Aim, shoot, score

As 2025 comes to a close, garden centers across the country are planning and budgeting for next year. What products should we select? Where should we focus our 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.

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So 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%).

2026 will be a year of expansion with over half of the gardeners surveyed (63.6%) planning to plant more and expand their garden.

Even though 38% of gardeners surveyed were highly satisfied with the quality of their flowers, fruits and vegetables in 2025, home gardeners (45.7%) are wanting more blooms, more fruits and more vegetables in 2026.

Looking at next year, 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.

42.8% of gardeners expect to spend more money gardening in 2026 and the percentage is notably highest among millennials at 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.