Irene School of Garden Design

Top 10 reasons why the garden design industry is growing!

Top 10 reasons why the garden design industry is growing

We discuss the top 10 reasons why the garden design industry is growing

So many people are turning to garden design as a way to relieve stress associated with modern day living, but when we dug a bit deeper, we found a surprising amount of new and unexpected reasons why some are investing in their love of gardening or even changing their careers to this amazing field of opportunity. Here are the top 10 reasons why people are gardening more and more:

Number 10: It’s law

Many may not know, but there is tremendous pressure on developers and the built industry to include green industries in order to create a more responsible and environment. Long gone are the days where buildings and developments are allowed to eat up all the green spaces our cities so desperately need. This is long overdue, and it’s about time people stop paving our earth, or dumping those hazardous large rocks on pavements, sticking a few aloes in there and calling it “Landscaping”. Unfortunately, only South Africa’s major cities have strict legislation now, but we hope that in the future all cities and towns will start to recognise how green environments not only increase an area or suburbs’ appeal, but also its functionality.

Number 9: Tiny homes

One does not have to go far to see that tiny houses are amongst the hottest trends in Europe and the USA. Our televisions are filled with a cornucopia of shows where the next generation builds there dream tiny home. Young people want to live as small as possible, and these tiny homes go really well with the hipster, earth loving, off the grid lifestyle. Though these gardens are small, and mostly container gardening, it has spurred an intense interest and love of different plant species.

Number 8: Emigration

Many are seeking to leave sunny South Africa in search of a life in a foreign country, but that can be unpredictable. Thus, we here at the School have noticed a considerable increase in people who want to learn a second skill while they wait to go through the lengthy process of emigration. Our own feedback shows that most students that did make the jump across the water, end up enjoying Garden Design as their main career abroad. In many of our own stories about our students, we often found that a spouse who studied Garden Design with us finds a placement before the other or can increase their monthly income considerably by Designing Gardens abroad. Among the most popular destinations are African countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Number 7: Indoor gardening

There is a plant for everyone whether you are one of those that can keep your Orchids blooming for years and years, or one of those that can barely keep the toughest Echevaria alive. Internationally Indoor plants and the benefits of using plants to reduce VOC’s can be seen in almost any Interior design magazine.

Top 10 reasons why the garden design industry is growing

Number 6: Dexter’s Laboratory

There is an increasing amount of young people attending short courses and their focus is less on how a garden looks, and more on what they do, what they attract and how they can be useful. Just like chefs turned the food world upside down with experimental gastronomy, gardens are seeing a similar transformation. Small scale urban farming, and new technologies fascinate young artists and some interesting ideas even shows how Architects are looking at the plant world to create buildings that’s grown instead of built.

Number 5: To solve problems

Ok, ok, we know, this one isn’t new, but one of the main reasons people wake up on a Saturday morning and go to a nursery is to buy plants to solve a problem they may have. It’s probably not the most effective or even financially savvy way to go about gardening but we are just glad people are spending more time in their gardens.

Number 4: Socioeconomic changes and experiences

According to The Garden Design Journal, the next generation will value experiences more than things, and that this has brought about a hole new generation of young gardeners that buys gardens as an experience rather as an asset. The gardens provide a beautiful backdrop for their Insta or Facebooks posts and some gardens can even be branded as instagramable.

Number 3: Sustainability & the Environment

According to the Royal Horticultural Society one of the foremost reasons why people garden is because it is good for the environment. In the UK, all the living industries, from flower arrangement to garden Designers, are designing and using plants and materials that will improve the Environment and proves to be sustainable. We all seem to want to do our bit. No more plastic lawns that are scorching hot, or PVC hedges which fade in the sun.

Top 10 reasons why the garden design industry is growing

Number 2: Money, Money, Money.

Yes, we know. Everyone wants to have a NO maintenance garden, but what is that? Homes have a degree of maintenance; you’ll have to vacuum and do the dishes once in a while. So, it is only natural that your designed bit in nature will from time to time need a little sprucing up as well. Though a NO-maintenance garden does not exist, one can implement a few clever ideas to make garden work a welcome chore. Just like people are replacing carpets in favour of tiles, many are seeking a more manageable garden, to only do the tasks in the garden they enjoy. We see many older tired gardens are being taken out, and the new garden needs to be manageable. Though a large initial cost, it seems that clients see the long-term benefits of a garden that better suits their lifestyle.

Number 1: Stress relief

Aaaaah. Gardens. They have always been a special gift that can charge a tired spirit. People indulge in all sorts of Garden ventures to relieve their stress. Whether it’s the joys of collecting plants or getting rid of frustrations by digging a hole for a tree; they all are in their own special way a form of relieving stress. At Irene School of Garden Design, we often get students who enrol for a year of study, simply because they want to escape the mundane life cycle of work, eat, sleep and repeat. (Our most popular students of this category usually work in the fields of Law and Finance)

So why not choose any one of these reasons to plant a seed (or a plant) in your garden and reduce the impact that our busy lives have on our physical and emotional health…