Generation Y - The Future of Gardening, or the End?

Guest Post by Susan L. Morrison of Blue Planet Garden Blog.

If you’re a regular garden blog reader, you’ve probably stumbled across some posts in the past week on the topic of Generation Y and gardening.  The discussion was sparked by a presentation made by Kelly Norris at the recent Garden Writer’s Association symposium.  His compelling presentation on GenY (those born between 1977 and 1986) described a schizophrenic generation that is simultaneously self-absorbed yet philanthropic, craves information and connectedness, but seeks out only self-referential sources, is materialistic, impatient and in search of instant gratification yet feels a deep and genuine connection to the planet.  So how do we Baby Boomers and Gen Xers that make our living in the green industry introduce this generation to the pleasures and rewards of gardening? After all, isn’t delayed gratification the very essence of  planting a garden?

Here’s my take: we recognize that GenY wants to cut to the chase and start gardening now – they don’t feel the need to master the subject matter before jumping in.  It’s life as one big Nike commercial, come on, let’s all just do it! Growing your own food is cool; being lectured about it, not so much. As one GenYer said at GWA, why read a gardening book when I can just Google my question and get an answer right away? 

 

Generation Y is not only embracing a new way of learning; they are also redefining what a garden is.  My interest in gardening began when I bought my first home and had an empty yard to fill, but some of the most popular blogs around right now have nothing to do with the suburban dream, and instead focus on balcony gardening, community gardens and urban homesteading, to name just a few. To be successful, the designer/nursery professional/garden writer of the future will need to rethink traditional teaching methods and topics and instead create engaging, personal gardening experiences. As Katie Elzer-Peters puts it in this post, her GenY husband is more excited that he’s growing his own food than he is to actually eat it.

 

In my design practice, I see a difference between younger and older clients.  While roughly the same proportion of people interested or not interested in gardening exists in all generations, older gardeners often view gardening as a hobby.  A hobby they are passionate and knowledgeable about, yes, but still a distinct activity separate from the rest of their life.  In contrast, GenY clients approach their gardens as an integral part of who they are.  They are eager to tell me how they want their gardens to support their lifestyles, whether that means space for organic edibles, a dog run where their pets can still be a part of the family, or a request for kid-friendly plants designed to appeal to toddlers. They understand that their little patch of earth is part of a much bigger environment, and they are respectful of that. Perfect roses aren’t the goal. Some want a garden to nurture while others just want to hang out in one.  Regardless, they all want to experience their gardens, not turn them into plant museums, or worse, treat them as simply a space to walk through on their way to their real lives.

 

This idea is not new. Before I became a garden designer, I was heavily influenced by the book The Experience Economy, which proposes that consumers no longer purchase products, but instead search out experiences. Why settle for a plain old cup of coffee, when you can relax in a sleek coffee bar and sip an exotic coffee beverage, secure in the knowledge that your fair trade beans are an environmentally sound choice?

 

What is new is GenY’s expectation that these experiences will be both highly personal and available on demand. By 2014, GenY will make up 47% of the workforce, a larger generation than the Baby Boomers. And like the Boomers in their heyday, their view of the world is quickly influencing other generations.  Depending on what source you use, I am either a young Boomer or an old GenXer, but I find myself absorbing GenY attitudes more and more all the time. The other day I was struggling to come up with a group of coral plants for a garden design. I could have called a colleague or asked for suggestions on my professional design forum, but either option meant effort and time. Instead I posted my question on Twitter and almost immediately great suggestions were pouring in, including some from one of my favorite growers.  Hurray for my instant gratification, self-referential network!  GenY isn’t just adopting a new platform for interacting with the world; they are encouraging the rest of us to adopt it too.  And I for one couldn’t be happier.

 

If you’d like to read what others are saying on this topic, check out Garden Variety, Go Organic Gardening, GardenPunk, and Miss Rumphius’ Rules. 

 

When she isn’t blogging, tweeting, or updating her Facebook page, Susan Morrison can be found designing gardens in Northern California.

Comments

[greg draiss]

So let the GEN Y-ers prove their commitment to community and the earth by putting down those "have to be seen drinking $4 lattes'" and put down some roots into a garden.

If one is philanthropic but self centered at the same time they are nothing new, they are modern day pharisees from the Old Testament.

"I care so much about the earth, so watch as I make my donation to the cause".

I, a last of the baby boomers, will stick with better tasting good old coffee while paddling my kayak on the Hudson River seeing what is beautiful instead of wanting to bee seen by the "so called" beautiful.............

The TROLL

[Steph]

Wow! What a philosophical post! It really made me think...

I think there has always been a tension in the middle class between the aspiration to have the trappings of the truly wealthy (lawns, couches with plastic wrap, granite countertops), and the realities of what is useful and sustainable. If there's a movement to reject some of that aspiration, I think that's a really good thing.

But what I didn't hear mentioned in the post was any analysis of the economics of the phenomena. My theory is that people want gardens to fit their lifestyles because property/homes are now a much greater percentage of income, and many of my generation are coming to see that they will never be able to afford the big house and yard in the burbs, or if they do, they don't have the expendable income for luxuries like second homes or trips abroad. I know exactly how much I paid for a square foot of my yard, and I want to get every cent out of it, hence gardening, which I love, a place for the dogs to roam, a place to hang and drink some wine, and a spot for growing vegetables.

Another pet theory I have is that due to global climate change, its getting warmer in places and people want to be outside more.

And BTW, no one I know twitters! It's for movie stars and people selling crap.

[Amelia of Gradually Greener]

Hee hee. The troll has a "kids these days" rant - what a surprise.

Excellent post, Susan. I am GenY, and your post describes my gardening life perfectly.

[Susan Tomlinson]

Susan--I agree with what you've said. I teach Gen Ys. and I have great hope for our future, gardening and otherwise. They are on the ball and good-hearted--in the end, though they may access information differently, they are not so different from you and me. In fact, I have learned a thing or two from adopting some of their ways.

[angelchrome]

Plenty of Gen Y already gardens in a serious way and the worst thing you can do is start imposing learning plans like we're students.

Let us discover it like the Gen Xers did. We're part of the same society you're part of. While some are never gonna shake their need for instant gratification and expect gardening to happen like magic, but plenty are going to find a passion, read the old masters, start swapping and going to garden clubs and integrate just fine.

[VP]

Susan has hit the nail on the head - 'they are not so different from you and me'. That's why I get a tad fed up with all this generalising and go and talk to real people of all ages instead.

Sorry for the mini rant - but it needs to be said!

[mr_subjunctive]

simultaneously self-absorbed yet philanthropic, craves information and connectedness, but seeks out only self-referential sources, is materialistic, impatient and in search of instant gratification yet feels a deep and genuine connection to the planet.

Aha! They are Americans! Marketing victory shall be ours!

[Leslee]

After reading this I think I am a baby boomer that thinks like a generation Y. Now I know why my garden has always been different then my neigbors..Very interesting article..something to think about but not to me a generalization just an observation.

[Carri]

Nicely put Susan. I teeter-totter Gen X/Gen Y (based on who you ask). It's nice to have someone recognize that we ARE gardening, despite what some Baby Boomers claim. We're just gardening differently than the people before us. I would have to say we're gardening smarter too, as most Gen Y gardeners I know are all organic or at least trying to be water-wise. There is a balance between having a garden that is functional, comfortable, beautiful- AND have it easy enough to maintain so that it can fit into our busy lifetstyles. As yes, we require dog & kid friendly gardens as well!

[tenderleaf]

I'm 30 and I've been gardening for 10 years, passionately. Just sayin.

[Holly]

We see a lot of GenY gardeners at http://www.dinnergarden.org. They are mostly gardeners who got hooked on gardening when they grew a bean plant from a seed in kindergarten.

[Rebecca Sweet]

Great post, Susan. Very interesting for me to hear this and I'm so glad you elaborated on this topic (I heard a bit of this on your GWA podcast). I think people are just asking for a fight when they start classifying themselves in one group versus another. The banter on Twitter this week was getting silly and I still can't figure out where it was going and why it was going there. As Patrick Fitzgerald said so beautifully: " I was never very good at Algebra, but as I recall GenX + GenY = We all love plants so it's all Good! "

As my teenage daughter would say to those folks "Don't be a Player Hater"....

p.s. in response to Steph's comment above: I'm not a movie star and I'm not selling crap, and I love Twitter. Don't be so quick to rule it out & put others down who use it.

[Willi]

I'm 29 and I really enjoyed your post and your perspective...but not Norris'. I'm not sure why many baby boomers have such disdain for my generation. Instead of schizophrenic how about curious? And why is impatience a bad quality? There is a lot we can do to make our communities better places to live, and life is short.

I know so many passionate people my age who are digging up parking lots and installing community gardens, creating community canning kitchens, and who have embraced vegetable gardening--not just because it is more instantly gratifying than ornamental gardening--but because they think growing food is a better use of space.

I think that people my age are searching for authentic experiences, and having an emerald green carpet of a lawn and filling pots with annuals just doesn't ring true (though it does make cash registers ring).

My hope is that people recognize that there is room for all sorts of gardeners, whether you come at it as a 20-something apartment dweller interested in local food or a retiree who wants to create a peaceful garden. Forming a connection to the earth is always a good thing. I've learned a lot from Baby Boomer (and older) gardeners, and I'm so glad you recognize that you can learn a thing or two from us too.

[Katie]

Great post, Susan! Nicely sums up what I've been thinking.

As the "Katie" mentioned in the post, I'll say that it makes sense to me that your clients are asking you for gardens that fit their overall life styles. As I wrote in my post, I have noticed that most people my age are flat-out hammered in terms of work, family and other commitments. I have a house, a mortgage, a car payment, husband's student debt, my own business, and a LOT of work. I might have an hour or two a day for actual "fun." Everything else has to somehow fit with work. Hopefully, I'm building a business that will allow more breathing room soon.

I simply don't have *time* for things that I can't integrate into the rest of my existence. And, my entire life experience is integrated more than ever before because of the online resources available. I think this makes me a better writer.

So, I think you have hit the nail on the head re: make gardening fit with my life. That was my comment during Kelly's session. Whatever I do, I want to be able to mine it for something. Gardening and surfing are exercise. Reading leads to better writing. My bike ride is a chance to get some sun and think. Vacations give me fodder for new projects.

When two incomes are needed to keep a house running, leisure time is at a premium, for everyone involved. Gardening has to be more than leisure. For MOST, though not ALL gen Ys, two incomes are needed. Not because we are trying to have so much stuff, but because wages are falling and prices are rising.

I routinely argue with my mom over topics that are entirely related to my current need to work, one or two jobs, rather than staying home. I know that PLENTY of boomer households have two income earners. My family did not. There are as many differences between those two groups as there are between different ages. Ditto for married vs. unmarried, kids or no kids, etc.

Anyway, I've enjoyed the debate! Debate is healthy!

['nora]

I'm Gen X, not Y, but I still turn to Google when I need a quick answer.

I turn to books when I want a nuanced discussion and good writing (crazy, I know).

I haven't met a human being yet who didn't like instant gratification. Liking instant gratification does not make the camellias mature faster, though. Eventually most of us learn to strike a balance, no matter what generation we're in.

[Marte]

Good comment, Nora. I'm an "old boomer" and I call google my "new best friend."

[Ira Mann]

Great Post! I didn't know I was a Generation Y Gardener, but low an behold that is just what I am. Loved your post. Keep up the good work. Thanks!

[Mandy]

Very interesting! I'm a 28 year old gardener here raised from a long line of people who love their gardens.

Although I agree that how we learn is incredibly different--owing much to the internet life we've grown used to--for me at least I consider myself an old timer type of garden.

Just bought a house with a blank canvas backyard. I'm incredibly excited to get in there and get some perennials going.

I've got my own personal reference library towards gardening and I utilize all sorts of networking skills to get my info.

I actually work very heavily in nurseries and greenhouses so I try to not only get info from internet/books but from all the wise advice I come across.

I remember as a kid mom growing plants from seed and I'm finally going to have the space to give it a try.

So we're not all youngins looking for instant gratification. I'm looking to save my own seeds, propagate the hell out of whatever I can, etc.

I want as my garden to be my baby and nurse it through all it's stage over the years. And raising a child take a LONG time...

My favorite part of gardening is honestly getting outdoors, getting dirty, and doing this as much as possible.

[Kristina]

I'm towards the tail end of Gen-Y, but have found a love for gardening that sprouted from the same love of learning that our generation has in common. With so much information at our fingertips, the world has opened up to us, yet, somehow we are still disconnected with it. I love gardening because it's not simply heady-intellectual knowledge, but is tangible and useful and teaches me the patience that every generation seems to lack.

[Susan]

My two cents: I'm a mid-Boomer with a Gen X, two Gen Y and a World War II baby husband. (Still waiting [do you hear me boys?] for generation whatever grandbabies! I love them all, learn from them, argue with them and sometimes garden with them. We all grow up with different experiences,schooling, economic life etc. that shape our thoughts on gardening among all the other pieces of our lives. We each bring something different to the table. Different not better, not worse.
I won't argue about the generalizations that are out there about each generation. We are each individuals no matter which group we are placed in by others. How we approach gardening is also individual.
Happily, there is room for everyone in the watermelon patch.

[Gayla]

Thank you for writing a thoughtful post about this.

I often wonder if the technology/impatience topic is a chicken or egg thing? Is it really that younger generations are more impatient, or is it simply that the technology is now available to create products that cultivate impatience and younger people just happen to be more comfortable with that technology on the whole because they've grown up with it to varying degrees?

Seems like all of us, regardless of age, live within a wider cultural framework of impatience/convenience.

I mean, wasn't it older generations who embraced chemical fertilizers and products like Miracle Gro meant to grow plants bigger faster, easier? I don't mean to point the finger, just making the point that impatience is a condition of our overall cultural condition and not the problem of any one age group.

I like that Willi used "curious" in place of "impatient."

The good thing is that gardening cultivates both curiosity and patience.

[Debra Lee Baldwin]

Well, how's this for a generalization? People who were introduced to plants, gardens and gardening when children are far more inclined to like plants, gardens and gardening as adults.

As a garden photojournalist, I often visit great gardens, and invariably the owner reminisces about his or her grandmother's garden.

On the other hand, there are people like my neighbor, whom I asked why I never saw her in her yard. She shrugged and replied, "Dirt and bugs." You guessed it: She had grown up with no gardening influences.

So, maybe the XYZ of the generation doesn't matter as much as this universal truth: Gardening is like camping or music or sailing. If you want your kids and grandkids to love it, share with them your own passion for it.

[Tibs]

I don't think being exposed to gardens and gardening when young will necessarily make you more likely to garden as an adult . My sister and I were both surrounded by gardening and gardeners. I have alwasy loved it, she has never had an interest. My own children have always been exposed to gardening. One, a very late gen y'er has a gardening interest, the younger (gen Z?) has absolutely no interest. You either have a gardening bug or you don't.

[Joe Lamp'l]

This was a great post. I'm fascinated by this topic as I work to create a new gardening / sustainability TV series that addresses issues that are more pertinent to gen Y & X yet still interesting and informative to boomers plus. I don't have any episodes planned to show you the next great rose garden, but we are going to talk a lot about urban farming and backyard homesteading and stewardship issues and always around gardening.

[Katie]

Everyone is still seizing on the "Impatience" issue. Did everybody miss this section of Susan's post?

"In contrast, GenY clients approach their gardens as an integral part of who they are. They are eager to tell me how they want their gardens to support their lifestyles, whether that means space for organic edibles, a dog run where their pets can still be a part of the family, or a request for kid-friendly plants designed to appeal to toddlers. They understand that their little patch of earth is part of a much bigger environment, and they are respectful of that. Perfect roses aren’t the goal. Some want a garden to nurture while others just want to hang out in one. Regardless, they all want to experience their gardens, not turn them into plant museums, or worse, treat them as simply a space to walk through on their way to their real lives."

To me, that is the most important part. My mom is 58, and she is the most impatient person I know. It has nothing to do with her age. She also loves to garden and gave me her green thumb.

The point isn't whether we have a short attention span or not. I think the IMPORTANT point for people reaching out to new gardeners is the quoted passage above: INTEGRATE

Integrate gardening with everything else. Make it indispensable--like the GWA keynote speaker said "Once people get used to trees and plants and flowers, they WON'T want to go back." Hook people. Reach the newbies where they are hanging out, which appears to be the internet. Give them resources.

I can't wait for Joe's new show. He sounds like he gets it! It isn't about impatience, or an older generation trying to tell the younger generation what to do or vice versa. It is the experience, and, speaking for myself, all of my experiences stem from and feed into everything else I am doing. That's the nature of being online so much.

INTEGRATE!

And, Gayla's right: synthetic fertilizers came into widespread use right after World War II, when the Haber-Bosch process was perfected.