-credentials and tell their eco-stories
Eco-Ego Boosting: Eco-Iconic

Natives are the new “local”
Natives should rule the garden.
“ Nativar” – A cultivar and/or hybrid of a Native species.
Allan Armitage
Breeder and Author


Natives are the new “local”
Relatively unknown topic only a few years ago
Today a majority of the gardening public say they want to know more about natives
54% are highly interested in native plants
GWA Late June 2009

Natives are In.
Role of naturalist, conservationists and stewards of the earth
Circle-of-life
Native plants provide birds with a natural food source
The best plants for your state:
nwf.org/backyard/food.cfm
abnativeplants.com

Landscapes get 'green' ratings
1st national rating system for sustainable landscapes
Star rating scale measures several criteria, including landscaping with native plants to reduce maintenance, irrigation and use of pesticides
Opportunity:
Be part of the Sustainable Sites Initiative
www.sustainablesites.org

Multi-Tasking Goes High Tech
Tech Gadgets
Animal & Plant Cams
Water Saving technology

Multi-Tasking: Rain Gardens & HellStrips
Strip of dirt between the sidewalk and the street,
Notoriously hard to grow plants of any kind
Lack of water, heat reflected from paved surfaces, foot traffic, trash, and salt from winter snowmelt.
Plant with drought resistant, native plants in ¼” gravel for ) maintenance garden
HellStrip Portland Nursery

Multitasking Grows Goodness
Single purpose is out.
Luke Miller
Better Homes & Gardens
We’ll see more
multi-purpose shrubs
...ornamental, edible fruit.
‘ Pink Lemonade’ Vaccinium Briggs Nursery

Multi Tasking Grows Up
Vertical plantings hide an ugly wall
Vertical lines blur the borders of the garden
Living walls act as sound insulation
Green walls
provide a habitat
for wildlife.
At chelsea, the walls on this Fenchurch Garden are clothed in alchemilla mollis, grasses and sedums Sun Parasol Crimson

Multi Tasking Grows Green Walls
Plants producing oxygen
Plants remove 87% of VOCs - carbon dioxide
Plants purifying the air of indoor toxins
Plants beautify a space

Water is In. Water is Out.

Water is In and Out!
13 million households participated in water gardening
Offer water saving products – timed sprinklers, soaker hoses, rain barrels, rain water tanks, water-efficient nozzles

Water is In
Educate consumers on better land stewardship
Create a positive image
Promote your good practices
For tips & strategies, visit:
anla.org/waterwise
www.costafarms.com
www.epa.gov/watersense

Succulent Gardening "Succulent Container Gardens" Debra Lee Baldwin

Water is In
Water in the garden is an essential element
Fountains – water without the mess or maintenance
Add value
Plug & Play
“ I’m seeing lots of fountains- on tabletops and in the garden, and sometimes more han one. Adding a fountain to your garden, even a small fountain, is a great investment.”
Jon Carloftis
Garden Designer
Campania International

Outside In is In Extend nature’s influence by bringing the outdoors in Indoor houseplants Consumers concern for health benefits and indoor air quality The USDA saw a 19.3% increase in Foliage sales in 2007 Red Sister Cordyline Costa Farms Peace Lily Costa Farms

Outside In: At Home NASA scientists recommend at leaset one indoor plant for every 100 sq. ft of living space Indoor plants = healthy living Seeing more: Orchids Indoor herbs gardens Live plants for the holidays

Outside In: The Office
Peace lilies at the office.
Increase productivity
Increases biodiversity
Increases humidity
Increases attendance
Reduces stress
Reduces headaches
Reduces dry skin
Reduces fatigue
Indoor plants purify up to 87% of indoor air pollutants - VOCs

Outside In: O2 for You: Plants with a Purpose
Grass roots
Public service campaign
Educates about the health benefits of indoor plants
Opportunity: Shout the green message.
www.O2forYou.org

Color! Color! Color!
Turquoise: a color of deep compassion and healing, & a color of faith and truth

Purple! Purple! Purple!
Rhododendron ‘Florence Parks’

Purple! Purple!! Purple!!! ‘ Baptisia australis’ False Blue Indigo 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year

Color
“ I think we'll see much brighter colours
with dark, moody backdrops."
Andrew Duff
Director
Inchbald School of Garden Design
Rhododendron 'Rabatz‘ Briggs Nursery

Ride the trend wave with key suppliers, & with customers

How do I take advantage of trends
Stay up to speed with what’s new with consumers in general
Read related industry’s trade publications
Attend trade shows outside of the industry – home – gift – outdoor living

How do I take advantage of trends
Read fashion & home “trend setting” publications
Look at other “hot” retailers who “get it”
Start connecting the dots in your everyday life

How do I take advantage of trends with suppliers
Leverage relationship with suppliers at the top of the food chain
Use your sales rep
Set up channels of commutations with vendors to get news bulletins, press releases, images, etc.
Create an “As seen in “ program

How do I take advantage of trends with suppliers
Hold staff product knowledge workshops – either with vendors or by department
Find out what products are being “spotlighted” from the supplier’s end – what are they pushing to consumers?
Ask your customers to tell you what’s hot.
Develop a dialogue
Hold “what’s new” training with staff

How do I take advantage of trends with your customers
Position your retail store as the place for what’s new and hot
Use vendor’s press releases and images
Position yourself with the media as the expert on what’s new
Invite local, regional and national experts in for talks & demonstrations on what’s hot

Tap into your customers’ “collective brain” – tell their stories in pictures
Highlight new trends in the store, on your web, Facebook and newsletters
Involve the end users to share and participate in the creation of “products”
Build communities

How does GMG determine Garden Trends? We don’t just use a crystal ball

Eyes & Ears on the Pulse of the Industry

GMG Trends Report – How do we come up with the trends
First released 2001
We gather results from research reports from various industry sources
We look at home, fashion, retail, and consumer trends and research
We compare with industry and horticulture research

GMG Trends Report – How do we come up with the trends
Interview breeders, landscape designers, green industry leaders and garden media
Follow trends in other industries, including cultural trends, home, fashion, and technology
We visit lots of trial gardens across the country with key garden influencers
GMG Summer Road Tour with Southern Living

GMG Garden Trends Sources
TrendWatching.Com
National Gardening Survey
Garden Writers Association
Standpoint Marketing
Industry Data
L&G Trade Magazines
Consumer Magazines
Breeders & Growers
Garden Centers
Garden Media
Connecting Dots

The Bottom-Line on Trends
Ultimately,
the consumer determines
what they need
to try
& what they
must have
Make sure
You are keeping up!

Gardens feed the soul
Evoke all the senses! Create breath-takingly beautiful gardens
Rachel de Thame of the London Times sees
“ A shift in mood, a yearning to combine common sense with the equally important business of feeding the soul. In challenging times, what we need more than ever is the pleasure and comfort we find in beauty.
If you want to truly enrich your life, make your garden beautiful. Create something that makes you catch your breath as you step outdoors —
and tend it yourself as much as you are able.”

To download & reprint the GMG 2010 Garden Trends Report or view all Trend Reports, go to: GardenMediaGroup.com & Please remember to give GMG credit. [email_address] 610-444-3040 © 2010 Garden Media Group

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Garden Media Group 2010 Garden Trends Report

by Garden Media Group on Feb 05, 2010

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Garden Media Group 2010 Garden Trends Report — Presentation Transcript