Comments on: Why aren’t more young people gardening?

By: Heavy Petal: Gardening: from a West Coast, urban, organic perspective.

Heavy Petal: Gardening: from a West Coast, urban, organic perspective. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:10:44 +0000

[...] realm of little old ladies with acreage, if it ever was. This is especially the case if you look at gardening the way I’ve come to define it. But in the past few years, gardening has become – heaven help us – hip. We’ve heard it all: [...]

By: Andrea Bellamy

Andrea Bellamy — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:47:42 +0000

Wicked Gardener – LOL. I have a few friends that learned about gardening that way too.

By: Wicked Gardener

Wicked Gardener — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:44:57 +0000

You know, I never thought about this topic much because it always seemed to me that many if not most of my friends gardened. They may not be quite as obsessed as myself, but they all knew a thing or two about plants. Some even have horticultural or forestry jobs. Sure most of them were hippies, and what some of them learned about gardening wasn’t exactly legal. Lots of interest in indoor gardening. :) Most became interested in their late 20′s, when they moved into real houses and had children. Something about having kids that makes you want to go back to those hobbies you had as a kid. I’d love to go to a garden club geared to younger people, but in Central Florida it is tough to find younger people, period.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:06:18 +0000

Craig – you’re right — most of my readers are either gardeners, or young people, or both. (I get a lot of traffic on my guerilla gardening posts, which, in my experience, has a younger demographic). But I wasn’t just talking about my interactions with bloggers and readers. For the most part, I was referencing friends and acquaintences in the “real world.” And at least in my world, there are a growing number of young gardeners. And college is a tough time to be a gardener (just ask Kristina, below!).

Katie. No regrets! Hey, generalizations have their place as a starting point for discussion – and what a discussion you’ve started! All the things I listed above were my own personal reasons for getting really into gardening. But I think the love of “playing in the dirt” was already there from a young age. I wonder if that’s what’s lacking in a lot of young people. Just out of curiousity – did you “inherit” your love of gardening from your parent(s)?

Kristina – I’ll ask you the same. Good for you for gardening on campus. It’s been – oh my god, this makes me feel old – 10 years since I lived in residence, but if your dorms are anything like mine, I imagine you’re dealing with a serious lack of outdoor space!

Hanna – thanks :) I felt like I rambled a bit there. But it’s a topic that’s been on my mind for years… thanks for providing the impetus to finally get it out in the open.

By: Hanna

Hanna — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:48:34 +0000

Slowly changing the definition of gardener forever

Brilliant! That is what I was thinking and did not say it nearly as clearly or eloquently as you. Our generation has changed everything we have touched and the next generation is doing it even more. Gardening included. Long live the new gardener!

By: Kristina the university student

Kristina the university student — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:05:54 +0000

I related to a lot you had to say today. Living on campus limits my gardening capabilities, and it makes me a little sad. I am triumphing in tiny bits. Would you like to see? I put up a picture of my garden on my blog! http://alittlebitatatime.blogspot.com/ Thanks for a wonderful read. I continue to enjoy your posts.

By: Katie Hobson

Katie Hobson — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:22:17 +0000

Hi Andrea,

Thanks for the link. I’m beginning to rue the fact that I made a generalization about younger gardeners. I just obviously haven’t met any of these great young garden bloggers in person!

The food security issue you bring up is EXACTLY what (aside from a passion for gardening/playing in the dirt) is making us into hardcore suburban farmers. Thanks for giving voice to a movement I could feel but couldn’t quite name.

Looking forward to what you have to say.

Katie at GardenPunks

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:45:26 +0000

I feel like your blog may be a slightly biased local for getting a true sampling of the young gardener considering most of your readers are probably one or the other, if not both. I am a 26 yr old Landscape Designer living near Nashville, TN and I take great pride in my apartment balcony “garden” which contains a fair selection of trees (quasi-bonsai), veggies, and fruiting plants. (I dont really do flowers or decorative plants). If I consider most of my college friends I cant imagine many of them having a garden because they do not have the space or the interest. I dont have much space but I make up for it by cramming plants into every nook I can find. Hurray for Urban-Organic Gardens.