Spring has sprung at little dobbies’ Bristol store

News
24/03/2022

Three quarters of Bristol residents can’t wait to be back in the garden


It’s officially spring and little dobbies’ Bristol store is gearing up for its busiest spring ever. In fact, new research from the UK’s leading garden centre retailer has found that a huge 76% of people in Bristol can’t wait to get back gardening now that spring is here.


The research, from Independent Media News, looked into this year’s gardening trends, attitudes towards gardening, garden centres themselves and some of the misconceptions about the UK’s favourite pastime.


It found 60% of Bristol residents have the space to garden, and 52% find that gardening helps their mental health.


The research also looked into this year’s trends and found the top focuses in Bristol were growing your own produce (49%), encouraging more wildlife into the garden (43%) and creating an outdoor social area (37%).


When it comes to what type of garden Bristol locals might be looking to create, top trends are wild flowers (43%), grow your own (39%) and making your garden child friendly (26%). So, it’s clear that people are looking to enjoy a wild flower area in the garden and make the most of their vegetable patch, together with ensuring their gardens are child friendly.


Across the UK, even those without an actual garden are still looking forward to gardening. A massive 90% of people surveyed said they have still taken up gardening even if they don’t have an outdoor space by bringing the garden indoors. From sunny window ledges to cool dark corners, lots of plants thrive indoors, and you can grow your own produce just as effectivity indoors as out. What’s more, studies have proven that houseplants improve concentration and productivity by up to 15%, reduce stress levels, and boost your mood.1.


Gardening sustainably is high on the list of priorities for gardeners according to the survey. Almost a third of people in Bristol said they are more likely to shop at a garden centre that is sustainably focused and 49% of gardeners want to grow their own produce. Dobbies is notably 100% peat-free in relation to bagged compost and has just launched a partnership with elho to offer plant pot and tray recycling in-store.


Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, said:

“Spring is our busiest time of the year, with our garden centres featuring a whole host of popular and new plants, seeds, houseplants and garden furniture, ideal for the gardens, balconies and window ledges of Bristol’s homes.

“The past few years have seen a huge increase in the number of people enjoying gardening and recognising its benefits, for both physical and mental wellbeing. Our team are ready for a busy few months and we look forward to giving plenty of hints, tips and advice to gardeners, no matter their level of expertise or size of outdoor space.”


1. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/indoor-plants-can-instantly-boost-your-health-happiness-ncna781806