Continued Buoyancy in Gardening Sector

2 December, 2003

The continued growth in home ownership and the increased emphasis on leisure and ecology is fuelling increased demand for garden products and landscape services, according to a Teagasc specialist.

Patrick Gleeson, Nursery Stock Adviser with Teagasc, said that the value of the garden products and landscape services sector amounted to €230m last year, making it one of the most vibrant sectors in the economy.

“At farm gate level, the value of Ireland’s amenity sector is now over €50m. Employment in nurseries has reached 1,200 with a further 1,500 employed in garden centres. The rapidly expanding landscaping sector now employs 4,500”, said Patrick Gleeson.

He said the growth of lifestyle gardeners in Ireland has led to a phenomenal growth in demand for patio plants. The growth is coming largely from people in the 35-55 age bracket who tend to be cash rich and time poor.

“Diversity and imagination are the key driving forces. Nurseries and retailers are not just selling plants, they are selling dreams,” he said.

Addressing 200 delegates at the recent Teagasc National Nursery Stock Conference, Patrick Gleeson said that exports of nursery stock, Christmas trees, outdoor flowers and cut foliage were valued at €14m last year.

“Our green image combined with the best peat from the oldest bogs in Europe and a cohort of young, highly trained people gives us a strong marketing advantage on the UK market,” he said.

Rapid expansion in garden centre sales is leading to substantial new investment. Brian Maher from the award-winning Gardenworks centre in Malahide told the Teagasc conference about his investment of over €4m in the development of a 4,000 square metres covered garden centre in Dunboyne, Co. Meath.

Graduates of Teagasc training programmes in horticulture are also benefiting from the buoyancy in the amenity sector, with strong employment opportunities in nurseries, garden centres and in the landscaping sector.

“Continued growth in the sector will require nursery stock producers to specialise. Individual producers should concentrate on a narrow range of plants and co-ordinate production and supply to ensure more efficient delivery of what the market requires,” said Patrick Gleeson.