The Economy's Other Green Shoots: A Gardening Boom

Green shoots aren't just popping up in the economy. In case you haven't noticed, we're in the midst of a gardening boom.

From national home improvement chains such as Home Depot [HD 25.77 -0.55 (-2.09%) ] to local garden centers, stores are buzzing with folks getting into gardening for the first time. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is digging in the dirt on the South Lawn, planting the White House's first vegetable garden since the days of Eleanor Roosevelt.




The National Gardening Association predicts the number of people planting vegetable gardens is expected to rise almost 20 percent this year. Some say it's likely to surge even higher.

More consumers are planting, and they are planting more than they usually have, says Keri Butler, a spokeswomen at Scotts Miracle-Grow [SMG 32.92 -0.85 (-2.52%) ].

Butler says there's been a surge in consumers ringing up the company's call center, and most people want tips on planting vegetables.

At Ace Hardware stores in the Denver metro area, sales of seeds are up more than 300 percent, says Andy Carlson, a store owner and a member of a regional dealer group for the hardware chain.

Customers are mainly shopping for vegetable seeds and herbs instead of flowers, he says.
Who's Not Seeing Green Shoots?

"We had anticipated that we would have a good season because the weather was very mild," he says. "We knew people would be excited to get out there, so we were well-stocked and in-stock early, but we have seen the need to replenish several times, which is highly unusual."

Many shoppers are buying gardening supplies for the first time. Carlson has given his sales staff additional training in order to field questions from novices.

"I think you have got to speculate the economy has something to do with it," Carlson says.

Estimates suggest gardeners can harvest about $600 worth of produce for an investment of about $70 in seeds and fertilizer.