Dating Vouchers Auctions Bingo Lose Weight Franchising Mobile Recycle Shopping Book Shop Compare Broadband Wine Shop Legal Store FlatShare Cruises

ODD NEWS

YOUNG BRITISH GARDENERS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A HOE

Young Brits are turning to gardening but do they know what's what?

Sunday July 12,2009

By Mauro Galluzzo for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(2)

THEY'RE young, they're hip and they want instant results - meet Britain's new breed of gardener.

Twice as many of today's young Brits - compared to older generations - are getting into gardening before the age of twenty. But they have turfed their parents 'old practices' on the compost heap.

But the new breed of 'Instant Bloomers' don't understand latin names, don't know what a perennial is and aren't able to identify a hoe.

Andrew McIndoe, Managing Director at Hilliers Garden Centre, said: "We've noticed a definite increase in the number of young people hitting our garden centres this summer, and aesthetics appear to be the number one driver."

The survey, carried out by Miracle Gro, also found the budding gardeners base their purchasing decisions on colour and what looks good.

Dan Walford, from Miracle-Gro, added, "Here is a new generation of gardeners who, though they wouldn't admit it down the pub, actually are spending a lot of time in the garden and a lot of their hard earned cash on flowers and gardening goods to instantly create the look they want."

SERIOUSLY...? OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE

13.07.09, 2:26pm

Agreed on the other comment, this article is barely that. Who have you spoken with on this? I can rightly tell the difference between a hoe and most other tools I use, I compost in my flat and yes, I do think of aesthetics when picking decorative plants - what's so wrong with that? And really, there is no shame, in fact it's hard to shut me up about the garden and what can be produced in small spaces. Sad this made it through your terrible editorial staff.

• Posted by: gardenpunx • Report Comment

WE'RE NOT ALL IMBECILES, YOU KNOW...

13.07.09, 1:21pm

Sir,

Your article is insulting, lacking in factual basis and scarcely newsworthy, serving only to reinforce your usual editorial line of a “them-and-us” divide between young people and the rest of society. Did you actually talk to any young gardeners for this article, or just have an expensive lunch with the nice man from Miracle Gro?

As a twenty-something amateur gardener, on a budget, I can not only tell you the difference between a draw hoe, a Dutch hoe and a Canterbury hoe, but I’ve serviced, sharpened and re-handled all three (out of necessity, not a desire for aesthetic perfection).

I hold out little hope of an article on the reasons why young people are turning to gardening (no jobs, no money, and for some of us it's the only constructive thing left to do); Express readers don't want to hear that sort of thing, I’m sure. It’s far easier to take the mickey out of the helpless, hopeless, ignorant, spendthrift youngsters, isn't it?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still have a hundredweight of early potatoes to dig up...

Keith Dunnett
London, UK

• Posted by: magick777 • Report Comment