Raised Gardens for College Research

[Thepiwis]

Hi everyone, I need some help please, I am a mature student who is currently undertaking a Horticulture and Landscape course at Merrist Wood College in Surrey. I'm doing a project assignment on the "Rise in Popularity of growing your own in Raised Gardens", possibly by a rise in media attention, the recession, garden centres displays and new products like flat packs, childrens gardening products available, especially with organisations and personalities jumping in with schools to promote and I need to prove this with some evidence. Maybe by sales or new markets opening up. Can anyone help me with advice or point me the right direction ? Any help would be gratefully accepted. Thanks.

[OllieMartin]

Try looking at the profits of various garden centre chains and tie in any spikes in sales with news and media developments. Things like the BBC's dig-in promotion and the number of people made redundant month-by-month.

I personally started gardening this year, after I was made redundant, as a pass-time to keep me busy.
You may also like to find some figures on freecycle activity as redundant people will take advantage of free sites like this as spending is an issue.

good luck

[Thepiwis]

Hi Ollie

Thanks for the prompt advice, any advice where to find profits of garden centres/businesses ? If they are public companies, is this publically available on the www?

Thanks Thepiwis

[OllieMartin]

Hi Ollie

Thanks for the prompt advice, any advice where to find profits of garden centres/businesses ? If they are public companies, is this publically available on the www?

Thanks Thepiwis

I believe the FT features figures on companies profits, but it will probably be year-by-year. I think the Guardian does too.

Economics isn't my strong point. Could write you a poem about it though!

[SueA]

Thepiwis you could also try contacting some of the seed/equipment companies direct & asking them if they have evidence of an increase in sales. Companies such as Thompson & Morgan, Mr Fothergills, Dobies etc. are always reporting in the garden magazines that they are selling more vegetable seeds & grow your own equipment so their press offices may help you. If you google 'gardening in schools' as well you should come up with lots of sites showing how big companies such as Morrisons & groups such as The Potato Council run projects to encourage children to grow produce. Good luck with your course!

[OllieMartin]

Another thought is Google trends. You can use it to see the trends in Google searches year-to-year and day-to-day.

For example. If you look at the trends in the search "Grow your own", there is a huge spike on 3rd March '09 when the "Grow Your Own Drugs" programme was launched on BBC2 in the UK. Might be a useful way to acrue some data

[Thepiwis]

Hi OllieMartin and SueA

Thank you very much for your advice, I am about to start having a look at the places you have suggested over this coming week. I really appreciate the help. Thanks!

[MrsC]

Thepiwis, you may want to search the sustainable schools programme, google it

[Thepiwis]

Thanks Mrs C will have a look now

[kernowyon]

try contacting some local schools direct to see what their motivation was. I live not that far away from Merrist Wood and the local schools around here esp. Pirbright have quite good veggie patches.

[TPeers]

No real help to you but I made raised beds for several reasons.

1) Clay ground with poor drainage - raised beds gave me a chance to 'improve' the clay while still giving a neat result.

2) Children. It is a lot harder for a kid to run/cycle etc.. over a raised bed!

3) Design. I have a large garden and it needed (still needs!) some firm structure to define it. It was basically a well mown field when we moved in, I don't think anything had been done for the last decade!