Our water feature. Photo on the left is at the beginning of year two. Photo on the right is in June of year three.
Time + patience = great gardens!
As the Horticulture Industries struggle with declining sales, many articles are being written in the trade magazines to explain the changing face of the hobby of gardening.
The experts are blaming it on advancements in information technology and the speed the world operates at now. What they really mean is, gardening is too slow paced to hold the interest of generations X and Y for very long. They have learned to expect instant results and feel gardening should be no different. The Horticulture industry has responded as best they can by offering instant gardens in the form of larger annuals, perennials, mature container gardens and lower maintenance varieties of plants. The people of X and Y apparently have no interest in learning how to garden, but they do want nicely landscaped properties. And they want them now. They do not want to wait three to five years for the plants to mature.
The baby boomers are not blameless in the downward spiral of hobby gardening. As this generation ages, their physical health is declining and with it their ability to garden as much as they once did. They are more inclined to travel or play golf, than garden. As a result their landscapes have been downsized, houseplants dispensed with and the few vegetables they want to grow have been relegated to containers.
The grounds maintenance sector has really taken off as X and Y have little time or energy to care for their gardens and yards. Unfortunately, there has been an influx of unknowledgeable and inexperienced operators that are giving this sector a bad name. That is not helping the reputation of the horticulture industry as a whole. Add to that the influence of the big box stores (see Greenhouse Rant) and it is surprising that gardening survives at all.
It is not all doom and gloom though. What goes around comes around. There will come a time when once again, people will want to slow the world down a bit and experience the peace, learn the patience, hobby gardening brings. Until then, the horticulture industry professionals will run with the consumers as fast as they can, and as fast as Mother Nature allows.
The experts are blaming it on advancements in information technology and the speed the world operates at now. What they really mean is, gardening is too slow paced to hold the interest of generations X and Y for very long. They have learned to expect instant results and feel gardening should be no different. The Horticulture industry has responded as best they can by offering instant gardens in the form of larger annuals, perennials, mature container gardens and lower maintenance varieties of plants. The people of X and Y apparently have no interest in learning how to garden, but they do want nicely landscaped properties. And they want them now. They do not want to wait three to five years for the plants to mature.
The baby boomers are not blameless in the downward spiral of hobby gardening. As this generation ages, their physical health is declining and with it their ability to garden as much as they once did. They are more inclined to travel or play golf, than garden. As a result their landscapes have been downsized, houseplants dispensed with and the few vegetables they want to grow have been relegated to containers.
The grounds maintenance sector has really taken off as X and Y have little time or energy to care for their gardens and yards. Unfortunately, there has been an influx of unknowledgeable and inexperienced operators that are giving this sector a bad name. That is not helping the reputation of the horticulture industry as a whole. Add to that the influence of the big box stores (see Greenhouse Rant) and it is surprising that gardening survives at all.
It is not all doom and gloom though. What goes around comes around. There will come a time when once again, people will want to slow the world down a bit and experience the peace, learn the patience, hobby gardening brings. Until then, the horticulture industry professionals will run with the consumers as fast as they can, and as fast as Mother Nature allows.
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