THOUGHTS ON GARDEN BRANDS
A GARDENING REVOLUTION
With spring in the air, seed and gardening catalogues having been dropping through the letterbox like autumnal leaves, and I’ve been delving into plant growers websites, imagining what we will add to our chaotic garden this year. As a new gardener, but not-so-new designer, what’s really noticeable is how few garden companies are doing anything new to appeal to the ever growing number of people now taking more of an interest in all things green.
Traditionally, gardening has largely been considered the pastime of an older generation, those with time and disposable income on their hands. And gardening brands have always clearly aimed themselves directly at that audience. But we’re now in the midst of a mini gardening revolution, speeded up through the lockdowns and restrictions of 2020, and many more of us are taking to our gardens, balconies and veg plots as a cathartic escape. In fact, one study shows 32% of people said that they had taken up gardening as a hobby since the start of 2020, and most of these people are younger audiences*. That’s a huge increase. Yet so many garden retailers appear stuck in the past, and the traditional brands are looking and feeling more and more dated and less in touch with a changing market.
All of this is made even more obvious by the contrast with rise of indoor plant retailers, who are successfully tapping into a younger audience, new to ‘plant parenthood’ to borrow a phrase from Patch, who seemed to kick things off beautifully.
That said, there are a few people and companies in the gardening world that are starting to stand out and mix things up a bit…
Images from Sarah Raven
SARAH RAVEN
Possibly the biggest brand that seems to be tapping into this new audience is Sarah Raven, who deliver an inspiring, clean and well put together brand experience, building a world around Sarah herself and her garden Perch Hill, which you can enjoy through the website, newsletters, podcasts and courses. It makes it easy to buy into that lifestyle. It’s a great demonstration of how you can engage with a larger audience across different channels, without losing the more traditional gardeners along the way.
Images from Grace Alexander
GRACE ALEXANDER
At the other end of the size spectrum, sits Grace Alexander, who has similarly created a brand around a lifestyle. Selling on a much smaller scale, Grace runs everything from her cottage in the depths of Somerset, but she has grown a large community of devotees who come for her beautifully packaged seeds, atmospheric photography, and the honest and warm writing on her blog Gather, Instagram, newsletters, and now book. The community also includes gathering other growers and green fingered creatives to share their knowledge and joy of plants through guides, interviews and videos. Even if you’re not buying seeds from her, you can still be part of the shared experience. But of course, you will buy seeds from her.
Images from Chiltern Seeds
CHILTERN SEEDS
Keeping with photography, Chiltern Seeds, run by sisters Heather Leedham and Sally Redhead, commission images by Sabina Rüber and Éva Németh to capture sumptuous shots of flowers. These are a world away from the brash, bright snapshots so common on seed packs and catalogues. Instead we get delicate and ephemeral images, taken by photographers who clearly love plants. These photographs elevate the brand, and highlight how important and powerful investing in great art direction and photography can be. Although, this is somewhat let down by the overall brand experience, which doesn’t communicate the same quality and passion—yet the people behind it are incredibly passionate and the product is great quality.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s interesting to note that all of the companies above have passionate women at their helm. And the feeling from the outside it that they are predominantly aiming at people like them, or who want to be like them. Perhaps that’s why I picked them out from the crowd. However, there is clearly a wider audience to be engaged with, especially with such a continuing interest in gardening and green spaces from all walks of life. You only need to switch the TV on and you’ll find a whole raft of gardening programmes, who are moving away from the traditional, stuffy gardens of the past, and instead making gardening in all its guises accessible to many more people. The horticultural industry is ripe for change, and it’s the perfect opportunity to build a brand that resonates with the new audiences.
I’d love to see something more meaningful from gardening brands as I dig into the plant and seed selections. In fact, I’d love to be involved in it.
If you would like some help or thoughts on your brand, be it horticultural or otherwise, feel free to drop me a line.
*Source: Mintel, UK Garden Products Retailing Market Report 2021