Bord wakes to blooming horticulture industry

THE amenity garden products industry is now valued at almost €1 billion, having grown by 71% over the past four years.

That’s just the household spend on flowers and plants and does not include expenditure by the commercial sector on new housing estates, public parks, golf courses, sports fields, roads, roundabouts and other such developments.

The fact Irish consumers bought outdoor plants and flowers for their gardens on 6.5 million occasions in the year up to April 2006 is a further indication of the phenomenal growth in the garden sector.