Barb Schneider of Montgomery works in town at her local gardening and nursery shop, Schaefer Greenhouses, Inc., and believes people are ready to once again go outdoors and begin the planting season.
“I think there is going to be a lot of interest. We’ve already had a lot of people come in and ask about what kind of seeds to plant and what kind of plants are available right now,” Schneider said recently. “I’m highly encouraging people not to put anything in the ground as this is Chicago and we know how the weather can be – it’s not constant just yet, but – as far as the season goes – I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Veteran gardeners are waiting in anticipation of getting their favorite vegetables and flowers going as the Chicago area slowly awakens from its winter slumber.
Since the pandemic, gardening has seen a resurgence as it provided a welcome respite from being kept indoors and sheltering in place.
Data shows that interest has continued, driven by factors that range from rising prices of food, exposure to gardening on social media or just the joy of discovering a new hobby.
The website www.freedoniagroup.com notes that sales in gardening supplies are expected to climb, thanks to “retaining consumers who took up gardening during the pandemic.”
“Demand for landscaping products in the U.S. is forecast to rise 3.5% annually to $14.7 billion in 2028,” the website said. “Opportunities will arise from a tight housing market pushing owners to invest in their current homes – including their outdoor space – in lieu of moving” as well as “consumers who began gardening during the pandemic staying engaged, either via products that keep the hobby easy and fun or through more challenging garden projects.”
Schneider “absolutely” believes interest in gardening since the pandemic has continued, adding that there is another incentive “as the cost of groceries these days is kind of high and if people have some land in their back yard they’re growing their own produce or sharing it with neighbors.”
“It just makes sense and you get healthier food and the joy of gardening,” she said.
Mary Ann Kutnick, former co-owner of Schaefer Greenhouses in Montgomery who recently sold her business but is staying on in a consulting capacity throughout the spring and early summer, agrees the upcoming season looks positive.
“I think it’s really going to be an exciting year as people are interested again in getting out in their yards and probably planting more vegetables this year because of the pressure they are feeling at the grocery store,” she said. “We don’t sell chickens or eggs, but I think people want to be more involved in feeding their families. As far as supplies go this year we’re right on target and we’re planting furiously right now, thousands and thousands of plugs each week.”
Christa Bormann, a general manager for Heinz Brothers Greenhouse in St. Charles, also expresses positivity about the upcoming season, noting that the supply chain is adequate and that “business has been stable the past three years or so.”
“I think there is still a lot of interest in gardening, and people tend to want the inside and outside of their home to have some lush greens and see the value in it,” she said. “Our supplies are good, and we’ve been able to get everything we’ve had before in stock.”
Bormann said sales remain basically unchanged between people buying vegetable versus landscaping or decorative items, adding that “with grocery prices going up there may be more interest in all categories as people tend not to travel as much.”
Those who have been hesitant to start gardening are turning toward it, in some cases Bormann said, “as people want to know where their food source comes from or for people who want organics.”
“People also want to be able to grow what they want. If there are certain varieties of something that people can’t find in the grocery store or they want to encourage children to start gardening, vegetable gardening is a good way to start with that,” she said.
At the Spring Bluff Nursery in Sugar Grove, staff member Mackenzie Delsignore, who works as a retail assistant manager and grower, said “phones are already blowing up here with calls about gardening” and other things.
She adds that there is ample evidence of post-COVID gardening, as people are looking for cleaner food and mitigating rising food prices that continue to affect the market.
“The big theme since COVID and after has been homesteading,” she said. “People want to grow their own vegetables and fruits and see how self-sustaining they can be in their own garden. We see people also wanting to expand their gardens every year. We get a lot of retired people into this and people with kids as well as people in their 20s.”
One of the changes at Spring Bluff, Delsignore said, has been a surge in interest regarding fruit trees.
“We did a fruit tree pre-order this year and it did really well, so we’ve ordered a ton more fruit trees this year because they always sell out so quick,” she said.
As a hobby, Kutnick said “getting your hands in the dirt is the best therapy, for sure” and a way to slow down “from the fast-paced lives we live these days.”
“The media is going crazy and it’s just so beautiful to go out there and work with what Mother Nature has given us,” she said. “There is a whole new generation coming up that is loving plants and being green.”
Lori Silverberg of St. Charles was shopping for supplies recently at the Heinz Brothers Greenhouse and said she “dabbles, both with indoor plants and redoing landscaping.”
“I see more people doing gardening, growing their own food. It’s relaxing – especially with social media and things – it’s a little more back-to-our-roots,” she said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
