As spring blooms across the U.S. after a long dark, wet cold winter in most of the country gardeners are firing up their browsers (not a typo) and looking for inspiration for that next award winning zucchini or azalea.
You are not alone green thumb geeks. We’ve had a huge resurgence in gardening the last five years – Stewart Brand take note – it’s a back to the roots movement, driven in part by the an embrace of healthy living and for some, as a way to save money.
In the last five years we’ve seen an increase from 36 million households in 2008 to over 48 million in 2014 who are actively gardening.
And, millennials are embracing gardening, they are the fastest growing segment of the population, with over 17 million “green thumbs” and like every coming of age demographic, driving an estimated $3.5 billion in gardening related products and services.
- One in three households are growing their own food, the highest level we have seen in a decade.
- Americans spent over $3.5 billion in gardening products and services in 2013, up from $2.5 billion in 2008, representing a 40% increase in five years.
- Vegetarians take note, 76% of all households with a garden were growing veggies.
- From 2008 to 2013 (most recent survey), the number of actual home gardens increased by 4 million to an estimated 37 million households and shared community gardens grew from 1 to 3 million, a 200% increase.
What’s Driving the Green Gardening Movement?
We have become a #DIY nation and maybe some of this can be attributed to the rise in high value content via bloggers and on YouTube, where you can find a DIY instruction on any aspect of gardening.
Water has become so expensive, especially for those in the West. The “water footprint” found in food varies tremendously, with a much greater usage of water in animal related products versus vegetables.
Like everything, food consumption included, we are a cost conscious nation and raising your own vegetables, versus paying for them in a store with embedded higher and higher costs for water makes a lot of sense to many.
Some attribute the improved economy and the “leadership” by the White House including the “Let’s Move” program and Michelle Obama’s focus on publicizing why healthy food consumption is important to our youth. You be the judge, I think the overshadowing issue has and will continue to be the economy.
Who doesn’t love to dig in the dirt? We all do, maybe it can be attributed to our childhoods, I don’t know.
But, gardening is good for you; reducing your stress levels (it’s a Zen thing), connecs you back to “mother earth” and helps you burn off calories. No, it’s not akin to running a half marathon. But, get out there and “root” around, it’s good for you.
Is there a better way to bond with a kid than getting out in the garden and doing stuff together? I don’t think so.
Anything that gets those devices out of their hands and gets them in the dirt is a good thing. And, don’t forget, your doing something that’s going be meaningful and enjoyable over a long period in time. See: gestation cycles of tomatoes as a reference guide.
In this always on, smartphone driven, social connected world we all live in there is no shortage of sites for researching how to start your own garden, hire and research a contractor, save money on tools or even spending in soil samples for analysis by mail.
The freshest food you’ll ever have is going to come from your backyard right? Unless you are growing coco beans in your yard for homemade chocolate chip cookies, your garden will be full of fruits and vegetables, which are the healthiest food you can eat.
One of the best things about gardening is you can do it anywhere. It doesn’t take a huge yard, or a yard of any kind. Get a five gallon bucket and put it out on your balcony and start growing your own cherry tomatoes. Shazam, you are a gardener.
Five Essential Gardening Tips for the Novice
The most important tip of all: have fun, breath deep and remember “Carpe diem” – no need for a smartphone app to measure your success rate. The smiles on the faces that appear magically when you tell them you grew it yourself (esp kids) will be the payoff. As will improved health for all.
That stuff you throw away every night after dinner its compost. Save it and put it in a pile or a bucket or in your yard somewhere and spread it around the garden. Or if you don’t have room, take it to your local ecology center.
Big beds help to save water, keep the plants tightly bunched and give you more bang for your buck when you are spreading compost.
Learn to mulch with the best of them. Straw is cheap plentiful and will help you save time weeding. Speaking of weeding, if you can get to a Zen level with weeding let me know – I’ve always believed in “delegating” weeding to any kid close by. Builds character too.
Let the soil be your guide. Remember all the fancy additives for the plant’s health mean little, it’s really about taking care of the soil. Need more guidance? Find a farmer and ask her about the soil and how to take care of it. You’ll probably learn a lot.
Find a human in need and hand them a basket or a container of whatever your growing. You are paying it forward and the feeling you get is better than knocking back a home made piece of blueberry pie.
The last and best tip about gardening is an awareness of: “the best fertilizer of a garden is the shadow of the gardener.” It’s an old adage that will “live” forever.
So, get out there, root around the dirt, have fun and hug a plant when you have the inclination, or a kid that’s learning how to use her/her fingers for something other than texting. But, I digress. #goforth
Image Credit: LA Times and Clover Toys
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