Aim, shoot, score - nurserymag.com

Adobe Firefly BY KATIE MCDANIEL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR PUBLISHED APRIL 07, 2026 | UPDATED APRIL 08, 2026 Listen to article Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2026 print edition of Nursery Management under the headline “Aim, shoot, score.” As grower-retailers prepare for another spring, they may be wondering where to focus their marketing efforts. According to the 2026 Axiom Gardening Outlook Study, home gardeners spent more time gardening in 2025, and the percentage is highest among millennials (66.7%), with Gen Z (63.8%) following closely behind. Of the gardeners surveyed in the annual study, 34% of them spent 50% more time gardening in 2025, a total increase of 27% in 2025 vs. 2024, and 12% of them spent 100% more time gardening in 2025, a total increase of 41% in 2025 vs. 2024. This shows the largest increase in more time spent gardening since 2022. That means that not only did gardeners spend more time gardening in 2025, but 49.5% of gardeners surveyed in the annual study spent more money on gardening in 2025, and the percentage is highest among millennials (61.1%). The data in the study was collected in September and October 2025, at the end of the gardening season, and affordability was top of mind for respondents. “We started this study back in 2018, but I think gardening remains resilient, despite all of the affordability concerns that people are experiencing,” says Mike Reiber, CEO and founder of Axiom, a Minnesota-based market strategy consulting company. “I think it’s a positive thing for IGCs, especially if you look at the fact that the mass merchants (Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart) were down as being listed as a primary source of plants and also gardening supplies.” Wanting more 2026 is expected to be a year of expansion, with over half of the gardeners surveyed (63.6%) planning to plant more and expand their garden this year. Even though 38% of gardeners surveyed were highly satisfied with the quality of their flowers, fruits and vegetables in 2025, home gardeners (45.7%) want more blooms, more fruits and more vegetables in 2026. Because a lot of these younger gardeners have higher expectations, Reiber says retailers need to continue to talk about their varieties in compelling ways, like what makes them different and new, how they perform, and how they produce more blooms, fruits or vegetables. Nastasic | iStock What is influencing plant purchases? 77% of gardeners surveyed will pay more money for the specific color of flower or variety of vegetable plant they want. 30.3% of gardeners surveyed find the highest quality plants at IGCs. 37.1% said inspiration for new garden ideas would increase their time and money spent at IGCs. ultramarinfoto | iStock How much time and money will be spent on gardening in 2026? 50.2% of gardeners expect to spend more time gardening in 2026, and millennials (66.7%) and Gen Z (65.2%) are leading that charge. 2.8% of gardeners expect to spend more money on gardening in 2026, and the percentage is notably highest among millennials (63.9%), Gen Z (49.3%) and Gen X (31.4%). So, for the IGCs figuring out where to focus their marketing efforts, aim, shoot and score with millennials and Gen Z. READ NEXT Get a grip on your drip: defining drainage Explore the April 2026 Issue Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. VIEW MORE Latest from Nursery Management Five feet high and rising Stronger than the storm Branching out Get a grip on your drip: defining drainage Q&A with Trystan Lewis Low-maintenance roses that actually deliver Simply Grow: How Pierson Supply helps growers focus on what they do best Eliminating shotgun holes in nursery stock