The following is part of a comment I made at Sid Raisch Blog, Horticultural Advantage". It was off topic there, and I hope Sid does not mind. It is Saturday morning, and Monica made some delicious coffee.
It is probably the fact that I am getting older, but I am so bored with "lifestyle gardening". I believe we are entering into an age where "the truth", however you see that, will be the goal. People are so bored with the lies and half-truths coming out of politics, and the corporate world.
Needless to say, truth has different meanings to different people. As the reality of this new world sinks in, people will be looking for activities and products that are truthful. True to their values, and true to the communities values.
I miss the wisdom of my parents and grandparents(all gone, but not forgotten). I miss being able to ask them what they would do now, and what they did in times past. They survived and thrived, why can't we? Are we going to let the drumbeat of negativity, that seems to be fashionable these days, color our world?
I am most likely going against the grain here, but I was never that impressed with Urban Outfitters, or their venture into Terrain. I was brought up in an urban area, and find the idea of buy buying overpriced trinkets at a "lifestyle store" totally out of sync with my "independent" attitude. I just generally find places that sell "lifestyle" boring. Don't tell me what it is to be cool. Cool is the opposite of what everyone else is doing.
This is why I believe that gardening will be "cool" for a while. Most people don't want to garden because it's "hard work", or just "boring". As garden centers we should quit worrying about these people and focus on a smaller group of people who will find gardening "cool" for a variety of reasons. Cool because it's hard work and you have the willpower to complete the task. Cool because not everyone else is doing it. Cool because you have the really cool vegetables, flowers, fruit, etc., that makes the block party rock. "Wow, a watermelon with spots, cool", or "This salad is from my garden, it has five different varieties of lettuce." Very cool.
Walking through Costco the other day I was overcome with the smell of all the chemicals they sell this time of year. Right next to the under priced dogwoods, and flowering plums, are shelf after shelf of Miracle-Gro and other chemicals. It was the smell that got to me. Yes, in the old days that was the smell of money in the garden center business, not anymore. I know organics smell too, but there is something a bit different about the smell.
I think their may come the time when you can take a fitness class that's designed to keep you healthy and flexible, so you can garden. "The garden workout" keeps you looking great, and with all that healthy home grown food you will be radiating health. "I exercise, grow my own food and herbs, and generally live 'large'. As a matter of fact now that my significant other is involved in the garden, our sex lives have blossomed and we have never been happier". "We even have a 'naked garden' that's private, and out of site."
Gardening is sexy! Yes, I know you may not feel sexy when you are doing it, but it is. Sun, fresh food, hard work, sweat, birds, bees, and all that stuff just makes you feel good. Like exercise you have to "get into it" to realize the virtues. That's why I think it will stay cool for awhile, because not everyone will be doing it, and it takes some work.
Here is my prediction for the upcoming year. The more you can express your individuality, and create a "lifestyle" unlike everyone else, the cooler you are. So what if Oprah say's it's so? Why do I want to emulate wealthy people who are really, so unlike myself? This is why I find stores that try to make gardening 'hip", so un-hip. Yes, it's a contradiction, but that is the nature of our lives these days.
