Gardening Part I: Overview

What do a deer, sprinkler, and 43 million households have in common?

- All can be found in a garden.


I am especially fond of the motion activated sprinkler for predator protection.






According to the National Gardening Association, 2009 saw 43 million households (37%) in the United States participate in home gardening, a 7 million household increase from 2008! In 2008, an estimated $2.5 billion was spent on gardening supplies equating to roughly $70 per household. Breaking down individual gardener characteristics by percentages and comparing to general population percentages:

• 68% are 45 years and older (20.6% general population are > 45 years old)
• 3.3 
• (Individuals 45 years and older are 3.3 times as likely to garden as an individual less than 45 years old)
• 67% do not have children in the home (38% of general population)
• 1.76
• 79% have completed some college (57.3% of general population).
• 1.38
• 64% are married (48% in general population)
• 1.33
• Economically, middle class households (household incomes of $35,000 to $75,000) are most likely to have a garden
• Have been gardening for an average (mean) of 12 years
• Median 4 years

Why Garden?
The most common reasons people garden:

1. Satisfaction
• 58% to acquire better tasting food
• 51% to acquire higher quality food
2. Savings
• 54% to save money on food
3. Safety
• 48% to be sure about the safety of their food
4. Productivity
• 40% to feel more productive

How do I compare to the average gardener?

• Demographics:
• Meeting the stereotype:
• Attended college
• Married
• No children
• Straying from the beaten path:
• 26 y.o. (24 when I started)
• 3rd year of gardening (median/mean: 4/12 years)
• Household income

• Reasons why I choose to garden:
1. It's fun!
2. High degree of complexity, autonomy, and strong connection (the more time and resources you invest the greater the likelihood a greater reward will be achieved).
• From Malcom Gladwell's book Outliers.
3. Economically neutral at the moment, potentially economically profitable in the future.
• I try to gravitate towards economically neutral hobbies.
• I also enjoy the challenge of designing profitable systems (I know weird!).
4. Physical exercise
• As my day job is almost entirely intellectual and indoors, getting outdoors and exercising is very enjoyable.
5. Socially rewarding
• As politics and economics interest only a small minority, a secondary benefit of gardening is I feel it allows me to connect socially with a larger sphere of people than I would otherwise.
6. Food does taste better, especially the lettuce and spinach, wow!
7. Potentially great teaching opportunity for children cover numerous topics:
• Learning/Researching
• Efficiency/Productivity
• Economics

Researching gardening statistics has produced fascinating results. I am particularly astonished by the recent growth in popularity of home gardening (7 million additional households in 1 year and the average (median) gardener has only been at it for 4 years!).

However, as exciting as it has been to write and thumb through gardening pictures from the last two years, it unfortunately appears I am a number of weeks away from getting seeds and plants in the ground. Bemidji currently has more than a foot of snow on the ground and the high temperature of the next 6 days is 42 degrees. In the interim, I plan to start growing seeds indoors and work on brainstorming a list of goals and plans to share in future blog posts.


Next Post Topic: Unemployment Assistance Part II:  Roles and Goals

Study Details (nerds like me!)

• Conducted in January 2009
• 2559 households surveyed
• Participant selection: Stratified random samples are drawn from among the Harris Poll Online® database members by age, gender, and region based upon their known proportions in the U.S. adult (18+) population. Estimates of the general population proportions are obtained from the March supplement to the Current Population Surveys (CPS).
  • Weighted Results: These results were weighted to the general U.S. adult (18+) household population based on known proportions among this population for education, age and gender, race/ethnicity, region, and income level.
• Sponsors: National Gardening Association in associaiton with the Scott Company LLC in general, and Miracle Grow in particular.