Joy of Plants supplies the UK’s #1 Plant Information Library for Kiosks, Websites & Bed cards, helping leading plant retailers to sell more plants (& care products) and bring in younger customers, while training their staff “on the job”.    Terri's passion is in helping the plant retail industry sell lots more plants — the plants that customers want, plants they’ll grow successfully. Because if together we can make plant growing seem easy, we can attract new people and grow more gardeners, and that’s part of the solution for the future of our environment and the health of our planet.

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At Glee 2024, the UK's premier garden retail show, industry professionals gathered to hear from Terri Jones, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Joy of Plants Ltd. In her insightful talk titled "Growing New Gardeners, seizing the new build opportunity", Jones addressed a pressing challenge within the horticulture sector—how to cultivate the next generation of garden enthusiasts.

Drawing on her extensive experience in garden retail and digital plant technology, Jones shared innovative strategies and tools designed to engage younger audiences and start new garden owners on the path to becoming successful gardeners in a rapidly changing world, ensuring income for the future of the horticulture industry.

Here are the key takeaways from Terri Jones.

 

 

 

The Potential in New Build Homes

In recent years, the UK government has pledged to build one and a half million new homes over five years, equating to 300,000 houses annually. The ambitious target is already underway, with 234,000 homes constructed between 2022 and 2023. 

The outdoor areas accompanying new homes often appear simple—fenced-in lawns, small patios, or empty balconies. Yet these small spaces hold immense potential. They invite new homeowners and renters to engage with gardening, allowing them to cultivate their own outdoor spaces for the very first time. For them it’s not just about filling space with plants, but about connecting with nature, fostering creativity, and enriching everyday life.

As new housing developments pop up across the country, people who may have never considered tending to plants are now potential new customers for plant retailers - they represent the pipeline of new gardeners for the future, if we can attract them and make them successful. 

 

 

A Growing Market of New Gardeners

These individuals, many of whom are first-time buyers, represent a valuable new customer segment for garden centers. Statistics highlight that around 24% of new homeowners are first-time buyers. While some are new to both gardening and home ownership, others are transitioning from flats or rentals where outdoor space was minimal.

Research by Uswitch reveals that the majority of first-time buyers are relatively young, with two-thirds under the age of 35. About 20% fall within the 35 to 44 age range, and 13% are over 45. Three quarters of first-time buyers are either couples without children, or one-person households.

Most notably, 60% have an annual household income of over £40,000, indicating that they have disposable income to spend on enhancing their homes and outdoor spaces. With money to spend, coupled with a desire to personalise their new homes, this group of people are ideal new customers for garden centres looking to expand their customer base.

However, it's essential to note that these new gardeners differ from traditional garden centre customers in two significant ways: they know little or nothing about how to grow plants, and they are digital natives. Millennials and Gen Z consumers do a lot of shopping online, use technology to research products, gather inspiration, and make purchases. To effectively engage this audience, garden centres need to adapt their marketing strategies and embrace digital platforms.

For garden centres there’s also a “window of opportunity” to get these new gardeners started – many of the couples (and current singles) will likely start having children within 5 years of buying their new homes. And after the children arrive, the homeowners’ priorities change from spending time prettying their gardens for socialising with friends, to caring for their children. The time and money for gardening is diverted for many years.

 

Nurturing New Gardeners: From Novices to Enthusiasts

For many new homeowners, gardening is an entirely new experience – we can call this group “newbies”. They often have no knowledge about plants whatsoever. They might not immediately consider visiting garden centres, or make many purchases for their gardens.

Other new homeowners have done a bit of gardening and know a bit more – we can call this group “easycare gardeners”. They understand basic concepts like sun/shade, repotting vs planting in the ground, & feeding, but generally don’t know about the next level of things like soil types and ericaceous plants, or pruning, or about plants having different needs.

Retailers frequently overlook both “newbie” and “easycare gardeners” because they are not yet spending substantial amounts in their stores. Their focus is on plants and products for keen and competent gardeners, and finding solutions for peat-free and climate change. However, by neglecting beginners now, garden centres miss out on the opportunity to foster long-term purchasing from a new customer base.

Even ten, twenty years ago it didn’t matter too much that retailers didn’t focus on beginners, because when people moved into their first homes their parents would typically help them with gardening, and also because there wasn’t much competition for real plants.

That’s not the case now though, because now we have nice looking plastic plants! And we have online shopping! And we have a generation of young people who are used to things that are instant and hassle free.

Understanding the challenges these beginners face is crucial to turning them into the loyal customers of the future.

 

 

 

 

Reaching the Digital Generation

Garden centres need to meet new, tech-savvy gardeners where they are: online and in their new build developments.

Collaborations with housing developers can help garden centres connect with this audience. For example, placing promotional materials in welcome packs for new homeowners, or showcasing plants in model gardens, or leaflet dropping can introduce homeowners to the idea that garden centres can help them turn their gardens into lovely spaces.

Social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Pinterest also offer opportunities to engage with young households. By leveraging these platforms, garden centres can provide inspiration, tips, and product recommendations in a format that resonates with this audience. Simple, relatable language that emphasises the benefits of gardening—such as mental well-being, physical health, and home beautification—can make gardening more appealing and accessible to this generation.

When these consumers finally visit physical garden centres, their shopping experience will only be successful if tailored to their needs. Offering too many choices can be overwhelming, so simplifying the selection process for them, and guiding them toward a small range of indestructible, easy-to-care-for plants is essential. Loyalty programs that provide targeted offers and beginner-friendly advice can also help build long-term relationships with new gardeners.

 

 

Creating a Welcoming Store Environment

For new gardeners, a visit to a garden centre can be intimidating. The sheer volume of products, along with unfamiliar terminology like "perennials" and "annuals" (and even, say, shrubs, and repotting, and feeding) can lead to confusion and overwhelm. Garden centres can mitigate this by creating a welcoming and straightforward shopping environment.

A simple store map at the entrance can help guide customers to the appropriate sections, such as indoor versus outdoor plants, while also introducing them to complementary products like gardening tools or outdoor furniture.

Within the plant section, a designated "beginner's bench" featuring foolproof plants that need watering and nothing else to flourish for a long time, can help ensure a successful first purchase and build confidence in new gardeners.

Providing simpler, jargon-free instructions for beginners on the care of these plants, on labels that include QR codes linking to helpful videos, can further help their shopping experience to succeed. And having staff trained to watch out for “newbies” and direct them to the beginners’ sections, rather than asking them lots of questions they don’t even understand yet, will make them feel comfortable and happy to shop.

 

 

The Power of a Positive First Experience

The first purchase is often the most critical for a new gardener. If that experience is positive, it sets the foundation for repeat business and long-term loyalty. However, if the process is confusing or overwhelming for them, as it is now, the opportunity will usually be lost. Garden centres need to ensure that new gardeners leave feeling confident in their abilities and excited about their new garden. Over time the activity can turn into a new hobby.

By offering plants that are "patio-ready" and require minimal effort—such as pre-potted hardy varieties with enough nutrients to last over a year—garden centres can reduce the chances of failure and frustration. Additionally, limiting the range of plant varieties for new gardeners to choose from can make decision making easy for them, rather than overwhelming.

Once new gardeners have experienced success with their first plants, they are more likely to return for more. At this stage, garden centres can introduce them to a selection of “easycare plants” which help them learn basic concepts like feeding, and repotting vs. planting in the ground. By guiding them step by step, retailers can help new gardeners develop their skills and knowledge, turning them into more engaged and higher-spending customers, who will trust the retailer that “showed them how” over all others.

 

 

A Long-Term Opportunity for Growth

For garden centres, attracting new gardeners and making them succeed presents a unique opportunity to revitalise sales and cultivate a new generation of loyal customers. While experienced gardeners may be drawn to the latest plant trends, novices have to be shown only reliable, easy-care plants that will not die because of their lack of gardening knowledge.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that new gardeners choose real plants over plastic ones, which many twenty-somethings now see as a better option than real plants are for making their surroundings nice. (This is happening right now.) By providing successful, stress-free gardening experiences, garden centres can foster a love of plants that will continue to grow alongside the new homes being built across the country. In doing so, they not only secure future business but also contribute to a greener, more sustainable environment for all.

 

 

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