/EINPresswire.com/ -- BURLINGTON, VT--(Marketwired - April 12, 2017) - Baseball may be the nation's unofficial pastime, but gardening continues to make gains. The now $36.9-billion dollar DIY yard and garden industry is growing at a slow and steady rate, led by millennials and by growth in food gardening, according to this year's National Gardening Survey.

"While headlines may not be as dramatic as in 2015, when spending finally leapt out of the recession, the 2016 National Gardening Survey shows steady consumer consolidation," says industry analyst Ian Baldwin, who contributed to the report.

74 percent of all U.S. households participated in lawn and garden activities in 2016, up from 70% of households in both 2013 and 2014, but just slightly below 2016. The average amount spent per household was $407.

"Though overall gains were small, the 2016 data indicates that consumers are feeling more confident in their discretionary spending of both time and dollars with regard to gardening," adds Baldwin.

Flower gardening made a moderate comeback while water gardening showed remarkable growth to an all-time high participation rate of 19%.

While the survey finds DIY gardening is now a $36.9B industry, "Do It For Me" shows strong growth as more affluent consumers pay others to do the "work." The number of households purchasing landscape design, installation and maintenance services has doubled in the past six years.

Harris Interactive conducted the survey of indoor and outdoor lawn and garden activities, reaching more than 2,000 households. The 250 page National Gardening Survey report can be purchased at GardenResearch.com or by clicking here: http://gardenresearch.com/national-gardening-survey-2017-edition/

The report includes extended analysis of the data and commentary on the gardening market by Ian Baldwin, a leading national business advisor to garden and hardware retailers.

About National Gardening Market Research Company

The National Gardening Market Research Company, formerly part of the National Gardening Association, is a well-known and widely recognized authority on the U.S. consumer lawn and garden market. Since 1973, we have worked with the Gallup Organization and now Harris Interactive to provide market research information for the lawn, garden, and nursery industries.

Our market research reports and research services have helped companies identify and define marketing opportunities. Our reports and services also help companies improve their advertising, sales presentations, brand awareness, positioning, product development, strategic planning, customer satisfaction, investor relations, mail order catalogs, websites, and more.

National Gardening Market Research Company services include research design, survey development, data collection, results tabulation, analysis, and presentation of findings. We regularly conduct both quantitative and qualitative research studies, including National Gardening Survey research and proprietary market research.

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