Three in four Europeans garden, with half of them spending more than two hours a week planting, harvesting, mowing and weeding. These are the results of a representative survey carried out in the DACH region, France and Italy by market research company Yougov on behalf of online retailer Galaxus. Austrians are the best gardeners, with eight in ten doing so.
In four out of ten cases, the garden is located right outside the door, and one in ten respondents has transformed their balcony or terrace into a green oasis. The popularity of allotment gardens varies by country: in Germany and Austria, 12% of the population each rents a plot, while in France and Italy the figure is just 3%.
Germans, and especially Austrians, are also the people who spend the most time in their gardens. Between March and October, more than a third spend at least three hours per week in their garden. In Switzerland, around 18% of respondents spend this much time in green spaces. There is little difference between men and women, but there are differences between age groups: the older you are, the more likely you are to have the time and the desire to garden.
Older customers are more generous
Austrians are investing the most money in their gardens: the survey found that more than a third of Austrians plan to spend more than 200 euros on soil, plants and tools this season, with 13 percent planning to spend more than 500 euros. The Swiss are stingy with their time but even more generous with their money. Italians and French people invest the least. There is also little difference between men and women when it comes to money, but there are differences between different age groups: 40-59 year olds are most likely to spruce up their gardens this year with a new weeder and fresh blueberry bushes.
In Europe, flowers and perennials are particularly popular (almost 3 in 4 gardens). Herbs are also popular. At the bottom of the popularity rankings are berry bushes and lettuce, both grown in 1 in 3 gardens.
There is little space to plant fruit trees
This season, respondents are especially planting fresh herbs, followed by vegetables, flowers and perennials. New fruit trees and berry bushes can be found in only one in ten gardens.
Nearly six in ten respondents say that the reason they work in the garden is recreation and relaxation. This is followed by the “fun” factor, which is particularly important for French gardeners. Meanwhile, Austria stands out for having the highest self-sufficiency rate. Italian and Swiss residents are the least enthusiastic about gardening, while Germany and France are in the middle.
