A Mixed Bag

Jennifer Polanz

We just received the 2025 Gardening Outlook Study from Axiom Marketing Founder Mike Reiber and it was perfect timing. As we head into the new year, it’s great to take a look back at where consumers put their time and money, as well as get a feel for what they’re thinking for 2025.

It’s the sixth year for the study, and according to Mike, the first time they’ve seen decreases in time spent gardening, as well as in plans to plant more and expand their gardens. That’s not a great trend.

“These decreases indicate a potential leveling that merits further investigation,” Mike wrote in his summary of this year’s findings. “Despite these decreases, however, four in 10 respondents say they plan to spend more money on gardening in 2025 and plan to spend more time on gardening in 2025.”

Interestingly, though, when you break it down by generation, about 18% of Baby Boomers said they spent less time gardening last year and nearly 67% said they spent the same amount of time. Meanwhile, 50% of Gen Z respondents (that 19- to 26-year-old crowd) said they spent more time gardening in 2024.

Another stat that popped out is the male versus female breakdown. Nearly 93% of men said they gardened the same amount or more last year compared to 83% of women. And the reasons for spending less time gardening were interesting as well: work (No. 1), weather (No. 2) and spent more time traveling (No. 3).

When it comes to spending, some of the numbers start to reinforce the messages we’ve heard from industry consultants like Sid Raisch to start shifting the focus toward Gen Z and Millennials (or at the very least, not ignoring them). For example, more than 44% of overall respondents said they spent more in 2024. When broken down further, 61.5% of Gen Z respondents said they spent more last year, more than any other category. That shows they’re continuing to stay interested in gardening and are willing to spend more each year. For 2025, 46% said they would spend more on gardening than the previous year—that’s the highest of any demographic, with Gen Y (or Millennials) close behind at nearly 44%.

Let’s break down that spend a little further compared to other industries. When asked what categories respondents spent their money on, groceries topped the list (of course). Travel came next (same as last year, groceries and travel were Nos. 1 and 2). But here’s where it’s interesting: eating out edged out home improvement this year for the No. 3 spot. So outside of groceries, leisure spending was the norm. To me, gardening falls somewhere between necessity and leisure, depending on the type you’re doing (food gardening or ornamental). Either way, we could be in that mix with the right messaging!

The Competition

OK, so now you know your potential targets. But so does your competition and they are big. The box stores dominated the top spots for where respondents went in 2024 to buy supplies and live plants, with The Home Depot leading both. Independent garden centers fared a little better on the live goods side sliding into that third-place slot after The Home Depot and Lowe’s, but before Walmart. However, independents ruled when it came to quality, grabbing the top spot with more than 30% of respondents saying they found the highest quality plants at independents. IGCs also took the top spot when it came to the most knowledgeable store associates.

Consumers also told Axiom they look to websites first and foremost for gardening information (28%), followed by independents (nearly 17%), The Home Depot (nearly 12%) and social media (a little over 10%). Breaking down social media further, YouTube was the top source (38.5%), followed by Facebook (more than 18%), Instagram (more than 12%) and Pinterest (nearly 12%).

One final note about 2025—Mike’s survey asked respondents for their most important projects for 2025. The No. 1 answer is the same as last year: “Creating front-of-the-house plantings that increase the curb appeal of my home.” The No. 2 project is also the same, but grew in popularity year-over-year: “Creating vegetable gardens.” Last year 44% chose that one, while this year more than 51% chose it. With some of these grocery prices, it’s no wonder! And, finally, the third slot changed to: “Adding outdoor lighting.” This one jumped from 25% of respondents last year to more than 34% this year. Something to consider this spring. GP

For More Data

These are only some of the highlights from a robust survey. You can download the free (registration required) full report HERE.