Hey, thanks for the visit to my site.

Some of your demographs are right in my case, but the property size is off. My garden sites on a very small property that is less than 100 feet long by 17 feet wide (with a house in the center of that). Tiny garden, but full.

When I started planning our garden five years ago (shortly after we got our house) my husband was definitely a non gardener. He followed my plans and did a good portion of the work in laying the stone for the raised garden beds and patio though, while the soil amendments and plant choices and planting were left to me.

Over the years he's amazed me by learning almost all of our many plants names, and he's happy to go out and water when I don't want to or can't. He also spends a few hours each week deadheading the flowers and proudly showing off our garden to the neighbors.

He's started requesting a few plants sunflowers and hollyhocks have become favorites of his. He's yet to plant a plant but Im sure that's coming.

My parents were home and cottage gardeners. When I was growing up we had one garden at our house, and two up at our cottage. The cottage ones were veggies, and the home one was mostly flowers but had a few veggies to. My mom was the driving force behind those gardens but my dad pulled his weight, helped plant and care for the gardens and he also had some input on the veggies and flowers that they were growing. I just remembered - he collected the flower seeds for the next years planting too. They gardened together for almost 60 years.

We'd like to buy the house that is attached to ours (and keep our current home). Then we'd have a big gardening area. I think if we did that my husband would probably have more input in the gardens this time and perhaps a few beds of his own. Then the competion would begin. :)

The demographics are right off in my case too Tricia. Great comment BTW.

Well you are close - I am female, almost 35, have a son and a husband. He is not what I would say a 'competitive gardener' more the manual laborer. He does all the heavy work like building and lifting things. I do most of the other stuff like planning, tending, pruning and watering.

The editor at the garden magazine I write for would certainly agree with your demographics. I don't fit - I'm under 35, have just two decks and a 200 sq.ft. garden - but am convinced that gardening is going to become the next granny-chic activity for younger adults - like how knitting exploded a few years ago.

Anyways, to your spouse question. My husband sets the expectations high. He's obsessed with good design in all facets of living, and is no less stringent with the garden. That said, he doesn't lift a finger. He prefers (and frankly, I like it this way) to "supervise" from the sidelines.

Cheers,
Andrea

Typical...