Spring has officially sprung, and many Americans are turning their attention to their gardens. Several cities have been encouraging citizens to grow “victory gardens” during the COVID-19 pandemic, similar to those popularized in the US during the world wars.
New data from YouGov finds that half (50%) of Americans say they garden at their home, while a few others maintain a plot at a community garden (3%) or somewhere besides their own home (2%). Gardening at home appears to be slightly more popular with those who are between 45 and 64 years old (55%) as well as those who are over 65 (54%). Among US adults who are under the age of 30, two in five (40%) say they have a garden they maintain at home.
Most people who garden say that they started doing so before the COVID-19 pandemic (84%), but some say they began gardening during the pandemic (15%). Among 18-to 29 year-olds who garden, 34% say they began doing so during the pandemic.
Among those who garden, the most popular item to be growing this year is tomatoes. Two-thirds (67%) of gardeners say they’ll be growing tomatoes this year. Cucumbers (35%), bell peppers (34%), lettuce (27%), green beans (25%), and zucchini (23%) will also be sprouting in many gardens this year.
Just 13% of gardeners say they don’t intend to plant any kind of fruit or vegetable in their garden.
As for herbs, 41% will be growing basil this year. Fewer have plans to grow rosemary (29%), mint (28%), cilantro (25%), thyme (21%) or parsley (21%).
When it comes to flowers, the most popular choice for 2021 is roses, with 35% saying these blooms will be part of their garden this year. Trailing behind are lilies (25%), tulips (23%), hydrangeas (21%) and daffodils (18%).
When do people start tending to their gardens?
YouGov’s data finds that April (29%) is the most popular month for gardeners to begin planting or tending to their blooms. About a quarter (23%) have already gotten started in March, and the same percentage (23%) will be getting to it in May. About one in every 11 Americans with a garden (9%) says they tend to it year-round.
Many gardeners draw inspiration from their neighbors
When asked about where they get inspiration for their gardens, 31% of gardeners say it comes from seeing other gardens in their area. Slightly fewer draw inspiration from social media sites (26%) like Instagram and Pinterest, and 21% get their ideas from magazines and websites.
One in four gardeners (27%) say they don’t draw inspiration from any particular source.
See the full results from this YouGov Direct survey here and reach out to uspress@yougov.com for more information
Methodology: 1,874 US adults, including 1,062 who garden, were surveyed via YouGov Direct on April 23, 2021 between 4:00 and 4:18 EST. Data is weighted on age, gender, education level, political affiliation and ethnicity to be nationally representative of adults in the United States. The margin of error is approximately 4.4% for the sample of US adults who garden.
Image: Photo by Dương Nhân from Pexels
