With spring in full bloom, the Home Intel team sat down with a leading manufacturer of gardening tools and IMRE client, Ames True Temper, to discuss new gardening trends consumers can expect this season. Pete Brenneman, director of marketing services, talks vegetable gardens, product innovations, research and development, and of course, going green.

HI:   What are the biggest gardening trends consumers should look for this season?  And how have these trends impacted your business and the gardening industry as a whole?

Brenneman: Vegetable gardening continues to be a strong trend building on last year’s momentum of First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House garden planting, as well as the general economic climate.  It’s not news that eating healthy, getting outside and being active are important for kids and adults alike.  However, people are catching on that growing your own vegetables is not only good for your health, but it’s good for the environment and your wallet too.

Our industry has seen the impact of this trend in several areas already, including a run on seeds last season and increased demand for live plants. There has also been a thirst for knowledge from young people on how to build a garden, care for plants, and live a sustainable “green” lifestyle.  Going green translates naturally to the garden and outdoors.

HI:  With consumers’ growing demand for “green” products, are there any new gardening innovations that we should be aware of this year?

Brenneman: We’ve actually released two new lines of eco-friendly products this year in support of our commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness.  The EcoGardener line of tools feature handles made from bamboo, a material that is abundantly available throughout the world and very sustainable.  The tools also include shovelheads made from recycled railroad steel, so we’re able to find a great “second life” for material that may otherwise sit in a scrap yard for decades.

We also released a new line of EcoGardener planters.  These colorful planting pots are constructed from rice husks and bamboo chaff and will eventually biodegrade on their own when left outside or in a landfill.  This will allow consumers to refresh their planters as colors and styles change without negatively impacting the environment when they dispose of their old pots.

We expect these eco-innovations to be popular with gardeners who, as a group, are already sensitive to their environmental impact.

HI: How does Ames stay ahead of the trends?

Brenneman: At Ames True Temper, we focus on the needs of our consumers by conducting in-the-field research on how they use our tools and what tasks they execute on a regular basis that could be made easier through updated tool design and features.  We organize working focus groups, tag-along with landscapers and contractors on jobsites, and work closely with educational groups, test gardens and botanical gardens throughout the year.  Then we bring back video, interviews, sketches and general feedback to our design and engineering teams to create innovative solutions that will help consumers get the jobs done more easily and efficiently.  We also work with ergonomists in the design process to insure that our tools are comfortable to use and reduce unnecessary fatique and stress.

HI:  As home gardeners look to buy new products and tools for gardening this spring, what are the most important tool attributes to be mindful of?

Brenneman: Gardeners should look for quality tools that are suited to the type of work they intend to tackle.  For example, if you want to dig holes, look for a round point shovelhead that’s designed to cut into the dirt.  But if the job is to define the boundaries of a garden bed, the right tool would be a square headed spade with a sharp edge or a broad, flat rounded tool called a half-moon edger that’s specifically designed for that task.

The right tool can make the work much easier.  You wouldn’t want to shovel a big pile of mulch with a digging shovel when you could use a bedding fork or a poly scoop to cut through the pile in a fraction of the time.  So ultimately, know the project you want to complete and work with a retail salesperson to help identify the right tool for the job.

HI:  For those first time-homeowners or gardening novices, what are the top five gardening tool “must-haves”?

Brenneman: Again, it depends on the type of gardening/outdoor project you want to tackle, however the five tools that any gardener – novice or expert – should have in their gardening tool kit, includes:

1. Long handled round point shovel – general-purpose digging
2. Garden or bow rake – smoothing out dirt or mulch and raking out stones or weeds
3. Garden hoe – weeding and loosening the soil around plants
4. Short handled garden spade or fork – turning and breaking up soil
5. Wheelbarrow or cart – to move materials like soil, fertilizer, and compost easily

HI:  What hard garden lessons have you learned that you’d like to share with our readers?

Brenneman: Don’t wait for the weekend to do all the garden work at once. Gardening doesn’t need to be a daunting task if you spread out the work and do a little every day.  In fact, gardening has an amazing calming ability after a stressful day – so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and spend 20 minutes a day weeding or watering those emerging tasty vegetables that will be on your plate in just a few weeks!