Do millennials garden? They do. Millennials have a reputation for spending time on their computers, not in their backyards. According to the National Gardening Survey in 2016, over 80 percent of the 6 million people who took up gardening the prior year were millennials. Read on for more information about the millennial garden trend and why millennials love gardening.
Gardening for Millennials
The millennial garden trend may come as a surprise to some, but it’s quite well established. Gardening for millennials includes both backyard veggie plots and flower beds, and offers young adults the chance to get out and help things grow.
Millennials are excited about planting and growing. More people in this age bracket (21 to 34 years old) are engaging with their backyard garden than any other age group.
Why Millennials Love Gardening
Millennials love gardening for the same reason older adults do. They are attracted to the relaxation gardening offers and are happy to spend a little of their precious leisure time outdoors.
Americans, in general, spend the vast majority of their lives indoors, either working or sleeping. This is particularly true of the younger working generation. Millennials are reported to spend a whopping 93 percent of their time in the house or car.
Gardening gets millennials outdoors, provides a break from job worries, and offers time away from the computer screen. Technology and the constant connectivity can stress young people, and plants resonate with millennials as an excellent antidote.
Millennials and gardening are a good match in other ways as well. This is a generation that values independence but is also concerned about the planet and wants to help it. Gardening for millennials is a way to practice self-sufficiency and help improve the environment at the same time.
That’s not to say that all or even most young adults have the time to work big backyard vegetable plots. Millennials may recall with fondness their parents’ home gardens, but simply can’t duplicate that effort.
Instead, they may plant a small plot, or a few containers. Some millennials are thrilled to bring in houseplants that only require a little active care but provide company and help clean the air they breathe.