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Old 19-03-2009, 01:36 PM
garnerloftin garnerloftin is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2009
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Default The Future of Gardening - what do you think?

I'm working with Husqvarna (provides outdoor power products) they've recently unveiled findings from a global gardening trend report. It reveals four definitions of current gardening behaviours – ‘Digital Diggers’, ‘Look Good Gardeners’, ‘Back To Basics Gardeners’ and ‘Sanctuary In The City Gardeners’ that were used to shape three future gardening predictions.

The future trends and the report in its entirety will be released next month (you'll be able to download the report and images at www.husqvarna.com/press), but in the meantime, I wanted to share some of the current behaviours with you (I think you'll find that the 'Digital Digger' behaviour rings true) and get your initial thoughts - do you agree? Which gardener are you?

I'll also share the final report once it's available so watch this space!

The Digital Digger: With an abundance of knowledge readily available with the click of a mouse, from community websites to blogs, gardeners are sharing skills and learning about new horticultural techniques and technologies. They are not only reading up on obscure varieties of species, but have obtained the know-how to recreate tropical gardens from distant holiday memories and revive historic skills such as bee keeping, exotic fruit growing and home brewing. They also trust the advice from peers online.

The Look Good Gardener: Homeowners are increasingly image conscious and the appearance of their gardens is now seen as an extension of their personality. People are increasingly blurring the barriers between their home interior and outside space. They are using modern lighting, technology (like media projection and wi-fi for instance) and multi purpose furniture design to make their gardens the best spot for working, entertaining and relaxing.

The Sanctuary In The City Gardener: Where garden space is restricted, a trend evident in large cities is the need for the garden as a retreat. Maximising on what space they do have available, such as roof terraces and back patios, this gardener combines innovative design and technology to create a sanctuary away from their busy day-to-day lives. This trend is becoming increasingly prominent since the start of the recession.

The Back To Basic Gardener: The report also showed that gardeners are trying to beat the economic downturn by making gardens more functional. This increasing trend shows gardens are being used as a way of feeding the family, preserving energy and water and securing the local eco-system. The increase in this type of gardening is clearly reflected in the rise in global demand for urban allotments and community plots.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...