Despite its reputation as a hobby for older people, young people are taking an interest in gardening, research shows. The study of 2,000 people found that more than 70 percent of people aged 18 to 35 are now interested in the pastime.
This compared to 56 per cent of those over the age of 65, who also revealed that they had little or no interest in gardening when they were in their 20s.
Young adults are gaining love for spending time in their back gardens, with nearly half putting it down to its mental health benefits.
As for the other group, 45 percent said they enjoy gardening because watching them grow something is therapeutic, found the survey by seed and plant manufacturer Mr. Fothergill.
Two-thirds of gardeners of all ages want to grow more fruits and vegetables from seeds and plants to feed themselves, and
64% would rather grow their own vegetables than buy them from supermarkets.
According to data from OnePoll.com, the main reasons are wanting to make sure it’s the freshest produce available (67 percent) and finding it rewarding to monitor its progress and know where it came from (both 61 percent ).
TV gardener David Dominy is spearheading Mr Fothergill’s “Windowsill Gardening” campaign to encourage new gardeners to grow vegetables indoors to save money.
He said: “Growing on a windowsill is many people’s first experience of gardening. There are many benefits to growing indoors, including feeding the family fresh, healthy, tasty produce, creating excitement at the first signs of germination and watching it grow before your very eyes.” The true joy of watching them grow is included. Caring for and nurturing plants has significant mental health benefits, and also adds to the vitamin rich taste of consuming fresh and using produce in food within your home , Which also results in physical health.
A new gardener is Kara Addison who started in London when she was pregnant. Now she has filled her new plot in Stratford-upon-Avon with flowers and produce and is keen to share her hobby with her two children, Casey, two, and Joshua, seven months.
The 30-year-old said: “My love for gardening has grown. I found a community on Instagram and it’s a whole new world. It’s something I can do for myself, it’s not being a mother or a wife, it’s Time only for me.
“It’s a brain break and gets me outside.
“I find it therapeutic, rewarding and exciting.
“Being a mom is a lot of pressure, a lot of, ‘Am I doing this right?’ But if a seedling dies it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s fun, it doesn’t matter. I’m from Zimbabwe, where I grew up on a farm and I was outside 90 percent of the time. I love my little It’s nice to take the baby outside – she gets dirty and it’s nice to take her outside with me. We get that fresh air and see what we’ve made.
“Just let it go. If you have a window with water and a little bit of light, things will germinate, things will grow.
“It is very beneficial to take a bit of the basil you grow and add it to your pasta. how cool is that?”