According to the 2016 National Gardening Report, five million of the six million Americans who took up gardening in 2015 were 18 to 34. The same report found that 37 percent of millennials grow plants and herbs indoors, compared to 28 percent of Boomers. Consumers can now pick up brass plant markers ($50 a pop) from Anthropologie, double plant hangers ($40) from Urban Outfitters, and all manner of containers on Etsy, from sleek and modern to folksy and quirky. Floral container manufacturers are following suit, with new lines of on-trend containers that speak to the uptick in consumer interest.
What’s driving the trend? Lots of factors. Compared to previous generations, millennials are buying homes and starting families later in life — nurturing plants instead, apparently. Many are choosing to live in cities and urban areas, where rents are high, space is at a premium, and big backyards are nonexistent, making a shot of green inside especially welcome. Boomers are downsizing and more consumers from all generations are interested in living healthier lives, something plants can help facilitate.
The key to turning these plant fans into customers? Engage them, educate them and give them lots of options, say florists who have built a loyal plant-loving following. This month in Floral Management, florists share tips on how to think about these buyers, ways to entice them and advice on how to get them into your store—whether you are in a hip, urban center or a more suburban or rural locale.
