The research, carried out by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of Bord Bia, shows that Irish consumers’ gardening spend has increased by 22% since 2011 to reach €631 million in 2014.

Some of the key findings from the research are that females are the biggest purchasers across most of the categories, while the over 55s are dominating the consumer spend.

Outdoor and flowering plants, which include hanging baskets, hedges, shrubs and herbaceous plants, are valued at €126 million, up from €112 million in 2011.

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Landscaping, referring to any consumer spend on garden design and maintenance, is valued at €118 million, demonstrating an increase of 22% since 2011 and the market for fresh cut flowers remained static at €50 million since 2011. Consumers spent €16 on average when buying flowers and these were mainly purchased for the home or as a gift. Over 40% of these purchases were through discounters and supermarkets while florists accounted for 40% of spend also.

The launch of the research coincides with Bord Bia’s annual Garden Industry Awards, where a total of 38 garden centres and 17 landscape service providers were recognised, in addition to a number of special category award winners.

Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven won Ireland’s Large Garden Centre of the Year award, while Ireland’s Small Garden Centre of the Year award went to Cois na hAbhann, Garden, Home & Lifestyle Centre. BHL Landscapes Limited took home the award for Ireland’s Landscape Business of the Year.

Speaking at the event, Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia stated, “The awards are a timely showcase of the industry’s sheer perseverance and hard work, as these businesses are continually investing in infrastructure and procedures to attain a Bord Bia Quality Award."

For the full list of award winners you can visit the Bord Bia website here.