The new generation of plant lovers are taking to social media to show off their new-found gardening ‘prowess’, asAirtasker had found more and more millennials are bringing the outdoors indoors, welcoming cacti, aloes and air plants into their homes and offices.

Recent studies have shown by simply adding some greenery in the workplace, it can have major positive benefits for employees such as boosting productivity and reducing stress.

Thanks to the power of social media, green-thumbed millennials are switching on to the latest gardening trends including ‘fashionable’, low-maintenance plants that increase your social ‘cred’. According to Pinterest, searches for indoor plants in general increased by 90% in 2017with ‘Terrariums’, ‘Cactus plants’ and Tropical plants’ also moving up in the ranks.

Gardening is also having its moment as it becomes an upward trend amongst millennials, with younger households enjoying gardening at an all-time high of 29%.

It comes as no surprise that the overall gardening retail market is currently worth over an astounding £5bn annually.

The new age of gardening seems to bring new breeds of gardeners:

• The Late Bloomers – Eager gardeners in their 30s and 40s. As these individuals have grown older, they have become increasingly keen to garden, however, they lack confidence.

• The Millennial Gardener – Born between the early 80s and 00s, this trendy crowd have discovered gardening through platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. The concept of gardening fits right into many millennials’ obsession with self-improvement and wellness and gives their social credibility a boost.

• The Eco-Gardeners – These gardeners are looking for a more sustainable way to garden, with greater consideration for the environment and wildlife.

• The Entertainers – This group has the desire to turn their garden into an entertainment area, causing a boost in sales across garden furniture sets, outdoor lighting, and barbecues.

According to a recent survey by The Student Room, millennials not only count on gardening as a hobby:

• 72% of millennials have helped someone else with their gardening
• 79% have grown a plant
• 75% enjoy growing plants but do not have the space
• 51% watched a range of gardening programmes
• 7% would consider horticulture as a career

As self-care becomes more of a ‘hot topic, gardening fits right in with this shift in life’s priorities. Plants that benefit your health and transform small, otherwise unappealing spaces into havens of tranquillity.

As interest in gardening continues to soar, it seems new trends are born with the following making the ‘it-list’ for 2018:

• Nano-gardening – as living spaces are getting smaller, urban gardeners are having to get smarter with the way they use the space available to them. Traditional grassy lawns and rambling veggie patches are out.

• Beautiful balconies – those lucky enough to rent a flat with some decent balcony space have started to adopt balcony gardening, experimenting with things like fragrant herbs and shady jungle plants

• Greenery –A published Garden Trends Report for 2018 also revealed 66% of people grow edible plants in the kitchen. The ‘grow your own’ movement is not slowing down anytime soon.

• Breath of fresh air – Google searches for ‘air purifying plants’ and ‘aloe vera’ were up a whopping 550% year on year in 2017. Likewise, Compost Direct also reports that 52% of people are using houseplants to purify the air in their homes.

Although gardening is becoming more and more popular amongst the younger generations, Airtasker research has shown that it is also one of the largest tasks that people are willing to outsource. Further research also found that 30% of people simply do not have the skills or tools to garden themselves.

Young people are becoming more mindful of the benefits of greenery. That said, with less space and less time, modern gardeners are looking for outside help to incorporate into their everyday gardening practices. 

ABOUT AIRTASKER

Airtasker is a community marketplace that connects people and businesses with members of the local community who are able to complete tasks to earn more.  The global Airtasker community is made up of approx. 2 million people, 1 million verified reviews and A$100 million in Tasker earnings annually.

Airtasker employs about 165 people worldwide and has raised A$67 million in funding to date from investors including Exto Partners, Morning Crest Capital and Seven West Media.

Airtasker is truly committed to safety and has selected XL Catlin as its insurance partner to cover Taskers for liability to third parties when it comes to personal injury or property damage whilst completing a task. Read more about insurance here.

The idea for Airtasker came about in 2011 when our co-founder Tim was moving apartments in Sydney and asked his mate Ivan (who runs a chicken chippie factory and owns a small truck used to make deliveries) to help with all of those everyday jobs that needed to be done when moving – like cleaning, packing boxes, moving, assembling IKEA furniture and setting up the wifi router.  After helping out with all of these jobs, Ivan turned to Tim and said: “Did you know this is the fourth time I’ve been asked to help someone move apartments? And it’s all because of this truck!”