The number of home gardeners is on the rise. Households growing plants jumped 19% from 2008-2009 to 43 million households, according to the 2009 Impact of Home and Community Gardening In America study that was conducted by Harris Interactive for the National Gardening Association. At first glance, one might expect people to cite the recession as a motivating factor for their decision to garden. While a third said the recession affected their interest in gardening, another third said it had no impact whatsoever. In fact, the chief motivating factor of cultivating home-grown vegetables is “for better-tasting food.”

So just who are all these new gardeners? “The demographics of today’s food gardening households include a broad cross-section of the U.S. population. There are few other outdoor activities where virtually every demographic group is so well represented, no matter what their age, education, income, marital status, household size, gender, or regional location,” concludes the NGA report. The food gardening experience is enjoyed primarily by women (54%), those ages 45+ (68%), college students (43%) and married couples with no children at home (67%). The gardeners are pretty evenly spread across the South, Midwest, West and Northeast. Those making $35,000 – $49,999 in household income are the most common gardening group (24%), although many who make over $75,000 (22%), under $35,000 (21%) and between $50,000 and $74,999 (16%) are also represented.

Among active home gardeners, 11% say they’ll increase the amount and variety of vegetables they’re growing in 2010, as well as share more of their produce with others. About 10% say they’ll spend more time on their gardens and do more preserving this year. Of the 21% of households who are beginning their first gardens, 11% say they’ll start by growing herbs, 10% say they’ll start with vegetable container gardening, 5% are beginning a full backyard vegetable garden and 4% will try their hand at berry growing.

When asked why home gardeners are participating in the gardening experience, the overwhelming majority (58%) said they want “better-tasting food.” Over half of the participants (54%) say they want to save money on food bills; 51% say they want “better quality food” and 48% say they want “to grow food they know is safe.” About 34% of gardeners say the economic downturn has motivated them to grow food this year. Perhaps it’s the growing concerns over what is organic and what is sprayed with potentially harmful pesticides, which makes the average American consumer more skeptical of grocery store produce. Or perhaps it’s the recent scares we’ve had with tomatoes, peppers and peanuts this year. The National Gardening Association study revealed the underlying suspicions of the average consumer, but also this wave of frugality and earth stewardship that seems to be brewing as well.

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Home Vegetable Gardening Part I

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