City dwellers yearn to go green in the garden

Wednesday, 27 October 2010 1:17 PM

Urban residents are keen to grow their own fruit and veg, with gardens becoming an increasing priority, according to the latest consumer trends study from Mintel.

The research found that 1 in 5 Brits already grow their own fruit and vegetables, and this trend is spreading, as the UK Allotment waiting list has grown by 20 per cent in 2010.

This can be seen on both sides of the Atlantic – in the US, 26 per cent of internet users purchased vegetable seeds in past year, 19 per cent bought garden fertilizer and 27 per cent enjoy growing vegetables at home.

The financial incentive seems to be the main reason behind this, as more Brits try to grow their own organic vegetables instead of paying expensive supermarket prices.

The survey also found a general trend towards cautious saving; 43 per cent of consumers said that “trying to add to my rainy day savings/emergency fund” is a priority for this year, up 15 per cent from last year.

Adding sellable elements to an inner city home can increase value

With the economic climate as it currently is, selling a home is somewhat trickier than it has been in the past so there are some things that people will need to do in order to make the sale go that bit quicker. With a variety of other properties all on the market it is essential that you find ways to make your house one that can be instantly moved into.

How to make the most of an urban garden

When living in the city it is likely that you won't have a great deal of garden space to play with so it is vitally important that you make the most of the area that you do have. It is best not to overly clutter the area because you want to have a space that you can enjoy when the weather is warmer in the summer months. You can do this in a number of different ways, from creating a seating area to adding a fireplace and barbecue that can be enjoyed by yourself and guests.