 Want to get garden retailers riled up? Post a query about DIY landscaping trends on several online forums. After you wade through the gripes and groans, a general consensus emerges: Sales opportunities in this realm are limited to smaller “niche” projects.Why? Retailers cite the housing market, which remains uncertain. Many consumers are still hesitant to invest money in big-budget landscaping or hardscape projects. This assumption is echoed by findings from the Garden Writers Association Foundation Spring Survey, showing a continued drop in average dollars spent on gardening. The average currently stands at $468, down from a high of over $600 in 2009. The silver lining is the continued interest in constructing raised beds, vertical gardens and other “container-type” projects.
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Some garden centers have countered this retail reality by forging an informal alliance with locally owned hardware stores. They’ll send customers there for hard goods to complete these projects. In return, the hardware stores recommend the garden center for plant purchases. Other garden retailers suck it up, carry a shallow selection of hard goods for these projects—anticipating they won’t be fast-moving. How is DIY faring in your world? Send your success stories (or “learning moments”) to smartinez@gie.net and look for your comments in an upcoming issue. |
 | The Garden Center Conference & Expo, presented by Garden Center magazine, is the leading event where garden retailers come together to learn from each other, get inspired and move the industry forward. Be sure to register by April 17 to get the lowest rates for the 2025 show in Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 5-7.
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