State of the Industry: South

Just like the west, respondents in the South reported a solid 2016, with 63% reporting higher sales in 2016 compared to 2015, the second highest percentage of the survey. Sales of perennials, trees and shrubs are up, according to respondents in this region, and fountains and statuary, a struggling department for other regions, are selling. More respondents indicated that edibles/grow-your-own and container gardening are the hottest trends when compared with other trend categories. Most in the South reported an early, hot summer as the biggest external factor that impacted sales.