GARDEN Trader (SPRING 2019)

Peter Chu From the Publisher As people's demands for quality of life have increased, family gardening has become a market trend in recent years, and the age of consumers has become younger. According to the National Gardening Survey conducted annually in the US, the proportion of younger generations participating in horticultural activities has reached a new high in the country. The 18-to-34 age group accounted for 29% of the gardening population. These millennial gardeners start small gardens outdoors, or put plants indoors to integrate nature into their daily lives. As digital technology and global urbanization have prompted people to spend more and more time indoors, gardening has become a healthy leisure activity after working in front of a screen for a long time. Hanging gardens and vertical gardens have become popular due to space limita- tion. Moreover, the trend of indoor plants has been growing as indoors is the new outdoors. While horticultural activities went from farms to indoor offices, people began to build their own urban jungle, and the active social media also influenced and stimulated the growth of the horticultural consumer market. The increased interest in horticulture has boosted the sales of DIY tools. User-friendly and multi-functional gardening equipment that could adapt to gardens of all sizes have become a new trend for consumers to use in residential gardens. This type of equipment is easy to use and reduces the possibility of injury. New technologies such as automation and smart phone applications begin to be used in gardening equipment to create more convenience and possibilities for the industry. 2019 The premier Gardening buyer's guide SPRING 12